Monday, November 14

1950: Flying Officer Vera Silcock, a nursing sister at Wroughton RAF Hospital, is returning from her first trip to the Far East in the Air Casualty Service. She was in charge of the flying ward on board a four-engine RAF Hastings aircraft carrying 23 injured service personnel from Singapore to RAF Lyneham.

1960: Swindon saluted the war dead, with standards, uniforms, poppies and wreaths, making a brave show at the war memorial in Regent Circus. Crowds gathered to stand in silence as they remembered all those who gave their lives in two world wars and other conflicts. The service was conducted by the Mayor's chaplain The Rev W Roberts.

1970: Concorde's 002's chief test pilot, Brian Trubshaw, spoke of his relief when the supersonic aircraft exceeded twice the speed of sound for the first time. It reached 1.345miles an hour and was supersonic for 65 minutes out of the 110 minutes of flight, including passing over the West Coast boom alley.

Tuesday, November 15

1950: Cheering crowds lining Swindon's flag-decked streets gave Princess Elizabeth a royal welcome when she honoured the town in this jubilee year by opening the Town Garden of Remembrance and the Moredon Playing Fields. Attended by her Lady in Waiting the Hon Mrs Andrew Elphinstone and her private secretary Major the Hon Martin Charteris, the princess travelled by train from London. She was met by the Lord Lt of Wiltshire, the Duke of Somerset and the Mayor of Swindon, Ald J Bond at Junction Station.

1960: Two Swindon men were among those who received decorations and awards from the Queen at an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. They were Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division), Capt Keith Davis, Royal Army Services Corps and the Distinguished Flying Cross for Flying Officer John Boardman.

1970: Ten paintings smuggled out of Czechoslovakia, some of which were banned there, can now be seen at The Gallery in New Road, Calne. Semi-abstract pictures by Jan Kratochvil have an emotional and political character. They were painted in 1965 before the changes which led to the Prague Spring reforms of 1968. The pictures were smuggled out by being placed under the rear window of a car packed in rolls. Border guards did not find them when they searched the boot and the front of the car.

Wednesday, November 16

1950: Princess Elizabeth's memorable visit to Swindon ended with the cheering of thousands of railway workers in overalls last night, as she mounted the footplate of the locomotive bearing her name and drove it from the works to the Junction Station. The princess sounded the whistle and pulled the leve which set the engine, with the Royal coach attached, in motion. She was given a right royal send off from the people of Swindon.

1950: On completing her three day adjudicating at the Swindon Musical Festival, Muriel Dawn had nothing but praise for the choirs which she said had given her tremendous joy, and also the young boys and girls singing, but she deplored the men's singing and said most of the pianists were not up to standard. Ald R G Cripps vice president of the festival thanked her for her efficient service.

1960: Joanne Symon, producer of the children's television programme All You Own, was so impressed when she visited the Salvation Army Hall, Chapel Street, Gorse Hill, Swindon to audition the Timbrel Group, that she told them they would be on the programme in the New Year. It was a rich reward for leader Jennifer Allen who organised the group three years ago and still does the arrangements for their routines.

1960: Four Swindon dance couples, members of the Phillis Adams Jasfyl School of Dancing, are to appear for the third time on the BBC television Come Dancing programme. They are to compete with other dancers for the West of England against East Scotland. They will dance the fifth figure of The Caladonian.

1970: Swindon's John Davenport was lying fifth in the RAC International Rally. Appalling weather in Scotland was playing havoc with the surviving cars. John, and Finland's Timo Lampinen in their Lancia were only one minute and 58 seconds behind their teammate Harry Kallstrom who was leading.

1970: Swindon Robins and Eastbourne speedway rider, Malcolm John (Mac) Woolford was married at St Mary's Church, Rodbourne Cheney to Shirley Roper of Moredon Road, Swindon. Mac is the second son of Mrs I Woolford of Packhorse, Purton.

Thursday, November 17

1950: Charlie Horton of Dayhouse Farm, Coate, Swindon and his champion Dairy Shorthorn bull were judged winners at the Swindon and District Annual Bull Show and Sale. Mrs Charlie Horton said she was proud to help her husband carry all three trophies.

1950: In Grovelands, Springfield Road, Swindon, eleven girls are on an intensive course before taking their first State Nursing examination and of the 11, five are from overseas, two from the West Indies, one from Southern India and two from Germany.

