Monday, January 9

1951: An honour rarely achieved by a Welsh terrier bred outside Wales has been won by Miskin Matelot, owned by Mr W G Kinsman of Purton Stoke. The animal was awarded a championship certificate at the Olympia Dog Show and this, with other certificates he had already won, made him a full champion.

1961: The first exhibition for some years that was so highly praised by judges in the Swindon Camera Club annual show, was summed up by the quality of entries on display in the Central Library. The number of prints was up by 25, although it was surprising to find such a low number in the colour section. One of the photographs attracting most of the attention was The Umbrella, a picture of a small boy under a huge umbrella, taken by Dr J Evans.

1971: Swindon Corporation won exclusive rights to the bus service on the South Dorcan estate. Evidence from the Corporation and the Bristol Omnibus Company, which wanted a joint service, was heard at a tribunal in Bristol. Swindon had proved a more competitive timetable, more durable fares and a quicker route than the company so won the rights.

Tuesday, January 10

1951: Marlborough British Legion is planning a mammoth gala week for this year. Beginning with the British Legion County Rally the carnival week is officially part of the Marlborough Festival of Britain celebrations.The parade includes a massed march of 100 standards down the famous High Street. Guests at the carnival include the Band of the Dagenham Girl Pipers.

1961: A ban on stileto-heeled shoes has been imposed at The College, Swindon, to protect the wooden floors. Girl students have been told not to wear them in the college building. Mr W Gillespie said they don't like the mess of the floors from stiletoes. He said the damage was done by girls sitting at their desks and digging their heels in.

1971: A steady stream of people of all ages have filed past the £1,400 model of the Brunel Centre in the Central Library, Swindon. Joan King of Park North thought that the centre would be similar to the Bull Ring in Birmingham while Albert Dickens of Covingham Park thought it was more like the West End of Swindon.

Wednesday, January 11

951: A thousand bargain hunters formed a queue outside the Regent Street Swindon store of Marse's Ltd, when the winter sale opened. The first arrival was a woman at 1am, hoping for a fireside chair. She waited eight hours before the store opened.

1951: Marlborough sub post master and saddler, Mr J Chandler, has been appointed Hon Sec of the Gold Coast Study Circle of Great Britain, which has been formed to study Gold Coast life and postal history. Mr Chandler recently resigned as secretary of Marlborough Stamp Club. During the war he served in Africa with the Gold Coast regiment.

1961: An audience mainly of children saw Gorse Hill Community Centre drama section and the Tanwood Studio, stage Aladdin. The cast was headed by Pauline Jack and Anthony Selwood. Julie Townsend had to step into the role of the Genie of the Lamp at the last minute because of a sudden illness.

1961: Support has been given by the Swindon branch of the National Farmers' Union to help the efforts being made to put the shell-shattered Wiltshire village of Imber back on the map. Mr E F Boulton reminded members that although the regulations that had kept the roads through Imber closed to the public for 20 years had ended, the War Department was now trying to have this right of way closed permanently. Members agreed to a march through Imber in protest.

1971: Swindon's new RSPCA inspector is William Cornwall, 37. He moved to the town from his home in Worcester. For the last six months he has been attending a training course for inspectors in London. This is his first post.

1971: Crash barriers at Swindon Town Football Ground were being tested following the Ibrox Park disaster in which 66 people were killed. A new form of hydraulic test equipment was put through its paces by Simon Lane, managing director for the Swindon firm of Martyn Lynshaw.

Thursday, January 12

1951: Seventeen branch line services in the Swindon district have been affected by cuts in rail passenger services, announced the Rail Executive. This move is the latest in the all out national effort to reduce fuel consumption, and is the result of an appeal by The Ministry of Fuel. In the Western Region the cuts affect a total of 375 services.

1951: South Marston Women's Institute held its New Year party and entertained the president, committee, and members of Upper Stratton WI. The two institutes numbered about 80 members. The first item was the Upper Stratton Choir, conducted by Mrs Montague. Mrs Pinnegar was the accompanist. More solo songs and two songs from the Four Winds Cantata followed, plus tea and games.

1961: More than 30 Co-operative Women's Guild members from branches in Banbury, Oxford and Maidenhead were welcomed by the Mayor of Swindon Coun Miss E C M Millin at the first guild district conference of the new year.

