Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • August 1999
It s ti me to wake up
PHILIP STONE
and become a city
PAINTER &
Isabel Palmer of Toothill writes
DECORATOR Specialists in PVCU, What exactly is a city? Most thing that happens in 1999 with
windows, doors and people are very clear on this point. the word 'Millennium' we have a
For a high standard conservatories, A city is created by charter and genuine opportunity to exploit
of work also carpentry, fencing, contains a cathedral. Maybe, but Swindon's capacity for re-inven-
not necessarily. tion. In many ways, this town has
References available patios, floor tiling. What does a city look like? Set developed inside out, although the
Telephone now for a 22 Ravens Walk in rolling hills, with patchwork town centre has attracted new in-
Wootton Bassett fields, the outskirts of out-of-town vestment and a higher commercial
FREE ESTIMATE stores, business parks and estate profile lately.
Telephone: housing build to a visual crescendo City status would raise every-
Tel: 870515 or
01793 848177 of cathedral, university, architec- one's expectations of Swindon, in-
Mobile 0374 - 208527 tural masterpieces at the city's cul- cluding those of the planners and
or 01793 770596
tural heart. Could this be Swin- policy makers. Keystone events
don? like the Wiltshire Festival and the
An important centre for com- Swindon Festival of Literature
munication and motor industries, would showcase the new city's
warehousing and distribution, developing cultural infrastructure.
Swindon is a key location - geo- After all, alphabetically, Swindon
graphically, commercially, histori- can cite the great writer Jonathan
cally. Swift and St Swithin, a former
Looking forward to a radical Bishop of Winchester, as its neigh-
For a new style or colour, change in image in terms of its bours.
place the global economy, we can What of its university? Richard
call in today for a also look back, beyond even our Jefferies University has the right
free consultation legendary railway past, to the vast combination of kudos and histori-
with our friendly staff Roman complex at Abbey Meads. cal significance. There are up-
Maybe Swindon cannot compete graded colleges and polytechnics
^^^ LPark
with Bath's Latin name Aquae Sulis throughout the country with less
gnu.
Z)"c * J, gaeT .St,cda but Swindonium has a distinctly claim to fame. Swindon has been a
Roman sound for special occasions. dormitory town for too long. It's
Shaw Salon, Shaw Village Centre,
At the risk of prefixing every- time to wake up.
Swindon • Tel: 874825
Big is not beautiful
THE DISCOUNT OFFICE Keep Swindon a town or build a cathedral
° FURNITURE WAREHOUSE jean Saunders of Swindon Friends of the Earth, below, writes

If 'City Status' for Swindon is
achieved, we can look forward to
For tk kome, or olce more of the same: more rapid
growth at the expense of the
Desking, seating, filing systems, screens, countyside and the quality of life
computer workstations, kids desks of local people.
Land will be needed to swell the
,^ :^ COME IN AND SEE OUR SHOWROOM TODAY town's population of 155,000 to a
possible 250,000 - about the size of
Unit 8B, Station Industrial Estate, four more areas the size of the
Sheppard Street, Swindon Northern Development. No won-
der land speculators are earmark-
Tel: 01793 430022 ing countryside all around Swin-
Fax: 01793 423826 4 don for their massive housing es-
tates. Developers know that, if
they bide their time, the town plan-
ners will have to agree to release
a •
their bit of land for buildings even-
CHARISMA tually. How will this help encour- sorry state. If it is that important
BLINDS age big companies to move to ar- for Swindon to become a city let's
Large Range • Quality Fabrics eas where unemployment is high build a cathedral instead.
and where there is plenty of der- So let's take heed of the majority
elict land and loads of empty view that local people do not want
ERTIC ROLLER houses? more countryside eaten up to ac-
III BLIND BLENDS — Compare this vision to the ca- commodate loads more newcom-
rom £3 frO^ E20 O thedral city of Salisbury that only ers, traffic or large corporations
has a population of around 40,000 that make no commitment to the
and where there is a real sense of town and who threaten to pack up
All types of blinds including pleated, wood venetians, [ ^Ct ;^A
awning & canopies. history and community pride. I and go if they can't have what they
Full Timing & measuring service or cash and carry discounts S^ cannot see a shop like McKilroy want.
Factory Showroom open at BSS House, Cheney Manor Ind. Estate, Swindon being pulled down in Salisbury Big is not beautiful and Swin-
y
y
Open: Monda - Frida , 9.30am - 5.30pm • Saturday 10.00am - 4.00om nor lovely old buildings like the don has suffered enough in the
Mechanics Institute or the Corn name of so-called economic
Exchange allowed to fall into a progress.