Swindon in the Past Lane

So while we're on the subject of Swindon Heritage I'd like to mention former editor Graham Carter. In case you missed it, Swindon Heritage was a quarterly magazine for lovers of local history and was co founded in 2013 by Graham, First World War historian Mark Sutton and myself. During our five year career we published 20 editions plus a Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary special. There are still copies available at a knockdown price in the Library Shop, Central Library and bound copies of all 21 editions are on the shelf in Local Studies. But this wasn't Graham's only heritage publication achievement. Graham worked on the Swindon Advertiser from 1989-1998 before going freelance, returning to produce one off supplements. One of the supplements he researched, wrote and designed was the Chronicle of Swindon, a free insert which told the story of Swindon from pre-history to the new millennium.  You probably can't get your hands on a copy of this fantastic publ...

The first time I went to one of Mark's Great War talks I came away feeling as if I personally knew the men he had mentioned.  He told the story of the battles they fought in and the ones that claimed them, but it was not all about their military service. Mark talked about the men and their life before the Great War - the street where they lived; the family fish shop on the corner; the railway factory where so many of them worked; their sweethearts, wives and children. These men were not just a regimental number, a casualty, missing, killed in action, they were someone's son, someone's husband, a father, a brother. Some fought for freedom, some volunteered for an adventure, no one came home unchanged, so many never came home at all - and Mark introduces you to everyone of them. Remembering Swindon's sons who served has been a lifetime commitment for Mark. In 2006 he published Tell Them of Us, but his work has continued since then. Just last month he has been...