1961: Long before safety glass became compulsory in cars, Mr Crowdy, Mr T Hazell and Mrs J Crewe Wood, who was at one time a solicitor in Swindon, combined to produce what is now known as Triplex glass. Mr Crewe Wood patented the glass in 1902. Today it is widely used.

1971: The day of protest against the Industrial Relations Bill got off to an early start at Pressed Steel Fisher in Stratton St Margaret. Workers held a number of meetings during the night and a spokesman said production was affected. At the British Rail workshops, 160 electricians failed to report for work. About 1,000 Plessey workers staged a protest demonstration in the Cheney Manor Estate.

1971: The first performance of Peter Maundrell's first sonata was given by the young Wroughton composer/pianist at the Arts Centre. Written over a two year period the sonata, which was dedicated to his former music teacher Mrs Esme Weight, was first performed at Trinity College of Music where he is a fifth year student.

Friday, January 13

1951: A party of members of Swindon Labour League of Youth made a conducted tour of the Faringdon Street Baths, and were shown some of the intricacies of the workings. Mr J Ackroyd the Borough Surveyor gave a short talk at the Milton Road Labour Room on the history of the baths.

1951: On the desk of Mr R J Crabb, the 28-year-old assistant manager of the Savoy Cinema in Swindon, stands a solid silver model of Leo, the Metro Godwyn Mayer lion. He received it as the first prize in the October Kine Week's and MGM National Showmanship contest. The award was a tribute to his originality and hospitality in giving three American soldiers from Fairford, Twenty-four Hours On The Town, when the film of the same name was showing at the Savoy.

1961: Mrs J R Borrelli, wife of Dr U M Borrelli of Chedcliffe Lodge, Chiseldon, was visited at home by Doreen Stephens, editor of BBC Women's TV programmes. They spent an hour and a half chatting. Mrs Borrelli was one of about 9,000 entries in the BBC TV National Homemaker Contest. She was one of the finalist for the Western Region.

1961: Games, dances and comic musical items performed by members, were entertainment for more than 150 members of the Christ Church Swindon Young Wives Group, at their party. Introduced by Canon F W Thomas, who was MC, the items included songs by Carol Rawlings and community singing.

1971: Park School Swindon hosted the BBC programme Any Questions? Answering the questions were Mr Anthony Crossland MP, Lord Mancroft, Lady Antonia Fraser and Lord Redcliffe. The broadcast went out live on Radio 4.

1971: Father and son team, Fred and John Boywer, have won the pairs championship of the King George Inn, Calne, Green Darts Team. They beat Peter Bunton and Dave Collins in the final. John also won the singles championships beating Peter Bunton in that final.

Saturday, January 14

1951: More than 200 people attended the annual dance of the Swindon District Social Club of the Southern Electricity Board at Swindon Town Hall. Among the guests were the Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon Ald and Mrs J Bond. Dancing was to the music of the Johnnie Stiles Orchestra.

1951: Recipient of the BEM in 1948 and member of the Women's Land Army from 1941 until it was disbanded, Miss Viola Huband married Mr Gerald Townsend at St Leonard's Church, Blunsdon. The bridegroom's father was head of Cricklade School for more than 20 years. The bride and groom both belong to the Blunsdon Rifle Club.

1961: The plans to provide Highworth with a new Welcome Club and an heated indoor swimming pool were given overwhelming support by a large number of residents at the annual meeting of Highworth Village Hall Charity Trust. Official blessings were given to the club and the swimming pool being built in conjunction with one another on the Recreation Ground in the town.

1961: A new large hovercraft built at Vickers Armstrong's South Marston works is a Type 3032 Hovercraft. The 3032 was called the Big Brother to the smaller craft also built at South Marston. The hovercraft was built to revolutionalise short haul transport and cross the Channel in half an hour.

1971: A seventh year student at Headlands School, Swindon, Peter Ferris, of Pewsham Road, Penhill, has been awarded a Kingsley Fairbridge Scholarship. He will read for a B Commerce Degree at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Peter is a former pupil of Penhill Junior High School.

1971: The first dwile-flunking contest to be held in Swindon in living memory was at the Running Horse, Wootton Bassett Road. Flunking the dwile is an ancient Wiltshire custom - probably devised as a good excuse for getting drunk quicker. The game is about one flunker who stands in a circle of people holding hands and moving around him. He holds a stick and a rag, which he dips into beer from time to time, before suddenly flunking eg he flicks the rag from his stick at one of those around him. If he gets two shots he is forced to drink a chamber pot full (two or three pints) of beer.