View from outside

Your recent coverage of the town centre has prompted me to write regarding my recent experiences.

I left Swindon, the town of my birth, to study 30+ years ago. I remember fondly coming back at Christmas, Easter and for the summer holidays and something had always changed for the better (new shops, new buildings, new businesses).

Fast forward to 2021, my wife and I decided to spend a week in Swindon and a week with my wife's parents over Christmas and New Year. It's the longest I've spent in Swindon for I don't know how many years, so I took the opportunity to explore some old haunts and see what it was like with my own eyes.

Old Town (save for the Locarno) was nice, something Swindon should be proud of, but I knew what to expect as I've often gone there for a pint or a meal when visiting.

The town centre, on one hand there are some good things that residents might not notice any more. The building that replaced the old 1960s BHS, the new Metro Bank, and The Crossing food hall - a good idea but one that should have happened in the 90s.

Other than that it was depressing, Canal Walk once thriving now has lots of empty shops and a job centre. Bridge Street always struggled (the Stead and Simpson store stood empty for years back in the 90s), but now it seems even grimmer, especially with a pawnbroker.

The empty market looked even more stark next to the fun fair in Wharf Green.

I noticed the newly opened Polish supermarket on Regent Street occupying one of several empty shop units.

I couldn't help but think that if it wasn't for Swindon's international residents and the Polish, African, Asian etc. stores the town would be even more desolate, especially the Commercial Road area.

The Outlet Village, well that's probably part of the problem the town centre has. I can't think of any town or city that has an outlet village so close to its main shopping area.

However, it's not just the council and landlords who are to blame, the people of Swindon have to take some of the blame (they elect the council after all).

It made me think of a rural town losing its last bank and the residents being unhappy but not understanding that it closed because they didn't use it. A bank (like a nice town centre) isn't a God given right, it has to make commercial sense and if people don't use it then businesses won't want the expenditure.

One final thought, as a now outside observer I fear the failure to get lottery money for the 'cultural quarter' may cost the town dearly. Such a spark might have ignited commercial interest in redeveloping the town centre.

It would certainly have been a better use of money than the bus boulevard, a new bus station is not much use if there's nothing to visit!

Anthony John,

Marlborough Road,

Cardiff

A Garrard family

My family have a proud history of working in Garrards. My grandfather who was born in Cleveland, Ohio came to this country to work for Garrards the crown jewellers.

In 1919 he upped sticks and came to Swindon with the Slade Brothers to open the works in Swindon. He was there the rest of his working life, the number one employee. My father was an apprentice in Garrards and was there all his working life apart from Rotol in the war.My sister was also an employee in there. I also was an apprentice in Garrards, only left two years before it closed because I could see what was going to happen.One of our family was an employee all its life apart from the last two years.

Alan Shrive

By email

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