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Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again ...
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again … Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierActually, it was the rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute Trust once based at No 1, Milton Road, Swindon, where Mark Sutton,...
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Great Western Embroiderers
This week is your last chance to see the fantastic Great Western Embroiderers's exhibition at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. Don't miss it.When my mother left school at the age of 14 her headmistress...
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Who was Dr John St John?
I was busy researching the life and times of Henrietta St John, a sad story of 18th century double standards set against a backdrop of letters and gardening. Henrietta’s so say ‘platonic’ relationship...
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Art in the Garden
Was this a good idea, I asked myself as I left Swindon in a deluge to visit the Art in the Garden exhibition at Avebury Manor? In 2011 Avebury Manor was the subject of a unique BBC and National Trust...
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My neck of the woods
Did you know that our neck of the woods was once just that - part of a wood, a very big wood? And not just any old wood but a Royal forest no less - Braydon Forest. The origins of Braydon Forest date...
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So, who were they all?
A church has stood in the Lawn, the site of the former Goddard family home, since the 12th century. All that remains standing today is the chancel and three pairs of piers which once flanked the nave....
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An eighteenth century tour of Swindon
When Ambrose Goddard married Sarah Williams it involved a lot of legal man hours and a very large document. The Marriage Settlement dated 12 August 1776 reads like a tour of eighteenth century Swindon...
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Local History Hero - Graham Carter
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...
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Local History Hero - Mark Sutton
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...
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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...
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Field of Remembrance
Preparation for this year's Royal Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance gets underway at Lydiard Park today. The 2019 Field of Remembrance opens in the historic 18th century Walled Garden at Lydiard...
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Local History Hero - Andy Binks
Local history stalwart Roy Cartwright recently posted an article on Facebook in praise of the Local Studies Collection in Swindon Central Library, which gave me an idea. Over the next few weeks I...
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Isabella Horsley Mayo
For me no trip to a country house or stately home is complete without a visit to the local church and a walk around the churchyard. So, following my tour of Avebury Manor and the Art in the Garden...
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Art in the Garden
Was this a good idea, I asked myself as I left Swindon in a deluge to visit the Art in the Garden exhibition at Avebury Manor? In 2011 Avebury Manor was the subject of a unique BBC and National Trust...
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Lost on a lads' night out
How's it going for all of you out there in lockdown land? Is it getting any easier or are you fast losing the plot? Good days and bad ones? I think it's the same for most of us.So, fancy joining me for...
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The Cemetery Problem
By the 1880s the burial of the dead had become a controversial issue. Various forces were in operation. A rapidly increasing population saw a demand on burial space, which in turn became a public...
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Lady's Nightcap and Witches' Thimbles
Is it my imagination but this year are the bluebells more abundant, more beautiful than in previous seasons. I am discovering them alongside verges, in secluded patches of woodland and in Lydiard...
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Swindon - A Peep at the Past
You won’t find this little book promoted all over social media, which is perhaps a shame. But that wasn’t why it was written. I know we all say our opus magnum has been a labour of love, but for...
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Book deal at the Library Shop
So, what or where are you most looking forward to revisiting as lockdown eases. I can't wait for the record offices and especially Local Studies in Swindon Central Library to re-open. I have documents...
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Are we nearly there yet?
It's never too early to introduce your grandchildren to history - even if they really, really don't want to know!When my daughter said she’d never walked along the canal, I immediately went into local...
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