The countryside turned out to be utterly rubbish (From Swindon Advertiser)

The countryside turned out to be utterly rubbish

4:55pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in Letters

Travelling on the bus from Purton to Swindon, I couldn’t help noticing how the countryside changes from day to day.

I found myself looking into all of the wooded areas along the route and I was looking for beautiful snowdops, (we have some in the garden), but alas I couldn’t see any as the bus made its way through Lydiard and West Swindon.

I did notice, though, how the countryside changes as you go along into Swindon and back to Purton. On the way in I saw amongst the trees: 103 crisp packets, eight Coca-Cola bottles, two handkerchiefs, four Sainsburys bags, three Tesco carriers, seven white carriers, a number of plain bottles, 11 lager cans, various magazines and bits of newspapers, three wheel trims, one blue glove and one ladies’ shoe! All of this caught up in the hedgerows and woods.

On the way back, however, being on the opposite side of the bus, I had a different viewpoint and my word, the changes were incredible.

More gloves and shoes, differing carrier bags, different beer cans, some batteries and a host of other things.

Maybe the spring will bring with it more changes, more greenery and then we will miss seeing all of those things that are hidden amongst the ‘new growth’.

I can’t wait but, if you see a lady with one blue glove and limping with one shoe on, maybe I can help her locate the other glove and shoe!

There is so much out there, if you only take the trouble to look.

Chris Gleed Proud Close Purton Swindon

By name, by nature

A change of name, or as the marketing gurus prefer to call it, a rebranding exercise, appears to have affected the Swindon Strategic Economic Partnership (admittedly a mouthful) and they are now to be known as ‘Influence’, in this case a very apt name.

The chair, Nicky Alberry, who incidentally also happens to be board member of the newly introduced Local Enterprise Partnership, claims that Influence will not be a networking group or talking shop, which is exactly what it is.

The very composition of the group is all the confirmation you need to see that it is the ultimate networking vehicle with tentacles of influence from within the various bodies which have close links with the decision makers at Swindon Borough Council.

At least Ms Alberry has been very open and honest as to the groups’ intentions, that is of course found in its title.

It proposes to ‘influence’ the council by acting as yet another voice of ‘the business community’.

One might ask why other groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the FSB, InSwindon and the LEP, feel they need to align themselves to yet another lobbying organisation; I can’t help thinking it’s more to do with being seen to be associated with supposed important people than it is with actually making a difference.

Des Morgan Caraway Drive Swindon