Page 36 - link magazine

36 swindonlink.com • August 2012

GAZEBO Children’s treasure hunt at steam railway
LANDSCAPING - and the station is not difficult to find
GENERAL GARDEN MAINTENANCE Swindon & Cricklade Railway holds a children’s treasure hunt on 11 and 12 August when youngsters can
& CONSTRUCTION search for engine cut-outs around Blunsdon Station.
• Fencing - closeboard, panels etc. The volunteers who run the on Saturday and Sunday
railway are keen for everybody to when visitors can park
• Drives & patios - slabs, concrete, know that it is open throughout the on the right hand side of
shingle summer holiday whilst reconstruc- Tadpole Lane.
• Patio cleaning, grass cutting, tion of the adjacent bridge over the In August one of the
gardens tidied up River Ray is carried out. Great Western Railway’s
NO
• Turfing, grass seeding VAT Until mid-September vehicle hardest working locos
• Ponds & pergolas access is off the B4553 from West will be based at Blunsdon
Swindon to Purton. The station Station.
Tel: 07711 253508 can be reached via a temporary Built in Swindon
footbridge across the river from Works in 1927, 2-6-2
Tadpole Lane in North Swindon. ‘Prairie’ tank engine
[email protected]
However there is no parking except 5521 is making a home-
coming trip. kia showing off Swindon’s heritage.
Having spent most of its work- 5521 will be in steam at Blunsdon
ing life on branch lines in the West Station on 12, 18, 25, 26, 27 August
Brand Country, until withdrawal from and there is opportunity to drive
British Railways in April 1962, the this historic locomotive.
New Gardens engine has continued to operate in For details contact 01793 771615
preservation. From 2007 to 2009 it or mail: [email protected]
Hard Landscape Lawn & Hedge Cutting toured Poland, Hungary, and Slova- www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org
and Garden Maintenance Maintenance
Professional, reliable General Garden Tidy Ride the train south to Taw Valley Halt
and friendly service Patios • Turfing on August Bank Holiday weekend
Fencing • Decking • Patios Give your garden Swindon & Cricklade Society volunteers have been working hard to lay
Lawn cutting • Garden design a makeover new railway track to the edge of Mouldon Hill Country Park and had
hoped to open a new southern station called Taw Valley Halt in time for
Plant pruning and shaping Call John Dowell the Bank Holiday weekend.
Free quotes & advice. No job too small on 07892 436198 However technical problems have prevented this. Instead throughout
Call Steven Brander on: or 01793 747534 the weekend, from 25 to 27 August, trains will take visitors boarding at
07949 896349 Blunsdon Station south past Oakhurst and Thamesdown Drive and back.
01793 874403 [email protected] See www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org for details

Manor Garden Centre Take a look at the lagoons
Cheney Manor, Swindon Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is offering you the chance to visit a surprising
01793 526691 and almost secret wildlife sanctuary - barely a mile from Swindon
Open 7 days a week town centre.
Join Simon Wicks and Gordon and songbirds populate the reserve.
SPECIAL Shaw, WWT volunteer wardens, Grass snakes, slow worms, voles
OFFERS who are leading guided tours of and deer are also on the reserve and
Quality TGB garden the Swindon Lagoons Reserve on your tour may include sightings of
buildings for any situation Saturdays 25 August and 22 Sep- these as well.
tember, 10am. Access is via a gate off the River
Bespoke sizes available This hidden gem, not normally Ray Parkway cycle route opposite
open to the public, is located at the Shaw Forest Park.
Base laying northern end of Thames Water’s Booking is essential as numbers
& installation works at Barnfield and contains are limited to a maximum of 12.
some twenty lagoons, many of Call Gordon Shaw on 01793 616558
available them developed as bird sanctuar- to book a place. Children under 16
www.conservatorycentres.co.uk ies over the last 25 years. A large must be accompanied by an adult
variety of wildfowl, herons, egrets but dogs are not permitted on site.

Win tickets to Tree Fest
Westonbirt Arboretum’s treefest from
Saturday 25 to Monday 27 August, 10am
to 5pm, offers tree-mendous family activi-
ties, carvers creating big play trail pieces,
live music, delicious food and cooking
demonstrations, woodworkers and over
100 craft exhibitors.
Kids go free; advance tickets for adults
are £10 each and £8 per concession from
www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-treefest.
Win free entry: We have two pairs of
adult day passes to enable a family of
4 to enter free. Tell us in which county
Westonbirt is located by 10 August. Send
your entry to the address on page 4.

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