Page 14 - link magazine

14 LOCAL LIVES
WASPS at Lower Shaw Farm
A.E. Martin Hawes, a resident at Lower Shine Farm pays a tribute to the WASPS workers

PAVING Itwas Monday 23Ju1y (1990), 10am, ties ready for the 115 children that distribution so the children could
peddling into the yard in a cloud of would arrive that day.
eat was, to my eyes, a logistic task of
dust, came Ruth, Liz, Jennie, Dawn And what did these handful of nightmarish proportion. However,
Patios, Crazy Cherry and Ian with their many off- workers setup? In the 'barn' there even this ran smoothly with the
Paving, Block spring. "Where do we park all these were swings, trapeses, badminton, queue that snaked the length of the
bikes?" was the first of many ques- volley-ball, camp-building and mu- veranda congaring in through the
Paving, Driveways, tions. The W.A.S.P. (Western Area ml painting. In the 'warehouse', kitchen, via the lunchbox wall and
Garden Walls, Swindon Playscheme) playleaders mask-making, pottery, painting, out into the pleasure garden and
had arrived to hold the first week of paper flower making, bubble-blow- soon even the peacocks honk was
Turfing, Fencing their summer playscheme at Lower ing, badge-making and box-sculp- swamped by the sound of chomping
No job too small Shaw Farm (1SF). After the obliga- ture. In the 'yard', table-tennis, stilt- cusps, from which the ducks had a
tory cuppa and a quick meeting it walking (and making), pony-rides, feast with the leftovers. Incidently,
Telephone: became obvious they meant busi- penalty kicks, skipping, feeding the every time we deflated the inflat-
876066 ness in the way they spread out chickens and ducks and resting on able the ducks would immediately
around the farm preparing activi- the veranda. In the 'quiet room' waddle onto it and startbeha ving to
there was games, books, drawing, all the world like it was a pond,
technic lego and comfy chairs for flapping their wings and looking
children to sit and draw breath. Out very pleased with themselves.
in the 'back garden' was a barbecue After the last of the children and
(for 140!) and an inflatable. As if that playleaders had gone leaving peace
Whether it's for a boat, caravan, or trailer. wasn'tenough children could go over and tranquility to return, I came
BRITANNIA TOWING CENTRE to the playing field of our neighbour- across a scrap of paper pinned to the
ing school to play rounders, football, kitchen wall which I think reveals
Unit 16, Station Industrial Estate, Swindon
parachute games and horse around the secret of the WASPS energy and
Can Help! with a seven foot high beach-ball. organisation. I'd like to think of it as
* Towbars for Cars, Vans & Light Vehides
* Seat Belts (Kangol & Britax Approved)
Or Child Safety Seats
Tel: 0793 613147, 0793 488622

LLT[JaUSTAT
'FFICE SUPPLIES
24 July 1991 - Amanda Worrad, Manageresss of ASDA (WASPS sponsors), in
invites you to help celebrate the centre, launching this year's p1 ayscheme at Lower ShawFann with Council-
lor Ricky Midwinter
their move to new premises The word soon got around West a tribute and role of honour to those
Swindon that 1SF was the place to unsung workers, it read as follows:
with these special offers be, bringing 142 children the next Ruth Tea white no sugar
day, followed by 148 and finally Fiona Coffee white no sugar
NAKAJIMA ELECTRONIC TYPEWRITERS 152. Life with WASPS here was Jennie Coffee white 2 sugars
no sugar
AE 580 Normally £395 Special £295 pretty busy but we residents were Dawn Tea white
all mightily impressed with the fact Ian
Black coffee no sugar
AE 800 Normally £345 Special £275
that in amongst the apparent chaos Cherry Tea black no sugar
Normally £445 Special
AE 830 £345 there was a great amount of order. Anna Coffee white no sugar
Remember that it was a little un- Angela Tea white
no sugar
All models feature: 16,000 - character storage memory
nerving for us to have a big event
(upgradeable to 48k) running here that we weren't or- The WASPS free summer play-
40 character LCD cheme for 5 to 14 year olds
ganising, but the staff (mostly local
44 line correction memory mums and Ian our postman) had takes place from 11am to 3pm,
(500 characters maximum) Mondays to Thursdays at the
been working together on following venues:
playschemes for the last five years Westlea School from 29 July
Suppliers of commercial stationery, office machinery and ran things with skill, humour
and accessories and office furniture. and care. We all enjoyed having the Greendown School from 5 August
Toothill Farm from 19 August.
Repair and maintenance service available on most office machinery. place buzzing with so many local There is no charge, bring your
children clearly enjoying the farm's own lunch, wear old clothes, turn
Tristat Office Supplies Ltd unique atmosphere. There were re- up for fun.
markably few tears given the
Unit 7, Oaklands Estate number of children. WASPS is coordinated by the Play
Braydon, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 OAN Stacked up in the kitchen on the Service of Thamesdown Council's
Community Development Division
Telephone: (0793) 853002 • Fax: (0793) 853002 last day was a wall of 152 lunch with financial assistance from
boxes and organising the lunchtime ASDA