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Swindon should be proud of heritage (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Swindon should be proud of heritage
7:58pm Friday 11th September 2009
SWINDON should be proud of its railway heritage, according to music producer and train fan Pete Waterman.
Pete will be guest of honour at the Swindon Railway Festival at Steam Museum this weekend.
He is no stranger to Swindon having seen the town transformed from a hub of the railway industry to one of the fastest growing towns in the country.
“It’s like chalk and cheese,” said the former Pop Idol judge about the difference between the Swindon of today and in the 1950s.
“When I was kid I used to come and look around the works for half a crown.
“In those days Swindon seemed absolutely colossal. The whole town was based around the railways and it was just amazing.
“These days it’s very much a modern town and you’ve got people dotted all over the place. There doesn’t seem to be so much of a centre.”
Pete said he thought Swindon was similar to many big towns in not making the most of its heritage.
He said: “Young people these days think heritage is boring and it’s normal for towns not to make a big deal out of it. But for me coming to Swindon was like a pilgrimage. It’s a shame that all that heritage isn’t represented more across the town.
“People in Swindon should be proud of that past.”
Pete is a regular visitor to the festival and has always been a strong supporter of the Steam museum.
He said: “I think it’s an absolutely great event. It’s a lot of fun for children and adults and there’s loads to see.
“I’m here to show off my model trains, which are my pride and joy. People often ask me about them because everyone knows I’m an absolute train nut. I really enjoy being able to talk about them.
“I’m always happy to come back to Swindon and to Steam and I’m sure this year will be another great festival.”
As well as the chance to see Pete’s famous “just like the real thing” trains, visitors to Steam today and tomorrow can see traction engines, wagons and locos as well as railway talks and the launch of the new Castle Class Swindon 7037 Hornby model.
The show is open from 10am to 5pm on both days. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £5.50 for concessions. For more details call the museum on 01793 466 619.
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Your Say YourSwindon
ListenToReason, Swindon Metropolitan Area says...
10:44pm Fri 11 Sep 09
The internationally renowned Town Centre hoardings with posters about a new Swindon (sic). The grade 1 listed 1960's Swindon College building (even the dropdown painting is faded!). A lot to be proud of. Thank goodness the new Bluh administration has turned things around.
Would the last person out please switch the lights out.
Thanks and Good night.
Lars, Swindon says...
11:29pm Fri 11 Sep 09
ListenToReason wrote:Don't quite understand your point there. Just because the old college is an eyesore, what relevance has that to Swindon's proud railway heritage?
Yes indeed, The internationally renowned Town Centre hoardings with posters about a new Swindon (sic). The grade 1 listed 1960's Swindon College building (even the dropdown painting is faded!). A lot to be proud of. Thank goodness the new Bluh administration has turned things around. Would the last person out please switch the lights out. Thanks and Good night.
I think Pete Waterman is right. Swindon has a proud history and it should be remembered.
ListenToReason, Swindon Metropolitan Area says...
11:37pm Fri 11 Sep 09
Lars wrote:Sorry Lars if I didn't make myself clear - the point is that a town with a proud heritage (As described)should not be allowed to rot like this.
ListenToReason wrote: Yes indeed, The internationally renowned Town Centre hoardings with posters about a new Swindon (sic). The grade 1 listed 1960's Swindon College building (even the dropdown painting is faded!). A lot to be proud of. Thank goodness the new Bluh administration has turned things around. Would the last person out please switch the lights out. Thanks and Good night.Don't quite understand your point there. Just because the old college is an eyesore, what relevance has that to Swindon's proud railway heritage? I think Pete Waterman is right. Swindon has a proud history and it should be remembered.
Totally agree with your main point - "Swindon has a proud history and it should be remembered."
Note: SBC - Please stop the rot.
Scott Thunes, Near Swindon says...
11:47pm Fri 11 Sep 09
Shall us citizens form an action group called 'Stop the Rot Swindon'?
Whopper w/Cheese, B.K. says...
6:15am Sat 12 Sep 09
Janais is back, Upper Penhill says...
10:15am Sat 12 Sep 09
vics mum, swindon says...
9:35am Sun 13 Sep 09
Wonderfull shops in nice surroundings, free parking and easy to get to.
Today I will drive to Reading and have a looksee.
Swindon,s such a disgracefuul mess I,m embarased to tell people where I,m from any more.
As others have posted, a run down eyesore with wannabee,s as council "leader,s" (joke) who couldnt lead a circus parade.
Roads, another joke.
Police that also cant be botherd to do anything.
A hospital that,ll kill you. Look how much they paid out last year in compensation for botched surgery.
A Heritage site that got turned into a shopping mall that you even have to pay to use. NOT ME.
A few old one bed houses that were brought upto moder standards and then left to rot again, full of scummies, dregs of society, and missfitts,and some nocked through to provide somewere for the larger immigrant fammilies with half a dozen wives and all there relatives.
Yes, we should be proud, but were not. Because there,s nothing to be proud about.
vics mum, swindon says...
9:43am Sun 13 Sep 09
If my old memory servs me right, was offerd first to the council for £1.
Yes a one pound note. It,s offer was refussed as it needed some repairs.
Nice to see it now as I drive past, it reminds me of the wartime bombing that I saw as a kid.
Nothing to be proud of there.
Coatwater, good job it,s all water and grass, thats about all this council could manage to look after.
I really cant think of anything in this town that I,d want to be proud of..... let me think some more zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
itsamess, swindon says...
1:15pm Sun 13 Sep 09
I Too, Swindon says...
11:17pm Sun 13 Sep 09
.
And since then our Conservative council have continued the rot, whilst blaming the previous Labour council.
No doubt, we will soon have a Conservative central government, which via local election, "protest votes" will return a Labour majority to SBC, we will then have a Labour council, blaming Tory predecessors, and a Conservative government.
Nothing changes. They should all get their self important heads out of their bottoms, stop blaming the others, and start taking a genuine interest in the towns' heritage.
That does not include burying such buildings, under tacky skyscrapers, or pandering to the Chamber of Commerce.
If SBC can find a source of £4million, to waste on unnecessary paving, just think how useful they could be, if they took an interest in something, irreplaceable, that matters.
Greg, UKIP, Swindon says...
9:05am Mon 14 Sep 09
Pete Waterman is right. But sadly too many in Swindon today are from outside the town and seem to care very little about our railway history.
itsamess, swindon says...
9:55am Mon 14 Sep 09
I do not vote for a party in local elections--i vote for the candidate most likely to represent my wards views and needs. Sadly our local councillor led former councils into some disasterous decisions as leader/deputy--now nowhere out of the 5 labour left--how he gets voted in god only knows. Quite honestly i do believe the tories have had one big mess to clear up but have not done well--and i cant see a tory govt making much difference because the country in general is in a mess. I do have doubts whether the tories can achieve the landslide needed to get the majority needed--nor do i think we will see a labour council for many years--time will tell as too many people vote for party--not the person.
itsamess, swindon says...
10:10am Mon 14 Sep 09
Yes and successive councils allowed the only thing swindon had to be ripped out and destroyed and scrapped machinery. The final act being when they pulled the plug on the last restoration site we had. Steam does not represent our heritage. The efforts of volunteers at the Cricklade sites have done more than steam ever will--and our councils have dragged their feet in allowing expansion bringing it closer to swindon.
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Captain Sensible, Nowhere says...
10:42pm Fri 11 Sep 09