A SOUND will be heard across Swindon today that has not been heard for some 30 years.
As part of the Swindon 175 celebrations, the hooter that was used to call the 14,000 men and women to their jobs in the railway works has been reconstructed.
‘Hootie’ will be sounded at around 12.45pm at STEAM in the presence of guests including the Mayor, Lady Gooch, Sir Peter Hendy, Lord Faulkner and Lord Joffe.
John Walter, the last man to operate the hooter back in 1986, recreated his role by sounding the hooter.
As well as the first public sounding today they are due to sound again at 4.30pm on Saturday, March 26 - exactly 30 years after the works closed.
The original hooter, nicknamed ‘Hooty’ still exists above the town’s Railway Works, now the site of the Swindon Designer Outlet shopping mall.
- Timelapse video by Sean Cantwell, of Amey, courtesy of www.swindon175.com
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