Monday, May 9 1949:

The Duke of Edinburgh stopped for a packet of cigarettes at Coped Hall, Wootton Bassett, but he didn't get them. A big saloon car pulled up outside Edmond's Garage and the driver and another man went into the garage. May Edmonds, 21, daughter of the proprietor spotted it was the Duke with his driver, and Princess Elizabeth in back of car.

Mary said Princess Elizabeth smiled at her and the Duke spoke to her about the countryside round about but then they had to quickly shoot off when a crowd began to gather and he didn't get his cigarettes.

1959: the biggest and best Wiltshire Young Farmers Club Rally so far opened at the Polo Ground, Marlborough Road, Swindon with a record number of almost 1,000 entries. This is the first time the rally has been held in Swindon since 1950 when it was held at Wroughton. All 26 clubs in the country entered and Swindon, Malmesbury, Devizes and Chippenham had the maximum possible number of entries.

1979: Swindon is in line for yet another jobs boost from a new private industrial estate. London developers Euroway Estate Ltd plan to build a 16-acre estate close to Blagrove Farm area and the A420 Wootton Bassett Road. The work should be completed in three years. the site will offer 300,000 sq ft of space.

Tuesday May 10 1949:

While doing her washing in the kitchen of her home in Gordon Road, Swindon, Mrs A A Rich smelled burning. The kitchen ceiling was hot to the touch and Mrs Rich sent for the fire brigade. The flue of the boiler had set fire to a beam, which had been smouldering for days. The fire brigade soon fixed the problem.

1959: Proposals for the future role of hospitals in the Swindon area when the new Princess Margaret Hospital comes into use have been agreed between the Oxford Regional Hospital Board and the Swindon and District Hospital Management committee. The first stage of the PMH could be brought into use during this year.

1979: Parents are fuming about the use of their children's school for a polling station. Mike JOnes, chairman of the Liden School Parent Teacher Association has written to Thamesdown Returning Officer, David Kent, protesting about the use of Liden School at election time. Protestors want the council to use the community centre but eh Deputy Returning Officer, Sid Blake, said that the voting population of Liden had multiplied eight times since the centre had been used for the 1974 general election.

Wednesday May 11

1949: Because last year's sales have reached an all time record, 1,600 workers and staff at the Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company, Swindon, will this summer receive bonus amounting to £6,000. each employee who has been with the company more than one hear will get an extra week's wages.

1949: Swindon share with Liverpool the distinction of having two representatives in the England Youth International side to oppose the North of Ireland at Hull. Mr W Scott Secretary of Wiltshire Football Association Youth Committee will accompany R Hazell and J Skull.

1959: Principal honours in the Large Choir entry at Cheltenham Music Festival went to Swindon Orpheus Choir which repeated its previous successes walking away with six trophies and a second and third place. In the Open Choral Society class Swindon were awarded first place by Douglas Guest the former Salisbury organist who was the judge.

1959: A simulated nuclear attack in Swindon was staged by Swindon and North East Wiltshire Division of the Civil Defence Corps in a controlled exercise with Bath Division. From Bath come a mobile column, rescue party, ambulance and administration teams, while Swindon provided casualties, members of the British Red Cross Society and Rover Scouts Association. The exercise was in the Savernake Road area of Swindon.

1979: Jones Cranes of Swindon have unveiled their biggest ever crane which will give a large boost to their South Marston works. the 35-ton crane cost £250,000 to develop. It was the biggest truck crane ever produced by the 140-strong workforce and hundreds of potential buyers turned out to see it put htorugh its paces. The cost for buying one of the cranes is £80,000.

1979: A hot air balloon will be the main attraction at Liden School Parent Association Spring Fair. There will also be a TV room for those who really can't miss the Football Association Cup final but still want to support the school.

Thursday, May 12

1949: Blunsdon Abbey the 90 year old mansion five miles from Swindon which was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1904 may become a holiday camp. A proposal to use the remains of the mansion and its 11 acres of land as a solarium and recreation centre was put before the Highworth Rural Council at its meeting, in Swindon. The proposal came from Blunsdon Abbey Estates Ltd, a new company formed to promote this venture.

1949: Recently a scheme has been devised whereby French railways personnel are making an exchange visit with their English counterparts to study work of the other country's railways. Six Englishmen have been chosen to visit France, among them are Llewelyn Edwards of the Mechanical Engineering Drawing Office. Swindon rail workers will leave for a six week stay in France.

1959: Martin Bond, 12, thought his father would be interested in the metal object he found on the slopes of Barbary Castle are of Swindon. But his father quickly told him to put it down as it looked like a bomb. George Bond of Burford Avenue, Swindon, had taken his son out to pick cowslips. they went straight to the RAF Hospital in Wroughton to report the discovery which was duly investigated.

