The corner site on the pedestrianised Bridge Street was once at the very heart of Swindon’s busy public transport network. William Clappen’s business empire had shops at prime locations in both Old and New Swindon and his premise at the junction of Fleet Street and Bridge Street was at the site of the tram centre when it opened in 1904. The tram system in Swindon began with a route from the Market Place in Old Swindon to the junction at Bridge and Fleet Streets in New Swindon. It was later extended to include Wellington Street and the railway station with a further route through Rodbourne and Gorse Hill. Tram drivers used the clock set in the wall of William’s shop to check their departure times and the area became known as Clappen’s Corner. Born in Cirencester in 1855, William Clappen was the son of a tailor, William and his wife Sarah. Like his brothers, the younger William joined the family firm in Cricklade Street, Cirencester where his father...