Page 32 - link magazine

32
Swindkn Wide
Town of verse Youngsters witness end of Xchange
SueLynn
Six years of looking at Swindon Year 5 pupils from Westlea School were VIP guests for the filming of the
Partners through poetry has been published very last edition of the CBBC daily kids programme Xchange at the end
by Tony Hillier. of March.
Called one man's journey. Tony's Researchers from the BBC had
For tailor made word pictures illustrate community, visited the school in November as
Curtains • Pelmets educational and cultural events and part of a survey about making chil- a. `
Roman blinds issues that have been his Swindon dren'sTVprogrammes. They were
experience. impressed with the whole school,
Swags & tails There is something for every- commenting on the integration of ° F-
Cushion covers body in verse, from Frank Bruno to disabled children into the life of the y InrIUiT^
Jenny Agutter, from graffiti to wind school, the displays and the at t —
Measuring and fitting advice
farms, from hip-hop to aniseed mosphere.
No job too small balls. Amongst many other places, Everyone at Westlea had forgot 1 _'
For further information call the poems show you fireworks, ten about the visit until, out of the
Sue: 01793 870451 carol singing and take you out for a blue, a producer phoned and asked -"
or Lynn: on 01793 33 0595 meal. Theatre visits, campaigning the children to be guests on the
and exploring a museum hanger at last ever Xchange.
Wroughton are mixed with the ex- Producer, Jilly Longton. who also In the SluePetergarden. Josh Talbot
citement of Asian, Afro-Caribbean made the first episode, said that MylesGooden, IacA-Adams, Sophie
and forest festivals. from all the thousands of children Roberts
School closures, the threat to and hundreds of schools featured, some frogs in the pond."
Coate Water and Swindon's re- Westlea kept coming back to her. The whole class appeared
sponse to the Iraq War all get po- The young guests learned that throughout the programme, in the
etic expression. An underpinning there's a lot more to filming a one background and chatting with pre-
theme is the generosity of spirit of hour programme than meets the senters. Jessica Harmer had a
Swindon folk, towards local and eye. The children were at the stu- chance to meet presenterJez. She
international social need. dios all day, leaving home at said, "I was a bit nervous but Jez
"If you were at the events por- 6.30am and returning late in the helped me with what to say on the
trayed, this a chance to re-capture evening. Anna Waddington said show. He asked me how I felt about
powerful moments," said Tony. "If that in between takes they went in the programme ending and I said
you missed these delights of Swin- the green room but no one minded was really, really sad."
don, then these poems may well the waiting. "The studio was smaller As a thank you. the youngsters
tempt you to look at the town differ- than it looks on TV and it was very were all given a goody bag to take
ently and participate in the future." hot. We had lunch in the BBC can- home with signed autographs of all
For a copy mail: tony.hillier teen and we saw the Blue Peter the presenters and an Xchange
@ntlworld.com garden. It was pretty and we saw alarm clock.
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