Page 24 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
Town’s special year gets into gear

Events to mark the year when green fields below the market town industrial development, including
modern Swindon came into being - on a nearby hill were the most the eventual closure of the railways,
and to tell the story of what a great suitable for an engine and carriage new technologies and the growth of
place it has become in the last 175 maintenance and construction a major service economy that has
years - start to gather momentum works, and the rest is history. seen Swindon provide homes for
in late February and March. A new railway town was born over 200,000 people.
On 25 February 1841 a letter by which quickly joined up with the On 25 February primary schools
Daniel Gooch, Superintendent of old town and went on to become across the town will be celebrating participating school will go home
Locomotives of the Great Western famous the world over - for its Gooch’s letter and the GWR board’s with a sticker promoting Swindon
Railway, was considered by the railway related products and the decision with special assemblies, 175.
company’s board of directors. His social innovations that came role plays and history lessons. “It’s great how many schools
recommendation was that the with it. Following it came more Every child attending a have come on board the Swindon

Staff and children will be dressing up in Victorian costumes at schools across Swindon on Daniel Gooch Day, 25 February, including Red House Primary
School, left, and Oliver Tomkins, Toothill

24 swindonlink.com n March 2016