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In an ideal world...

It was such a tragedy for Swindon when the railway works closed and no new businesses or shopping outlets came to take its place.

We’re a shrinking little impoverished town with high unemployment and no big firms with headquarters here or restaurants or new housing developments to boost our revenue.

And yet our inspirational local councillors have managed so much!

There is the glorious architectural gem of the historic Corn Exchange, beautifully restored to greet visitors as they enter Old Town. The equally historic Mechanics’ Institute is now a thriving cultural centre attracting envy from surrounding towns. Even the bottom end of Regents Street, once threatening to become a distasteful place repelling shoppers, is now a sunny plaza where people stroll under well cared-for greenery.

On a smaller scale, what a success they have made of Old Walcot and Parklands. Residents became alarmed by the dangers caused by mindless drivers who park right up to corners and cause daily emergency stops in Thurlestone and Parklands roads.

Always sensitive to the needs of the people it has a duty to serve, the council held public meetings at which people expressed their fears. A brilliant solution was found.

The council put up 20mph speed limit signs on the lampposts of the smaller roads. How much more sensible than painting ugly yellow lines on the bends! Doesn’t it make you proud to be an Old Swindonian?

DAVID CHURCHILL, Brixham Avenue, Swindon

Train fires are worrying

Within a few weeks of the 12-hour shutdown of most GWR services due to signal failure in the Didcot/Swindon area, on Saturday morning I found services delayed again by an engine fire in Swindon station, and another in the Didcot/Swindon area later.

Two fires in one day must be concerning to passengers. Has GWR cut back on servicing? I hope Health and Safety teams will look into this. To add insult to injury, when we did get going  there was no air-conditioning.
MICHAEL HURSEY, Greenwich Close, Swindon

Angry at democracy?

In the world of your correspondent Jeff King (Adver, June 17), a town’s culture and intellectual credibility is determined not by the arts or science but  by the colour of the political flag it waves.

In the General Election the Conservative candidates won the most votes, but, according to Jeff, anyone who had the temerity to vote blue and not red is ‘backward’.

In the same letters page a number of correspondents take David Collins to task for his patronising comment that ‘young people voted wrongly’ in the election.  I hope those writers will be as quick to condemn Jeff King.

Jeff considers the democratic election of two Conservative MPs to be “yet another reason to be embarrassed about living in Swindon.

I feel sure Peterborough et al would be delighted to welcome him with open arms.
DES MORGAN, Caraway Drive, Swindon