Pictured is Arthur Day of Argyle Street, Gorse Hill with his Christmas lights

GORSE Hill is first and foremost a part of Swindon. However, like so many other areas of the town, it is also unmistakably a community in itself, with its own individual traditions and identity.

In the 19th Century an industry-driven process of expansion began that saw entirely new districts established and others developed from existing smaller communities.

Gorse Hill is one of the most prominent of these "communities within the community", from its street plans to much of its architecture.

There has never been a shortage of people wanting to move there, and nor has there been a shortage of people wanting to establish shops, businesses, pubs, clubs and leisure facilities.

Many of its residents can trace their ancestry back through many generations of Swindonians, while others are newcomers attracted by the vibrancy and family friendliness of the area.

A good test of whether a district can justly lay claim to being a community in its own right is to ask whether a person could work there, live there, shop there and spend their leisure time there without being forced to go elsewhere for any of their needs.

Most people agree that Gorse Hill passes this test with flying colours. It has a broad range of shops that can cater to just about all consumer demands, with the added bonus that those shops are individual enough to evoke memories of the sort of traditional high street that has all but disappeared from many parts of the country.

Obviously, basic and not so basic groceries are readily available, but there are also shops offering everything from embroidery supplies to books and from kitchen white goods to electrical items.

There are also plenty of choices when it comes to leisure, with good quality pubs and a generous and diverse helping of restaurants and takeaways.

But this is really only scratching the surface - there are plenty of locally-based businesses making a strong contribution to the economy of Swindon.

And there are also plenty of people who are happy not only to live in Gorse Hill, but to shop there and send their children to school there. And to find work there.

2:23pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

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