Page 7 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • March 2009 7
Has Swindon lost its voice?

Geoff Reid of www.talkswindon.org reflects on the condition of Swindon
‘Swindon’ is often the butt of cruel jokes and it’s true to say that our town is an easy target for comics, though in the same way that a teenager
with acute acne often attracts the attention of the school bully.
Swindon may not have acne, really important to the cultural provide space for this kind of critical
but it has picked away at itself landscape and emotional well- discussion whilst others relentlessly
for so long that it’s now a jig- being of the town and ought to talk-up the regeneration plans and
saw puzzle of badly fitting and be a proud feature on the public play down residents’ concerns.
mismatched pieces - architectur- face Swindon shows the world. And the only place for a genuine,
ally, culturally and politically - a They are the pins that hold the open, ongoing and unmoderated
picture that hides so much that cultural canvass in place and an discussion and exchange of ideas
is good. essential ingredient in the glue is: www.talkswindon.org
Swindon was at the centre of social cohesion. Isn’t it about time Swindon peo-
of the 19th Century industrial Now, when many of us are ple gave voice to those concerns?
revolution and in its wake, the tightening our belts and pressing Contribute to the debate:
heart of a social revolution. The our noses to the grindstone, is a
Mechanics’ Institution in the good time to ask where Swin- www.talkswindon.org
The old and new: the derelict Mechanics’ building
railway village helped GWR and the DMJ tower don’s real identity is. If ordinary
workers to become the best edu- people say nothing, the town
cated manual workers in the world. planning room, but our council just will continue to be defined as a
Through it Swindon was the first wishes it would go away. commercial milking parlour which
British town to offer a book lending I don’t expect the newly regen- cries: ‘Come to Swindon, it’s lovely;
library to its workers. erated town centre to live up to bring your cash!’
Closeby the Medical Fund Clinic the hype. Key cultural aspects of What to do? We need an hon-
and hospital in Park House became the scheme appear to have been est discussion on what is valued
the model for the NHS in 1945. dropped - an art gallery and a mu- in Swindon. We should share our
So how did we go from a progres- seum have disappeared from the experiences, our opinions and
sive town to a laughing stock? plans. CABE, the Commission for knowledge of Swindon’s ‘fiddly
My explanation begins with Architecture and the Built Environ- bits’- what they are, where they are
the 1970’s town centre regenera- ment, describe parts of the town and how we access them.
tion, when short sighted political centre scheme as ‘ungainly, visually We must define our cultural as-
vision, commercial pressure from disconcerting, responding poorly to pirations, or they will continue to
large retailers and a generalised the form and layout of the proposed be defined and delivered to us by
disregard of Swindon’s industrial development’ and of having ‘banal politicians and retail giants.
heritage led to large areas being architecture.’ Currently Swindon Link maga-
levelled and replaced by ugly con- I think Swindon will end up with zine is the only printed media to
crete buildings. an identikit town centre like so
We’re now promised that the many others. And I doubt that the
21st Century regeneration will do town will become a destination of
choice because of its
special ‘retail offer.’
If Swindon stands
apart, it will be be-
cause its inhabitants
are doing things here
which visitors want
to see or be a part of
- music, sport, food,
art, performance art,
heritage and other
things within our lo-
The proposed Modus redevelopment in the town centre cal environment.
Our town has
much to repair our poor image. many hidden gems, strengths,
It’s even suggested that Swindon qualities and talents, but we
should become the ‘Sheffield of don’t have a clear picture of their
the South.’ entirety. Swindon Council ruth-
I cannot see this aspiration bear- lessly promotes the parts that are
ing fruit. Sheffield preserved and profitable to them - politically and
renovated its heritage buildings financially - but it’s not particularly
and infrastructure when it regen- interested in the ‘fiddly bits’ done by
erated itself. Many of Swindon’s small groups and individuals.
best features have been forever lost, These can be defined as the musi-
whilst the mighty and iconic Me- cal gigs, artists exhibiting in out of
chanics’ Institution, once a temple the way places like the Beehive pub,
of self-improvement, now stands the Artsite group, heritage bodies
derelict. like the New Mechanics’ Trust, the
One has to wonder if Swindon Richard Jefferies Society and the
Council and its partners have learnt various literary communities.
anything from the mistakes made 40 It also includes all those people
years ago in their rush to replace the who ask inconvenient questions
town centre with something newer of the council and those who have
and shinier. withdrawn from civic life because
The Mechanics’ Institution is they are too often ignored.
the elephant in the regeneration Such groups and individuals are

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