Page 21 - link magazine

21

REAL ALE
WEEKEND
Saturday 3rd,
Sunday 4th
& Monday 5th May
11am - 5pm

30th
Swindon’s other railway steams into 30th year ANNIVERSARY
The Swindon & Cricklade Railway Society is holding a gala weekend at the end of May to celebrate three WEEKEND
decades in pursuit of their dream to restore part of the old Midland and South Western Junction Railway,
between Cricklade and Swindon. Sunday 25th &
Now established as a major regional visitor attraction, over the last two years the volunteers who run the Monday 26th May
railway have doubled the length of its passenger line by laying refurbished track towards Cricklade, which Offi cial opening
they will proudly open to the public on 25 May.
Track has already been laid south to the edge of Moulden Hill Country Park, off Thamesdown Drive. A bridge Sunday 25th, 11am
has to be rebuilt and planning permission sought, but the society hopes to run trains from North Swindon to of northern extension
the edge of Cricklade by 2010. towards Cricklade
See the advert on the right and details at: www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org
(doubling the existing
length of track)
Old Duffers give airtime to 50+ ge, ge, generation
Sheila Parsons, David Brown and Patrick Williams are talking about their generation on a show aimed at over Blunsdon Station
50s on the town’s new volunteer run community radio station - Swindon 105.5fm. Tadpole Lane.
Their weekly Old Duffers’ Hour, Sheila, from Haydon Wick, has recording on such tiny devices.” Tel: 771615
introduced by The Zimmer’s version a long standing relationship with Catch up with the Old Duffers Trains: 11am-4pm
of The Who’s classic, features lively radio since working at the BBC each Monday, 11am. Cafe, shop and free parking
www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org
discussions on topics of interest in the early 60s. “It’s the medium • To become a presenter on 105.5fm Licenced to carry out wedding and naming ceremonies
over 50s and each week music is that I love the most. Radio is great call Shirley Ludford on 07951
chosen from one year, from the because you have to use your 366289.
1980s back to the 40s. imagination more.”
The presenters are particu- As a young secretary, she was
larly keen to hear from anyone who in the team which produced pilot
would like to vent their spleen with a recordings which convinced BBC
‘rant of the week.’ So far, topics have governors that local broadcasting
included drivers who don’t indicate, was the way forward. She then went
vandalism of bus shelters and the on to train as a studio manager and
excessive number of mother and worked for the World Service.
toddler car parking spaces. Almost fi fty years later, she
has come full circle,
although the equip-
ment is very differ-
ent since she was
last in a studio. “We
used huge tape ma-
chines and we were
still playing 78s; LPs
were just coming in.
Now, equipment that
would have been
housed in a sepa-
rate room is all in
front of the present-
Licenced to rant, Old Duffers presenters ers in the studio and
David Brown, Patrick Williams and Sheila Parsons you can do outdoor

Scarecrow population explosion predictedecrow population explosion predictedecrow population explosion predicted
Scar
Scar
From past experience, during half term week at the end of May, some
very unusual characters are going to appear at the annual Roves Farm
scarecrow workshops.
Youngsters and their parents can show off their artistic skills and create
some small ones to take home or help farmer Rupert Burr by making big
ones to scare birds from his fi eld crops.
He’s running competitions to fi nd the most beautiful, funny or scary
creatures. For details see the advert right.
Get into practice for the Age Concern Garden Show scarecrow com-
petition in September - see page 2.

21-52 May Extreme.indd 21 18/4/08 15:12:54