In 1923, when amalgamation of the railway companies took place, only one kept its name.

The GWR remained. That was in part due to its power and influence and that fact that it had marketed itself effectively.

Its reputation was legendary in the manufacturing world where it was known GWR made everything it needed to run the railway smoothly.

It produced its own gas, water, and electricity. It had its own grease and soap works, its own laundry and brickworks, coal mines, road wagon and bus workshops.

It did it all, it provided housing, canteens, a hospital, a pharmacy, a library and a park.

Docks, harbours and hotels were listed amongst its many assets, all requiring catering and laundry services too.

And it was joked that the only thing that did not carry the initials GWR was its pins.

The breadth of its ingenuity was easily matched by the resourcefulness of its workers.

It even produced a cake cutting machine. Yes, a machine to cut cake!

It was invented to help with the festivities at the Children’s Fete, held each year in Faringdon Road Park.

Every person attending received a slice of cake and the cake cutting machine had a series of wooden trays with a cake on top of each one.

The trays were propelled through the machine on a canvas conveyor belt and the blades were pushed down, enabling the machine to cut a 5lb slab of fruit cake into 10 half pound pieces, in one stroke.

The slabs of cake were then wrapped and included in the wrapping was a free ticket for a ride on either the switchback or roundabouts.

What I find so interesting about a machine for cutting cake is that when you are tasked with producing 12,000 half pound pieces, then a machine is a welcome addition to the monotonous task.

Almost three tonnes of cake had to be cut up by the volunteer cake ladies and packed at the rate of six pieces a minute.

It is claimed that the team of ladies could do all this within four hours as 12 pieces of cake could be packed a minute by each lady; what an impressive production line it must have been.

To make the 6,000 pints of tea to accompany the cake required 30 gallons of milk and 40lbs of tea, along with 400lbs of sugar. There was also oatmeal water available for young children.

All in all it must have been a great day out for any child, but especially those from the workhouses and other establishments, that were also invited along for the day.

Swindon will again see a children’s fête this year in Faringdon Road Park.

Jenny Lee Hall, the chairwoman of the Children's Fête Committee, has highlighted Saturday, July17 as the day for the fête in 2010.

In 2008 I was delighted that I had been invited to open the fête as the then Mayor of Swindon.

I think that Coun Benfield as Mayor had opened the first of the resurrected fêtes, having also being proud of the fact that, as a child, he had attended the last GWR fête held before the Second World War.