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A Different Culture

SWINDON
Swindon is forever being knocked for its lack of culture, but here Dr Mike Pringle,
Director of the Swindon Cultural Partnership, asks why and suggests that maybe
Swindon’s culture is all that’s great about Britain.

What exactly do we mean when & gardens; Swindon Museum & Grand Designs presenter Kevin on the Nation’s view of itself, or,
we say ‘culture’? That single word Art Gallery; a dozen brass bands; McCloud gives us a clue: perhaps more positively, is this
seems to affect everything in our the Railway Village; Swindon “It would be fair to say that simply an example of the great
lives, including the economy, the Literature Festival; Coate Water; Swindon enjoys an abundance British sense of humour – the
regeneration and even the world’s GWR Community Centre and of averageness. It is the place ability we have to be able to laugh
perception of Swindon. Baths; Lower Shaw Farm; to which, if you’re Mars or at ourselves?
The Government Department Swindon Mela; Swindon Dance; Unilever, you take your Swindon has had a lot of press
for Culture, Media and Sport Wilts & Berks Canal; Arts Centre; prototype products lately because of the recession
(DCMS) suggests that culture is Headquarters of National Trust; to be tested. - reporters think that Swindon
all the things that mean something Swindon Bowl; Steam Museum; Demographically is a good barometer of what
to us (for example: shared Richard Jefferies Museum; it is Little is happening all over Britain.
memories, experience & identity, Swindon Town Football Britain, Yet, strangely, some of the facts
diverse backgrounds), as well as Club; Mechanics’ the suggest we are ahead of many
the obvious things like arts, media, Institute; Swindon other places. We have something
film, museums, libraries, literature Art College; like the third highest GDP
and archaeology. But the DCMS Swindon (Gross Domestic Product) in
definition also includes churches half the country, and recently
& places of worship, sports, Swindon was declared the
parks, open spaces, wildlife, place with the lowest car
water & countryside, recreation, crime rates in the whole
children’s play, tourism, festivals UK! And the recent
& attractions, and even informal debate on speed
leisure pursuits! cameras has
With such a wide definition shown that we
of culture (maybe too wide), is have the courage
Swindon still a cultural desert? to be different
Actually, a quick look around from everyone
soon reveals that there is plenty else.
going on, for example, we have: In short, we
the little known Swindon Museum may be a town of
of Computing; New College average Britons,
Theatre; Lydiard House; Swindon but that certainly
Collection of 20th Century Art; does not mean we
Old Holy Rood Church; 150 parks are mediocre. Quite
marathon; the opposite - maybe
Stanton Park; one of the great things about
Swindon Rugby Swindon is that it doesn’t brag
Club; English about itself, just gets on and does
Heritage’s National things. But then again, maybe we
Monuments Record should shout about ourselves a bit
Centre; Old Town Gardens; petrie dish of the UK consumer’s more...
Swindon Jazz Society; Artsite; DNA.” Considering the Britishness
Science Museum Swindon; Great Britons of Swindon a bit more - we led
Lawns; Swindon Robins; The the Industrial Revolution with
Oasis; Queen’s Park; Swindon If Swindon is such an exact our railway works and, over
Choral Society; Swindon Pride; microcosm of the UK, in terms the years, have shifted through
Wyvern Theatre; Barbury Castle; of proportions of races, gender, computing and cars, to still be
and, perhaps more significantly, economic profiles etc., then surely one of the country’s top places
hundreds of clubs, groups and it is logical to assume that we to set up in business, even in
organisations that fit under the should be treated with the same today’s climate! And then there
Government’s banner. What this respect as the Nation as a whole: is our geographical location:
means for Swindon is that there not jingoism, but pride. Yet much Swindon was recently named
must be thousands and thousands of the negativity aimed at our top of the list of the UK’s fastest
of people engaging in ‘culture’ of town comes from the rest of the growing tourist destinations.!
one sort or another, every day! country (and, to be fair, from some The town sits in the midst of the
So where do we get such of the people who live or work in best of the British countryside
a rotten reputation? Maybe Swindon). Is this a sad reflection and is perfect for exploring the

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