This weekend must be the busiest in the year in Swindon. Not only is it Open Heritage Days, but it's Part II of the Swindon Open Studios event while the Swindon and Cricklade Railway are holding a Wartime Weekend and the Swindon Railway Festival takes place at STEAM.
Here are a few words about the STEAM event copied from their website.
'This year, we celebrate 175 years since the birth of Swindon as a railway town (Swindon175). As well as some of the UK's finest ever model railway layouts, we'll have our biggest live steam display yet, courtesy of Hatch Heritage & Steam Engineers. And among the superb traction engines, you'll get to see and hear the replica Swindon Works Hooter, successfully recreated by Colin Hatch for Swindon175.
The Hooter will sound at several points in the day. This will be a nostalgic reminder of how the Hooter was in the days of the Swindon Railway Works. (The Swindon Works Hooter could be heard at regular intervals every day: early in the morning, at lunchtime and at the end of the working day. It was used to ensure Swindon's railway workers got to work on time!)
Railway Festival Talks Programme – Saturday Only
Sir Daniel Gooch Theatre, STEAM Museum
11.30am Wartime GWR, Elaine Arthurs & Felicity Jones
12.30pm Swindon Works The Legends, Dr Rosa Matheson
1.30pm A Year in the Life of the Great Western, Tim Bryan'
Visit the website for more information.
Lydiard House and the neighbouring church of St Mary's will be open to visitors. Call in and see the magnificent St John polyptych which is only open on a few occasions during the year.
Swindon Heritage along with the Swindon Society will have a stand at the STEAM Swindon Railway Festival so come along and see us.
And on Sunday the Swindon Heritage team will be conducting a guided tour of Radnor Street Cemetery, meet at the Chapel 2pm. If you've never had a walk around this historic cemetery, take an hour out of your busy Sunday to join Andy Binks and me. We have several new stories to tell.
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Here are a few words about the STEAM event copied from their website.
'This year, we celebrate 175 years since the birth of Swindon as a railway town (Swindon175). As well as some of the UK's finest ever model railway layouts, we'll have our biggest live steam display yet, courtesy of Hatch Heritage & Steam Engineers. And among the superb traction engines, you'll get to see and hear the replica Swindon Works Hooter, successfully recreated by Colin Hatch for Swindon175.
The Hooter will sound at several points in the day. This will be a nostalgic reminder of how the Hooter was in the days of the Swindon Railway Works. (The Swindon Works Hooter could be heard at regular intervals every day: early in the morning, at lunchtime and at the end of the working day. It was used to ensure Swindon's railway workers got to work on time!)
Railway Festival Talks Programme – Saturday Only
Sir Daniel Gooch Theatre, STEAM Museum
11.30am Wartime GWR, Elaine Arthurs & Felicity Jones
12.30pm Swindon Works The Legends, Dr Rosa Matheson
1.30pm A Year in the Life of the Great Western, Tim Bryan'
Visit the website for more information.
Lydiard House and the neighbouring church of St Mary's will be open to visitors. Call in and see the magnificent St John polyptych which is only open on a few occasions during the year.
Swindon Heritage along with the Swindon Society will have a stand at the STEAM Swindon Railway Festival so come along and see us.
And on Sunday the Swindon Heritage team will be conducting a guided tour of Radnor Street Cemetery, meet at the Chapel 2pm. If you've never had a walk around this historic cemetery, take an hour out of your busy Sunday to join Andy Binks and me. We have several new stories to tell.
