Swindon in the Past Lane

There are so many beautiful and historic places in Swindon, but if we don't protect and care for them what example are we setting to those who do not understand their value. Today Andy Binks of the Swindon Society and I took best selling novelist Nicola Cornick on a tour of the chancel (all that remains of Holy Rood Church) and the Lawn. Many years ago the gravestones were moved and propped up against the perimeter wall, now the inscriptions on most of them are illegible. History lost. The church building is seldom open, just once a year during the Old Town Festival. Perhaps it is no wonder that graffiti is beginning to make an unwelcome reappearance and empty cans litter the churchyard. If you would like to see the chancel open more frequently with talks and walks around the ancient churchyard, please let us know. You can leave a message here on this blog or visit the Swindon in the Past Lane facebook page. And why not join members of the Swindon Society at their month...

As we prepare for the Women's Exhibition and Craft Sale on November 12 at the Christ Church Community Centre, let's revisit the events we took part in last year as we celebrated Edith New, Swindon Suffragette . Yesterday saw the culmination of our Swindon Suffragette celebrations with a march through Old Town and a rally in the Radnor Street Cemetery chapel. Members of the Swindon Community Choir greeted the arrival of the procession at the cemetery with a rousing rendition of the suffragette anthem March of the Women and members of the Sixth Sense Youth Theatre Group gave a thought provoking performance in the chapel. There was pageantry, colourful costumes and beautiful hats, banter with local bobbies and comedy with Perry Barrett dressed in an authentic Edwardian police uniform, but there was much more to our programme of events than dressing up and having a laugh. The aim was to remember Swindon's own suffragette Edith New and the sacrifices made by her and ot...

Continuing a series of blogposts in the lead up to the Women's Exhibition and Craft Sale on November 12 at the Christ Church Community Centre. In the February 11, 1909 edition of the Votes for Women newspaper a list was published naming those women who had already signed up for the Women’s Exhibition and Sale of Work. Kensington WSPU            One General Stall Kensington WSPU            Millinery Stall Streatham WSPU             Stall for Children’s Clothing Richmond WSPU              One Stall Chelsea WSPU                   Artists’ Stall London Western Unions (Hammersmith, Chiswick, Barnes)         ...

Continuing a series of blogposts about the Women's Exhibition and Sale of Work held in May 1909 in advance of our own Swindon Suffragette event on November 12. Emmeline Pethick Lawrence got the ball rolling for the Women's Exhibition and Sale of Work in the January 28th 1909 edition of the Votes for Women newspaper. The special scheme to which I have referred is connected, not directly with the militant side of this movement, but with its organising and its educational side, a side not one whit less important, a side absolutely essential to success. Everybody can take part in this scheme. Not one in our ranks is too poor, not one is too old or too young, or too frail to render some bit of service in connection with it. And everybody can begin at once – this very day. We are holding in May an exhibition. It will be an Exhibition of the Colours; an Exhibition and a Sale of women’s work, and will be open for a fortnight. During that time we shall attract and draw together ...

The last serious act of vandalism to take place in Radnor Street Cemetery happened across one weekend several years ago. A break in at the chapel saw windows smashed, including the beautiful rose window above the door. The intruders lit a fire in the sacristy, the small room off the chapel, using a box of documents stored there. The documents were a 'Form of application for permission to erect or restore a memorial' and included a description with the measurements of that memorial; the inscription; the name and address of the owner of the grave and how much the memorial cost. Invaluable information lost in the fire, but in recent weeks I have glimpsed a rare surviving document. These are the details of the Boucher family grave. As you can see this document tells us who the stonemason was, the dimensions of the memorial and the inscription. In loving memory of George Boucher died 8th July 1915 aged 61 years also Mary Boucher died 25th February 1943 aged 88 also ...

In the lead up to 2018, the 100th anniversary of when some (though not all) women got the vote, join us for events celebrating suffragettes and Edith New. Swindon Suffragette in collaboration with Swindon Heritage will be holding a Women's Exhibition and Craft Sale at Christ Church Community Rooms on November 12, 1-4. The inspiration for this event is the Women's Exhibition of 1909 held at the Prince's Skating Rink, Knightsbridge in 1909. During the lead up to the event I will be publishing extracts from the suffragette newspaper Votes for Women following preparations as they developed. The Women's Exhibition The arrangements for the great exhibition to be held in the Prince’s Skating Rink by the Women’s Social and Political Union from May 13 to May 26 are already in active progress. The response to the appeal of Mrs Pethick Lawrence is bearing splendid fruit, and a very large number of friends of the Union have already come forward and offered to ta...

So the weather could have been a bit kinder, but did it really matter? STEAM Museum of the Great Western Railway was packed to the rafters with railway enthusiasts old and young, while outside eight traction engines blew in chorus to the sound of the replica hooter. There was something to interest everyone at the Swindon Railway Festival, and I'm going to do it all over again tomorrow. Come down to STEAM, Fire Fly Avenue for Part II of the Railway Festival 10 am - 5 pm. Bust of Daniel Gooch See the latest copy of Swindon Heritage for the story of the man who saved the Medical Fund Swindon Heritage editor Graham Carter on camera Colin Hatch from  Hatch Heritage & Steam Engineers Ltd  and Neil Lover Andy, Bob and Diane from the Swindon Society  Colin Hatch gives last minute instructions to music mogul and model railway enthusiast, Pete Waterman