As we continue to celebrate the Adver’s 160th anniversary we are pleased to present 160 reasons why we love Swindon.

No-one is saying Swindon is perfect and our town has sometimes been criticised for allegedly lacking history, character, heritage and culture.

In the next few stories you will find 160 examples of why the Adver thinks Swindon and the surrounding area has all of these and more.

We celebrate the festivals, institutions, achievements, facilities and environmental aspects that – in the opinion of the newspaper that has served Swindon since 1854 – make this town and its environs a colourful, multi-faceted and community-spirited place to live and work.

30 COLLECTION OF MODERN ART: Over the past seven decades Swindon has amassed one of the country’s most important collections of civic-owned modern art. Largely acquired through donations the Swindon Collection includes works by some of the greatest artists of the past century including LS Lowry, Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, Ben Nicholson and Lucien Freud.

31 COMMUNITY FOREST: More than 1.5 million trees have been planted in and around Swindon since the town became one of a dozen in the UK to create a new kind of forest. Officially launched by TV botanist David Bellamy in 1994 the Great Western Community Forest has transformed 2,500 acres of barren space into thriving woodland.

32 COMMUNITY RADIO: Fronted by the redoubtable Shirley Ludford, Swindon 105.5 Community Radio has been broadcasting music, chat and news for six years and is being rewarded with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the equivalent of an MBE.

33 CONCERT BOWL: What do Swindon and Hollywood have in common? Okay, ours is a little smaller but the art-deco concert bowl has become a focal point for concerts – from rock to reggae, brass to baroque – since it was opened in 1936.

34 COTSWOLD WATER PARK: Britain’s largest inland water complex – a 15-minute drive from Swindon – comprises around 150 lakes created from 80 years of sand and gravel extraction. This unique wildlife wonderland sits comfortably alongside its status as a key attraction for recreational activities ranging from fishing to sailing.

35 COUNTY GROUND: The home of Swindon Town FC since 1896, The County Ground was the first football stadium in the country to get floodlights (in 1951) and the world’s only soccer arena to boast a Rolex clock. Events staged there include the finale of the Swindon Marathon to an Elton John concert.

36 COUNTRYSIDE: The town may have experienced helter-skelter growth in recent decades but Swindon is still surrounded by magnificent countryside with sweeping chalk downlands and areas of outstanding natural beauty dotted with delightful villages and hamlets.

37 CREATE STUDIOS: For 30 years Swindon’s award-winning Create Studios, based at the former town hall, has helped young people explore their creative talents through a variety of media including film-making and the digital world of apps, web and gaming. Harry Potter films director David Yates cut his teeth there.

38 CROCODILE: Ok, it’s not strictly a crocodile – it’s actually a gharial. Arguably Swindon’s most fearsome resident, the 16ft long native of India mysteriously arrived in town many decades ago to become a popular figure at the Bath Road museum in Old Town. Our big-bellied buddy is allegedly one of the UK’s largest stuffed specimens of its kind.

39 COUNTRY PUBS: There’s nothing quite like a county pub for getting away from it all and the Borough of Swindon is loaded with them. Sunday lunch or a well-earned pint in the evening, you can’t beat them.

More to come