One of the more pleasant parts of being a councillor in Swindon is that I have an opportunity to talk about all the wonderful places in the borough where people can go for entertainment, exercise, and even enlightenment.

The council’s own website www.swindon.gov.uk provides a good place to find details of everything that is going on.

As an example, on Sunday at 3pm the Wroughton Silver Band will be performing in the Old Town Gardens at the Bandstand.

It’s a great British tradition and I am sure it will add even more to the pleasure of those who walk and stroll around the gardens.

Later this year on September 20, Highworth Silver Band will be there, again at 3pm.

These are just two of the many musical, theatrical, and artistic groups in Swindon who demonstrate the rich vein of culture in the local area and who are prepared to spend their own time making life just a little bit better for everyone.

My only regret is that I don’t have the space here to list them all. We’d all be the poorer if they didn’t make the effort.

For those who just want to enjoy the fresh air we have a truly excellent range of large and country parks at Coate, Lydiard, Mouldon Hill, and Stanton, which are great places to walk, play football and have a picnic or barbecue.

Along with the Town Gardens, there are also many smaller, but still hugely attractive local parks, such as the Queens Park and Faringdon Park to name but a few.

We also have a number of exercise areas, including workout equipment, alongside some of our children’s play areas.

To give two examples, we have one in Edinburgh Street, Gorse Hill and another at Cambria Bridge near the town centre. You can find details of your local park or play area at/www.swindon.gov.uk/playgrounds.

Of course, this is England, and fine weather is not, as we know, to be taken for granted, but even if it rains there are still many things to enjoy.

We have the Museum and Art Gallery in Old Town, which is truly worth a visit.

Over the railway we have the Steam Museum, and elsewhere in the borough we have hidden gems like the Richard Jefferies’ museum at Coate.

These days it’s all too easy for all of us to spend our time on our phones, tablets, and computers and just remain indoors.

I hope I might have tempted some of you to explore more of what Swindon has to offer. It is, after all, on your doorstep.