A history book about life in Swindon written by a town historian won a prestigious national award.

Graham Carter worked with Swindon Heritage magazine and the borough council's local studies team to write Swindon Time Capsule: Working Class Life 1899-1984, which takes the reader through the life and history of an ordinary Swindon family throughout the 20th Century.

Graham used a vast collection of local history material donated to the Central Library by former Swindonian Mike Attwell and his family as the basis for the book, which has just scooped the 2018 Alan Ball Award – the national award for local history publications.

Local studies Librarian Darryl Moody, said: “It’s wonderful to hear that the book has been recognised with this national award."

“An awful lot of work went into this project and we’re thrilled that both this book and the Dixon Attwell Collection have been added to Swindon’s Local Studies collection, for everyone to explore, now and in the future.”

Many topics are touched on throughout the book, including the Great Western Railway and British Rail, Swindon Town Football Club, and the First and Second World Wars.

The book, and the Dixon Atwell collection itself, is available to view in Local Studies and the book can be bought at the Library Shop at Central Library for only £10.

To find out more information, please email localstudies@swindon.gov.uk or visit Swindon Central Library.