Swindon in the Past Lane

If you haven’t got around to visiting the Richard Jefferies Museum yet this spring, then Sunday June 2 is the perfect time to do so. Take a trip on the Coate Water Miniature Railway , making sure you alight at the Richard Jefferies Halt. Visit the museum, enjoy a walk around the grounds and partake of a cream tea in the Mulberry Tearoom, but make sure you are present for the unveiling of the Swindon Heritage blue plaque at 3 pm. This will be the 8 th Swindon Heritage blue plaque erected to mark significant people, places and events in the history of Swindon. The first was installed in May 2016 at 24 North Street, the birthplace of militant suffragette Edith New who campaigned for women’s suffrage alongside Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters and engaged in innovative and dangerous methods of protest. The second and third blue plaques were installed in a double event to honour the bravery of Squadron Leader Harold Morley Starr and his brother Wing Commander Norman J...

Blue Plaques to honour Swindon’s brave WWII Fighter Pilots to be unveiled - 3pm on Thursday 8th September 2016. Two of Swindon’s bravest sons will be honoured on Thursday 8th Sept 2016 when the Swindon Heritage Team www.swindonheritage.com unveils not one but two commemorative Blue Plaques in the heart of the town. Brothers Harold Starr and Norman ‘John’ Starr were born in the Central Hotel, Regent Street, Swindon. The hotel was replaced with a cinema in the 1930’s and today the Art Deco building houses the popular Weatherspoon’s pub, The Savoy. As soon as www.jdwetherspoon.com were approached about the idea of having Blue Plaques on The Savoy they immediately said yes and have been assisting with logistics ever since. Squadron Leader Harold Starr (1914 – 1940) was born and raised in Swindon. He bailed out of his burning Hurricane during the Battle of Britain in 1940 but was gunned to death by a Messerschmitt as he floated down to earth in his parachute. His wife was carrying the...