1959: Swindon Music Club has affiliated to the Swindon Public Libraries and for the rest of its 1959 to 1960 season will meet at the Arts Centre instead of Headlands Grammar School. Members were told at their annual meeting.

1979: Swindon now has its own music magazine, Flash, produced by Thamesdown Community Arts people. The first issue has just been published and aims to give Swindon musicians the change to express themselves in print. Featured in this firs issue will be punk rock musician Ian Doeser and Barry Andrews new band.

1979: Sick children at the Princess Margaret Hospital were given £1,000. Swindon trader John Holmes, a one man crusader for hospitals and research, handed over a cheque to hospital paediatrician Dr Lillian Jones for the PMH Children's Fund. He raised the cash by holding a competition to win a £350 electronic organ which he donated.

Friday, May 13

1949: The Independents gained control of Swindon Town Council as a result of the election, taking four seats from Labour. The Conservatives made sweeping successes through the rest of the country. But after voting the constitution of Swindon Council was Independents 26, Labour 21, and Ind- Independents 1.

1949: Familiar objects at every council meeting in Marlborough are the two 300-year old silver gilt maces. But few people know that they maces, which attracted the interest of the King and Queen when they visited last year, were once used as drinking cups. The maces that were made by London goldsmiths, were first used as ceremony staffs of office in 1952 but whilst being cleaned in 1907, when the corona was removed an old memorandum was found, inscribed in a courtly hand, saying: 'Health was dranke to the Maior of Marlborough and his brethren.'

1959: Cows are to be milked in Regent Circus during Swindon's Dairy Festival but organisers have been banned from displaying a milk vending machine. The ban was imposed by the Town Council's Streets and Planning committee. the site of the exhibition will be behind the public library in Regent Circus and one of the features will be milking Jersey cows. The festival will be presided over by the Dairy Queen, chosen at a Young Farmer's Dance.

1959: Parents of children were present at Rodbourne CHeney Infants School to see the crowning of the May Queen and other May day festivities. the may Queen was Pauline Sturmey and she was crowned by Kay Shurmer. The attendants were Deborah Knox, Elizabeth Deacon, Alison Clark, Bridget Murgatroyd, Paul Eggleton, Gordon Perrin and Migel Mabbett.

1979: Swindon Town's promotion hopes wee in tatters after their 2 - 1 defeat at Sheffield. For with rivals Swansea winning their match, Swindon on 57 points, now need a minor mathematical miracle to go up. If they have any chance of reaching the Second Division they must win their final game at Blackpool. Hundreds of Town fans are still routing for their team. Rimes Coach firm reported that so far no one had cancelled a booking, for the two coaches heading up to Blackpool.

1979: An over time band by 420 Swindon supervisors started to hit the town car plant. But as the Swindon Pressed Steel Fisher Plant was crippled by the action the latest creation by the town's car men was unveiled at an American car show. The new soft top Triumph TR7 was launched in Lost Angeles.

Saturday, May 14

1949: Showing in Swindon cinema's tonight are The Blue Lagoon in the Regent Cinema, The Fallen Idol at The Palace in Gorse Hill, Star Wagon at The Empire, Julia Misbehaves staring Greer Garson at The Savoy, Summer Holiday starring Mickey Rooney at The Palladium in Rodbourne Road, Union Pacific starring Barbara Stanwyck at The Rink and French Fun Love at the Playhouse Theatre in Emlyn Square.

1949: A model glider which was launched into the air in Swindon has been found nearly 20 miles away at Brightwalton in between Wantage and Newbury. It belongs to Tony Rogers of Moren Road, Swindon a young member of the Swindon Model Aeroplane Club who won the club cup for gliders.

1959: Gangling Bernard Bresslaw, the TV actor from Swindon who rose to game in The Army Game, may soon star again in his home town's biggest Keep Death Off The Roads production - a road safety day. The town Accident Prevention Committee unanimously voted for the event and proposal that Bernard Bresslaw was the man to get it going.

1959: Practically the whole village turned out to help in the Biddestone pond cleaning scheme. The implements ranging from small garden shovels to hydraulic diggers and tractors tackled the problem that had been on Biddeston's conscience for many years. One of the oldest inhabitants, Frederick Beard, 82, also lent a hand.

1979: Swindon's Chamber of Commerce, who organised the town's first Ideal Home Exhibition were delighted at its success. About 30 local firms applied for stalls and as soon as the exhibition closed, traders were booking for next year. The show was held at the Oasis Leisure Centre.

1979:Swindon Concert Brass had the honour of representing England in the French town of Orleans as part of its 550 anniversary celebrations. The day marks the anniversary of when Joan of Arc liberated the town in 1429. Musicians from all over Europe took park in the three day event. There were many visitors and guests including the French president M Valery Giscard of d'Estaing.