Local History Hero - Noel Beauchamp

And now a shout out for Noel Beauchamp, the third member of our Radnor Street Cemetery team.

Noel has a knack of finding some fascinating cemetery stories. His latest one to air was that of Frederick Englebert Kny, a Bohemian glass engraver who came to England in 1867 and died in Swindon in 1905.

Noel was one of the first subscribers to the Swindon Heritage Magazine, signing up one snowy morning at a launch event in January 2013. He went on to become one of our regular contributors and a generous supporter.

Noel hasn't written a book (as far as I know), but he does run two history websites. His first is the meticulously researched Swindon Bottles website.

In 2014 Swindon Heritage editor Graham Carter and myself went to interview Noel about his bottle collection.

“Bottles were mass produced in large numbers,” said Noel, whose collection contains everything from a small eau de cologne bottle to several Codd bottles.

Noel’s growing bottle collection includes siphons and earthenware flagons but what he would most like to find is a bottle from the GWR Refreshment Rooms.

Noel aims to collect an example from all seventeen Swindon mineral water producers. So what is left on his wish list?

“Well, I’m still looking for ones from Horsell, E.M. Gwynn, T. Rhodes and E. Hoddinott,” said Noel. And he’d also like to find a bottle opener as well. Not any old bottle opener but one made especially to open those famous Codd bottles with the marble.

Today Noel masterminds the Swindon Heritage Blue Plaques project, the aim of which is to celebrate the famous people, places and events that have contributed to Swindon's rich history.

The first Swindon Heritage Blue Plaque was installed in 2016 at 24 North Street, the birth place of Swindon Suffragette Edith New. Visit the website to find out more.

Noel doesn't make a big song and dance about what he does, so I'd like to do it for him.

Goddard Arms Hotel - setting for the first meeting of the Freemasons

Milton Road Baths - a GWR Medical Fund building

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