I DON’T claim to know exactly what a hipster is but I’m guessing it is a person who is a fair bit younger and trendier than I am. In which case it is pretty good to discover that Swindon has made the global top 500 towns and cities for such people.

Clearly these lists need to be taken with a large pinch of salt but it is interesting to see what was behind the calculation of a town or city’s hipster rating. The website behind the list looked at the number of vegan cafés, coffee shops, tattoo parlours, vintage boutiques and record stores. Since I became involved with Switch on to Swindon my eyes have been open to the number of brilliant micro-businesses, independent stores, eateries and coffees shops that we have in the town, all of which I’m sure contributed to our ranking.

Staying on the theme of what Swindon has to offer, last week’s long overdue burst of sun provided the perfect backdrop for a burst of activity in the town centre. The Brunel Centre is one of our founding Switch on to Swindon ambassadors and I was delighted to see them open The Crossing last week.

A 20,000 sq ft food hub on the first floor of the upper mall, The Crossing has a mix of independent restaurants and cafes and High Street eateries offering fresh food and drinks. This is a fantastic addition to the town centre and I’m particularly pleased to see that several of Swindon’s local independent businesses are taking the chance to grow and take space in the food hub. I talked in last week’s column about confidence in the market and this is another example of significant investment which can only contribute to building confidence as well as further enhancing the visitor experience. Please do get down there to see for yourself what is on offer.

This was followed by the annual town centre St George’s Day celebration on Sunday. Working with all the retailers InSwindon pulled out all the stops again to ensure there was loads going for shoppers and families. A St George’s Parade, the return of the Best of Swindon Talent Competition, free maypole dancing in The Parade and falconry displays at Havelock Square were just some of the things on offer.

People have so much choice now in how they shop or spend their leisure time it has become a real challenge for any town centre to come up with new ideas and events to attract people. The St.George’s Day celebration is now a fixture in the town centre calendar and also actively involved local groups including scouts, cubs, guides and dance groups. Well done to all the organisers.

Talking of fixtures in the calendars a firm favourite is the annual Wiltshire Business Awards. I know some of the people involved in the judging and these are hard won awards so congratulations all of those who were successful on the night and I was really pleased to see such a good Swindon representation.

Finally I’m looking forward to joining the new High Sheriff of Wiltshire Nicky Alberry later this week to find out about a performance she is organising in October which will celebrate Swindon’s artistic talent. Nicky was instrumental in the creation of Switch on to Swindon and I can’t wait to see what hear what has planned – watch this space.