Page 3 - link magazine

Fun year for under fives promised 3
The next year looks as if its going to mas to see if we get the backing of LOOKING FOR
be a fun time for pre-school chil- parents. The word is spreading with
dren, now that the new West Swin- the help of The Link and I hope we SOMETHING
don Focus on Under 5s Committee will soon be able to think further
is getting organised. In the past the ahead to next summer's festival." DIFFERENT?
group has organised play workshops Kate Bason from Peatmoor said
and the annual sunimer festival. she had read about the Focus group
The new committee, elected in in the magazine. "A lot of parents C, il
September to build on the past four are willing to take, but there has to

years of fun for under fives, is or- be give as well. I felt I could offer CI CLEE
ganising its first event, a fire work- some help," she said.
shop, on 5 November and there will The next event planned is a Christ- ,
be more to follow. mas Disco on Tuesday 17 December V
Focus chairwoman Audrey at the Link Centre. The lively social club for unattached
Hutchinson from Freshbrook said Anybody who would like to join people 30+. Low cost, lots of fun.
she was pleased that more people the Focus on Under Fives commit- Tel: Dave Leggett 723691
were coining forward to help out. tee, or could offer help with organis- Caroline Selwood 873348
"A few of us put our names forward ing a future event, can leave a mes- Dave O'Brian 431 772
to organise future events, but we sage at the Link Centre community
have given ourselves until Christ- suite on 871212 ext 234.
Reader survey results GOGG LEBOX
A second readers survey was published in the June edition of The Link
which attracted 219 responses. We've analysed them and here is a brief Specialists in video
breakdown of the results. and TV repairs
We all know West Swindon is a cosmopolitan place, but of our respond-
ents, well over half (148) have moved to the area within the last five years, Free home estimates
64 from other parts of Swindon and 78 from every area of Britain, and all work guaranteed
abroad including Italy, France, Austria, Australia and Gibralta.
Although we receive many, many positive comments, we were particu- Service from 8am - 9F-'m
larly interested to know if the magazine is satisfying your need for
information about West Swindon. 83% said they find out about what's NO CALL OUT CHARGE
going on in the area from The Link and 79.5% of respondents said they read
all of it, whilst 18% said they read most of it and 2% said they never read Tel: Swindon 813485
it. Encouragingly 88.1% said they regularly use Link magazine advertisers.
Reader's shopping patterns was our other main interest. 63% said they
use Swindon for their non-food shopping and 37% went out of the town.
For food, 40.6% visit ASDA at the West Swindon
Centre, 46.6% go to Sainsbury's Bridgemead and
12.8% shop at other superstores or local shopping
areas.
Looking further afield SEE WHAT YOU RE
Thamesdown Borough Council has produced an in-
teresting booklet looking back over ten years in Bor-
ough's development from 1981 to 1990. Called MISSING
Thamesdown Trends, it provides a wealth of statis-
ON sr!:~

tics on population growth, housing, work patterns,
social issues, leisure and the environment. 114€
Picking out a few aspects of particular interest to
ONE
West Swindon,during the eighties, FreshbrookWa rd
(including Grange Park) saw a population growth of IMPS005
267.3%, from 2,550 people to 9,367. In Toothill Ward
TM
(including Westlea, Shaw and Sparcells), the popula- WITH
tion grew by a modest 157.7%, from 5,506 to 14,189.
This expansion is mirrored in the number of house-
holds. In Freshbrook there was a massive 305.3% SWINDON
growth (920 to 3,729) and in Toothill, 184.2% growth CABLE
(1,987 to 5,648).
Thamesdown Trends is available in the library and
from the Corporate Policy and Research Unit at
Thamesdown, tel. 526261 ext 4090.
Bargains for Christmas Telephone 615601
now for more details
at Link Centre markets or alternatively call
into our showroom in
Sat 16 Nov Charity market
Stalls arranged by community groups Edgeware Road
Bric-a-brac, crafts cakes jumble (opposite the
lOam 2pm rear entrance
to Woolworths).
Sat 23rd Nov Craft Fair.
Christmas gifts made by craftspeople
*5.J&
1Oam 4pm 1991 2i