Page 13 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • June 2011 13
Bitter sweet end to an amazing year

Swindon’s mayor and but we are going to try and Japan Tsunami fund, Gold-
mayoress Rex and Sandra slow it down. I wanted to enhar Support, Swindon Sea
Barnett received warm ac- start the chemotherapy as Scouts, Swindon Mela, 633
colades on mayor making soon as possible.” Squadron West Swindon Air
day 20 May at the civic Rex and Sandra raised Training Corp and the Green
offices when they handed money for three principal Hut project.
over the chains of office. charities - Prospect Hospice, Rex said, “it’s been an ab-
They managed to fit in Willows Counselling Service solutely fantastic year. San-
over 500 engagements and and CALM, Swindon Chil- dra and I have met so many
raised a spectacular £68,744, dren’s Cancer & Leukaemia wonderful people doing so
during the year, the most by Movement. They will have a much incredible work in our
any Swindon mayor and share of £50,477. community. We discovered
mayoress. Rex and Sandra at the Oliver Tomkins Primary School They also lent their sup- what a truly vibrant, caring
Rex spent time in hospital port to a wide range of other place Swindon is.
in late March and early April street party on 28 April projects and responded to “It’s a town we are very
with what he thought was suring that the toilet in the medics gave me the news appeals to raise money for proud to live in. Everybody
a chest infection related royal train being fitted out in that mesothelioma was on disasters around the world should be equally proud.
to asthma. Sadly he was Swindon was well insulated my lungs,” said Rex, who since May 2010. “We’ve had such a bril-
diagonosed with epitheloid against extraneous noise. has lived in Haydon Wick These ranged from the liant year; now we’re starting
mesothelioma, the asbestos “I was stunned when the all his life. “It’s incurable Pakistan Flood Appeal, the another journey.”
related cancer contracted by
many men who worked in Go back in time with Domesday Swindon
Swindon’s railway works.
Rex, 72, was the last in a In 1986 the BBC launched an liam the Conqueror’s original the attempt to use break came unusable and is now
long line of Swindon mayors ambitious project to record Domesday Book which re- through digital technology available to view.
who spent time in the factory, a snapshot of everyday life corded all the assets gained to make it accessible was See the contributions
starting as an apprentice in across the UK for future from the Norman conquest. equally so. However the about Swindon and send
1953. He specialised as a generations. The BBC split the coun- specially invented laser-disc in updates via http://bbc.in/
plumber until he was made Twenty five years on, try into small blocks and a system was expensive and domesdayswindon
redundant in 1961. explore the archive online, million volunteers, includ- soon became obsolete. Claire Lawton:
In speeches during his see the pictures, update the ing many from Swindon, Very few people ever got Please contact The Link
mayorship Rex often made information and make your submitted text and images to see the fruits of their hard Nine year old Claire from
reference to his time in the mark on this fascinating re- documenting everyday life work, but, in our internet Shaw contributed an article
works and sometimes told cord of our collective history. in these areas. age, the Domesday Project in 1986. Does she still live
the story of how he was The Domesday Project Not only was the scale of material has been salvaged in Swindon? Please call The
given responsibility for en- marked 900 years after Wil- the project hugely ambitious, before the equipment be- Link on 608840.

www.strattonstmargaret.gov.uk
Stratton Leisure Centre
Grange Drive,
Stratton St Margaret
Tel: (01793) 825525 Swindon SN3 4JY

Saturday 18th June 2011

The Mid WeST Big Band

Saturday 25th June 2011 (13 piece)
An evening with the Alligators plus

One of Bristol’s top rock n roll bands for 25 years, The aMy CulluM Band
playing a variety of rock standards and ballads
Members £5.00 Non Members £7.00 (4 piece)
Tickets are non refundable. Snack bar available.
Doors open 7pm, entertainment starts approx. 8pm TickeTs on sale

Members £5.00 Non Members £7.00
Stratton Leisure Centre, Doors open 7.00pm
Grange Drive, * * *
Stratton St Margaret, Entertainment
Swindon SN3 4JY starts approx
Tel: (01793) 825525 8.15pm
www.strattonstmargaret.gov.uk

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