The friendly face of Savernake Street encourages the flagging walker up the steep hill and tomorrow there will be a particularly warm welcome at the Eastcott Big Lunch and Neighbourhood Party.
In 1900 the Ordnance Survey map shows the area as undeveloped, possibly due to large sand and gravel pits indicated on the site.
In his book A Swindon Retrospect published in 1932 local historian Frederick Large recalled how Wombwell, Bostock and Sangers circuses were regular visitors to this area, something the Eastcott Community Organisation continue to celebrate with their circus themed Big Lunch and Neighbourhood Party.
Building work on what was then known as the Globe Field estate began in 1905-6 when Bishop & Pritchett ‘valuers, house agents and architects, agents and surveyors to the Rolleston Estate’ started work. The four streets of red brick houses were eventually named Savernake Street, Pembroke Street, Brunswick Road and Globe Street.
Most of the new, four room houses were occupied by railway workers. Men like George Drew, 53 a coach finisher at the GWR Works, who lived at number 4 with his wife and nieces and William Howell who lived at number 6 and worked in the iron foundry. Number 8 Savernake Street was home to Thomas Henry Lambourne, a Crossing fitter in the railway works, his wife and their four children.
The Social Hall on Savernake Street has always been central to the local community. In 1941 a government initiative for ‘communal feeding’ saw five British Restaurants open in Swindon, the largest of which was the one in Savernake Street where 500 diners were accommodated in Nissan huts. These communal feeding centres were run by local committees where in Swindon a nutritious meal cost about 11d.
The spirit of voluntary community work continues in Savernake Street and this Sunday June 2 sees the annual Big Lunch & Neighbourhood Party where local residents came to eat together in the spirit of their wartime neighbours. The first Big Lunch took place in 2013 and since then has become a much anticipated event in the local neighbourhood calendar.
Bring along some cold food to share and enjoy the activities on offer this year which include a Circus Show by Darryl J. Carrington; Circus Skills with Fandango and music by Richard Wileman, Gary Nash and Amy Fry. The fun begins at 12 noon.
Check out the Savernake Street Social Hall Facebook page for more details.
Photographs are from the 2013 Big Lunch and Neighbourhood Party.
