SOME stories can be filed under: “The past was a different world.”

One of them happened in Swindon on Wednesday July 2, 1980.

On that day a man dressed as a cowboy and carrying a large imitation handgun strolled into a Brunel Centre electricity showroom to make a complaint.

If anybody pulled such a stunt these days, there’s every chance that they’d end the day in a cell or on a slab, and that the entire town centre would be cordoned off as police helicopters circled overhead.

Back in 1980, though, everybody was rather more laid back – and local newspapers were happy to join in the harmless fun.

“Mean gunslinger Wild Stan Woods rode into town today looking for a showdown,” we said.

“Wild Stan reckons the Southern Electricity Board owe him money and he aimed to get it.

“‘A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do,’ said gun-totin’ Wild Stan.

“He claims the SEB should have coughed up more cash when they gave him a rebate on his electricity bill some weeks ago.

“The scene was set for a High Noon-style gunfight as Wild Stan strode up to the Brunel Centre showroom – a six-shooter hanging menacingly at his hip.

“‘Howdy, pardner,’ muttered Wild Stan to the shop assistant. ‘I’ve come for my money.’ “‘I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place sir,’ was the reply.

Wild Stan should have gone to the Dorcan branch – three miles away.”

The former road sweeper, we added, had travelled to Swindon not on horseback but by bus from his home in Cirencester.

His cowboy outfit was complemented by a badge saying: “I Shot JR.” As older Rewind readers will know, this referred to the shooting of the main villain in phenomenally popular American TV soap Dallas.

Pledging to stay in the Brunel Centre showroom all day if necessary, Stan said of his image: “I dress like this because it makes the bureaucrats feel stupid.”

A decidedly un-traumatised SEB spokesman told us: “All the figures we gave Mr Woods were correct and we don’t owe him a penny.

“We have treated him as courteously as possible. If he stays here all day, we will probably just ignore him.

“If he makes a nuisance of himself, we may ask him to move on.”