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Magazine EXPRESS

CYCLE SPECIALIST
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No. 112 • July 1991 • Circulation 10,500 96 - 99 Manchester Road, Swindon
(0793) 534907 & 513705

YOUTH ISSUES

The 1980s in West Swindon saw a huge baby boom. if that was the decade of pre-school children,
the 1 990s will be the decade of teenagers. How are adults and young people going to work out
how best to respond to their needs? Starting on page 15 we publish a collection of articles
designed to stimulate a debate in the community, which hopefully will lead to positive action for the future.

Theft leaves Andy angry Royal honour for Tom

Westlea fireman Andy Cresswell had to attend the emergency with- The Queen's birthday on 17June
is really livid. The motorbike he out him. was also special day for a West
uses to get to work has been stolen It could be a matter of life and Swindon sports shop owner.
- the second in 9 months. death forsomeoneif Andyisunable For Tom Taylor, a partner in
For Andy a motorbike is essen- to get to work to makeup the team. the newly opened Westside
tial because the Westlea fire station Andy lives in Mears Drive, Shaw Sports at Shaw Village Centre, it
is not manned at night. If he is on and the motorbike was stolen be- was his last day in the Royal Air
duty, he has to be out of bed and in tween 1230am and 3am onThurs- Force and he had just heard that
the fire engine within minutes. day 20 June. Anybody who sees a he had been honoured for his
When the first bike was nicked red Suzuki 125cc, registration B298 service with the Royal Victorian
he rushed out of the house to find VHT, is asked to call Swindon Po- Medal in the Queen's Birthday
he had no transport; his colleagues lice. Honours List.
Tom, from Selby Crescent,
Diana remembered Freshbrook, served a total of
seven and half years with the
The unveiling of a statue honouring Swindon actress Diana Dors became Queen's Flight. For the last five
a family affairwhen herson jasonLake and granddaughter Megan pulled he was Chief Technician respon-
away the cloth covering her on 14 June. Film producer David Puttnam, sible for organising the servicing
originally billed to present the statue to the public took a minor part. and maintenance for the three
The larger than life bronze statue is located outside the Shaw Ridge aircraft and two helicopters in
Leisure Park MGM cinema. The £25,000 work by John Clinch was paid for the flight. Working with twenty-
by site developers Carter Commercial Developments and portrays Diana six other ground crew in two ..
from her 1956 film 'Yield to the Night.'Diana Dors died of cancer in 1984. shifts, Tom had to make sure that Tom Taylor, VRM
Diana Dors' son Jason Lake holds upgrandaughter Megan with the help offamily the aircraft wereboth mechanically
friend Sixties heart throb less Conrad perfect and spotlessly clean inside awarded for outstanding service
and out. after seven and half years.
During his time with the flight, "1 have no idea why I was se-
he travelled all over the world on lected; I was doing the job to the
maintenance duties. On one trip to best of my ability," said Tom. "It is
the east, the billet was a palace in a tremendous honour to be recog-
Saudi Arabia. nised by Her Majesty."
Tomwas completely taken aback With accumulated annual leave,
when the captain of the Queen's re-settlement training and termi-
Flight telephoned him with the nal leave, Tom actually left the Air
good news. "1 was absolutely Force in early March to get his
amazed; I had to hold onto some- Westside Sports business up and
thing to steady myself," said Tom. running. As a retirement gift, the
He explained that service staff Queen and Duke of Edingburgh
attached to the Royal household sent a personally signed, framed
normally qualify for the Royal Vic- photograph toTom. He will receive
torian Medal after ten years, but in his medal at Buckingham Palace
exceptional circumstances it is later in the year.