REWIND: A Bond Girl and a people's poet who wanted to be mayor

She had played the title role in Octopussy in 1983 and the mistress of villain Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee, in The Man with the Golden Gun nine years earlier.

Maud, then 59, was in Swindon for a public appearance at a memorabilia shop called Infinitely Better in the Brunel Centre.

Her visit included the signing of autographs, which was the cue a pun-happy Adver journalist needed to call her the girl with the golden pen.

The star told us: “It’s flattering to know that so many people remember you for the films. It’s really quite touching.

“It’s Bond fans like these that really help to keep the great memories alive for us all.”

As if being a Bond Girl twice were not enough of a distinction, Maud revealed that she had also chalked up an uncredited appearance in a third film, A View to a Kill.

Visiting Roger Moore on set, she was asked by director John Glen if she wanted to appear in a background scene.

Maud happily posed for photographs with fans, and our own photographer was there to capture her alongside 18-year-old Daniel Hazelton, a student from Lawns.

He said: “It might be 21 years since Octopussy but she still looks great.”

Maud said she was still in touch with former Bond co-stars Roger Moore and Christopher Lee, and added: “The pair of them are still as sharp and as funny as they were all those years ago.”

Another celebrity who won friends in Swindon was acclaimed poet Benjamin Zephaniah. Although he had famously turned down an OBE offer because he didn’t like the Establishment connotations of the honours system, he readily admitted he’d like a different accolade.

We said: “Poet Benjamin Zephaniah may have turned down the chance to be made an OBE, but there is still one title he covets - Swindon mayor.

“Decorating the streets with poetry, bring lots of sunshine and sorting out Swindon Council are among the changes Mr Zephaniah would make if he was ever handed the mayoral chains.

“Mr Zephaniah, 46, who lives in East London, last visited the town in May as a sell-out star of the Swindon Festival of Literature.

“The audience was so appreciative, he will return to the Arts Centre in Devizes Road next month.”

The poet told us: “It would be the greatest honour to be Swindon mayor. I would really be part of the community, rather than just a figurehead.

“Londoners reckon Swindon is full of boring people but there is a good mix.

“My performance caused a mini-riot. I really like the town - it’s multi-cultural and you can get to know your neighbours.”

Another of our stories that week was about a home-grown sporting hero.

Earlier in 2004, Swindonian marathon runner Matt O’Dowd had represented Britain at the Athens Olympics, and now he was drumming up support for the inaugural Swindon Half Marathon the following month, which he would win in a time of a little over 71 minutes.

Urging people to volunteer as stewards, the 28-year-old said: “At the end of the day, the event would not go ahead without them.

“They play a vital role, especially at water stations, where it is important for runners to pick up refreshments without hassle. People can come in delirious or in a lot of pain, and volunteers can help ensure these people are looked after quickly by getting them access to liquids, food or medical attention.”

A story about an even longer journey didn’t involve the traveller having to use its legs - of which there were six.

Stuart Bell went to get some electrical cable at the Hawksworth factory where he worked, only to find the reel being used as a perch by a large preying mantis.

Some people would have fled, but Stuart and workmates Andy Greening and Paul Finch decided to do the beast a favour. Putting it carefully into a box, they called the RSPCA.

The charity got in touch with Butterfly World in Wroughton, which offered the mantis a home.

An RSPCA spokesman said it had clearly hitched a ride on the reel in its native Spain, and that its survival suggested it was unusually robust.

That wasn’t the week’s only tale of an unusual zoological discovery.

Later in the week, we revealed that a the landlord of a house in Old Town had visited with estate agents handling a sale, only to discover that his tenants had left a collection of pet rodents.

There were no less than eight chipmunks together with a pair of degus.

The latter, we explained, came from South America and looked like gerbils, although they were the size of guinea pigs.

What with those and the praying mantis, it was a busy week for the local branch of the RSPCA, who hoped to rehome the creatures.