Page 22 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
22

The coming of the railway
FANTASTIC 1833: GWR appoints Brunel, genius in the making
CHINESE Railway historian Steve Wakefi eld continues his series on the 175
years of the GWR and looks at the reasons why the railway was built
CUISINE AT In the 1820s the Port of of transport existed. This

TWO GREAT Liverpool was becoming lead to deterioration of
a busy gateway to both
the animals or worse they
VENUES the Americas and the died on the journey. These
Empire - driven by the
losses had to be made up
A LA CARTE need to import and export by increasing the cost of
the meat on the hoof at
goods from the Lanca-
and our famous shire, and particularly market when it reached
the Manchester industrial
London. Yet the price
ALL YOU CAN conglomeration of entre- suffered because of the
quality of the animals that
preneurial businesses
EAT MENU owned by infl uential folk Steve Wakefi eld in some cases had just
who saw themselves as
trekked almost 130 miles.
Choose from over 100 dishes building the ‘new Jerusalem.’ In 1830 the world’s fi rst intercity
This growth threatened the railway was opened between Liv-
From Sunday to Thursday: prominence of Bristol as a major erpool and Manchester and proved
£16 per person transatlantic port and its position as to be a boom to the economy of
the second city to London. northwest England, and rocketed it
Fridays & Saturdays: In the 1820s horse power was to the forefront of both political and
£19 per person the principle provider of muscle to fi nancial prominence.
25% off menu prices on all move goods by road or by canal In 1832 the inaugural meeting
takeaways STILL AVAILABLE and river navigation. It was already of the Great Western Railway
possible to transport goods between Company was held in Bristol at
London and Bristol by these modes Merchants’ Hall, supported by the
BRAND NEW MENU of transport, but it was a somewhat Society of Merchant Venturers and
FOR 2010 transferred from cart or by loading The coal mine owners of Somer-
fractured journey with goods being its membership.
EARLY BIRD OFFER and unloading in wharves. set and Gloucestershire were also
eager supporters of the railway as
they could see whole new markets
ONLY £12.50 PER PERSON opening up.
The infl uence of the Merchants
at both restaurants Sunday to Friday may have been to the forefront of
ONLY AVAILABLE IF ORDERED BEFORE 7pm nominations for engineers to build
the railway. Isambard Kingdom
ALL YOU CAN EAT MENU Brunel was a bright young engineer
OVER 100 DISHES - MANY NEW ONES they were familiar with. Although still
only 27 and working in his father’s
offi ce, he was at that time construct-
ing the Clifton Suspension Bridge
for the society.
Yet the project to connect Lon-
Models of Brunel and a broad guage don with Bristol was an ambitious
engine that ran on the original GWR proposal; the Liverpool Manchester
at the STEAM museum was only 30 miles long. Although
AVAILABLE AT BOTH RESTAURANTS Roads carried the mail stage Brunel had been elected a Fellow
(Also available at Lunchtime) coaches and they were the fast of the Royal Society in 1830, the
All offers shown above are subject to change without notice passenger lifeline between the decision to appoint him the GWR
two cities. Traffi c jams were not engineer on 7 March 1833 was a
LADIES’ uncommon with carts and wagons leap of faith
SUNDAY LUNCH NIGHTS OFFER clogging the roads at pinch points. He set about surveying the route
£12.50 SWINDON RENDEZVOUS This functional but slow link effec- of a railway from Bristol to Bath
tively limited trade, rationed supplies where it joined the Kennet and
ON MONDAYS ONLY
ALL YOU CAN EAT LADIES EAT FOR and kept the prices of goods and Avon Canal and then constructing
ONLY AT ONLY £12.50 transport artifi cially high. a railway from Reading to London.
Animals such as pigs, cattle and
• Next month Steve will write about
LE RENDEZVOUS
LE RENDEZVOUS ON TUESDAYS sheep bought at Bristol had to be the next stage in the early years of
ONLY
herded all the way to London as no
the GWR.
RESERVE A TABLE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY other method or economic mode
AND EAT FOR FREE Auditions in April
If a table is booked for 6 or more the birthday boy or girl eats for free Performers and behind the scenes technical people aged 9 to 19 are
(For example 5 pay and 1 eats for free. Birthday must be on actual day booked.
(Only valid on all you can eat or any set dinner. I.D. WILL BE REQUIRED) invited to auditions for this summer’s Wyvern Theatre Youth Project
production of The Wizard of Oz to take place on 24 April, with call
SWINDON RENDEZVOUS 11-12a Theatre Square, Swindon backs the next day.
Telephone: 01793 523570 www.swindonrendezvous.co.uk
___________________________________________________________________ They take place at the Phoenix Theatre at New College and the show
LE RENDEZVOUS 36-39 Haydon St, Swindon. Telephone: 01793 526111 will be staged from Sunday 15 August to Sunday 29 August.
www.lerendezvousswindon.co.uk CLOSED ON MONDAY Application forms can be downloaded from www.wyverntheatre.org.
Private free parking after 5pm (George Whites yard opposite) uk > click on education and community

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