1960: A Swindon boy, Leslie Thelwall, of Belgrave Street, has won first prize in the under sevens class in a nationwide painting competition, sponsored by a firm of greengrocers. Leslie, competed against thousands of others. He did the best work in colouring and drawing of a baby elephant. His prize was a bicycle but Leslie asked for its value in premium bonds instead.

1960: A 16-year-old Swindon girl, Susan Thomas, married her 23-year-old solider fiance in a borrowed costume, after they ran away to get married at Gretna Green. The wedding was attended by four other young runaways. The couple lived in a tent in the village for the 22 days since they ran away. The groom is Alan Underwood of Shrivenham Road, Swindon, a National Serviceman in the Devon and Dorset Light Infantry. They had to wait for his leave from Cyprus to run away.

1970: An exhibition organised by overseas students at Swindon's College was opened in the college foyer. The exhibition is called Palestine Week and is made up of posters showing the effects of Israel occupation in that area. Revolutionary groups such as A Fetch and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were represented.

1970: Chiseldon Camp is a beauty spot says Chiseldon Parish Council but Highworth Rural Council planning committee disagree and have left the camp off the list of Wiltshire beauty spots worthy of preserving. The Parish Council plans to write to the Minister for the Environment protesting.

Friday, November 18

1950: The Swindon Council of Social Services will again be issuing Christmas gift vouchers for old age pensioners and widows. Cheap seeds are again to be distributed for unemployed persons and pensioners, organised under the Society of Friends scheme.

1950: Believed to be the only club of its kinds in the country, the Boys and Girls Dancing Club starts its winter season at the Locarno Ballroom in Swindon. The 700 members of the club are drawn from Swindon and many of the towns and villages in the neighbourhood. Each Saturday there is an MC, dancing and entertainment.

1960: An experiment at Vickers Armstrong South Marston in which a Bunsen Burner is being used to operate a portable radio set, may add to the development of equipment for space ships. The experiment was conducted with a thermal generator which converts waste heat into electricity. The Bunsen flame is used to heat semi conductor crystals grown in the laboratory.

1960: In response to the efforts by the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Swindon has its own Square Dance Club. At the East Street Co-op Hall, Swindon, members of the newly formed club will answer the call of Stan Weitzelon while letting their hair down in a square dancing session each week.

1970: An outline of policy and broad programme planning for the opening season of the Wyvern Theatre was accepted by the council with no discussion. Coun Wood included the policy which allows for £48,000 to be spend in 1971-72. The building would be used by both amateur and professional companies and will be operated by a trust, and an arts club would be set up to co-ordinate activities.

1970: From today many of Swindon's council house tenants will be able to buy the homes in which they live. Anyone who has been a Swindon Council tenant for at least two years can buy his house, provided it does not have four bedrooms. Once he has bought the house the tenant can not sell it for profit during a period of five years.

Saturday, November 19

1950: Answering an urgent call to return home, Mr H W Mountford, clerk to Stratton St Margaret Parish Council, found that a new chute and slides, intended for the children's corner of the Kingsdown Recreation Ground, had been delivered to his home. Having arranged for their transport to the playground he thought he was out of trouble but the next day another lorry brought a see-saw!

1950: One of the most poignant moments of the opening of the Garden of Remembrance in Swindon by Princess Elizabeth was unplanned. As the princess was leaving, six year-old Priscilla Heaven of Rolleston Street, slipped from the crowd and presented her with a bouquet of orchids and Lily of the valley. Priscilla has never seen her father. He was killed in 1944, captured and shot by the Germans while he was working with the French Resistance. He had won six medals and was mentioned in Despatches.

1960: Swindon's Saturday morning shopping crowds lined the pavements in sombre silence as hundreds of workers marched the streets, protesting against redundancy. It was established that 500 took part, but a number of stewards said four counts had been taken en route and the highest number recorded was 700.

1960: Three founder members, who still attend meetings regularly of the Stratton St Margaret Women's Institute, were among the invited guests at the Institute's 28th birthday supper, held in the Women's Institute Hall, Stratton St Margaret. They were Mesdames L Miller, E Couzens and E Tull. The president of the Institute Mrs Jeffries presided at supper.

1970: Swindon's MP David Stoddart is one of more than 25 Labour MPs who have signed a commons motion urging the Government to reconsider its 'deplorable' decision for imposing charges for admission of museums and art galleries.

1970: Three Plessey executives in Swindon have been made heads of the Components Group departments. Mr K Fearnside, technical executive, has been made director of technology. Mr R F Blackmur, group controller, has been made director of finance. Both are from the Kembrey Street factory. Mr D G Booth general manager of the supply division is to be made director of the division.