Page 30 - link magazine

Swindon Wide

A treasure trove of heritage for Swindon foreign penfriends and crazes
for phrenology and pressing wild
flowers, as well as much more.
By Graham Carter of Swindon Swindon historians and, indeed, The family were also accomplished
Heritage magazine anybody interested in the town’s photographers at a time when it
Swindon Heritage has been past, so it was important to find wasn’t a common hobby, so they
awarded a £9,700 grant by the them a good home.” have left behind thousands of high
Heritage Lottery Fund to throw the A few of the items have been quality pictures, covering several
spotlight on a newly discovered deposited at the Wiltshire and decades, including views of Swindon
local treasure. Swindon History Centre in not previously published.
Known as The Dixon-Attwell Chippenham, but the majority The grant will pay for the
Collection, it was donated to will be added to the Local Studies publication of a book about the
the Local Studies department of archive at the Central Library. collection, plus an exhibition, talks
Swindon Central Library last year, Although the Dixons were a and packs for schools, all planned
and is made up of around 7,000 relatively ‘ordinary’ family, they for the autumn. And, of course, the
documents, photos and ephemera. were very active in the community, project will be featured in future
The collection was donated by so were involved in a wide range of editions of Swindon Heritage, which
Mike Attwell and relates to three aspects of Swindon life, from trade is published quarterly. detailed and comprehensive we
generations of the Swindon-based unions to St John Ambulance. First, however, some of the money have ever seen, providing a unique
Dixon and Attwell families, and in Jack also served in the fledgling is earmarked for professional Local insight into life in 20th century
particular Mike’s grandfather, Jack Royal Air Force at the end of the Studies staff to tackle the challenge Swindon.”
Dixon (1899-1984), who lived in First World War, managed a fund to of cataloguing and digitising a Swindon’s heritage keeps on
George Street, near the GWR Park provide books to Royal Navy sailors large proportion of the items in the surprising even us with its breadth
in Faringdon Road. after the Second World War, and collection, not only preserving them and depth, and this astonishing
What members of the family all even ran a mail order catalogue for for future generations, but also collection makes us wonder what
had in common was: they never fellow railwaymen in the 1950s. making them more accessible for other surprises may be around the
seemed to throw anything away. So In each case there is a detailed today’s local and family historians. corner as other collections and
the collection paints a picture of record of his activities, since he It is also hoped the project will archives come to light.
everyday life in Swindon for most always kept documents, squirreling draw attention to the rest of the The town’s Local Studies collection
of the 20th century. them away in folders and boxes. Local Studies collection, which is already one of the best of its kind
“When my parents died, I was What he preserved also reveals continues to grow. in the whole of Britain, is brilliantly
left with a house full of papers and the lifestyle of Swindon folk “We receive so many wonderful managed by library staff, and is
others items,” said Mike Attwell. in general since it relates to donations for our collection,” said something to treasure at a time
“Few items were of any real other subjects as diverse as Local Studies team leader, Darryl when library services and the town’s
monetary value, but I recognised Swindon Town Football Club, Moody, “but the Dixon-Attwell heritage are otherwise under threat.
they had priceless interest for shopping at the Co-op, gardening, Collection stands out as the most www.swindonheritage.com
Head

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73 Basepoint, Rivermead Drive
Westlea, West Swindon
Tel: 01793 602552

Open Tuesday to Saturday.
Late night Wednesday & Thursday
Free parking Head Rush Hair
www.headrushsalon.co.uk

30 swindonlink.com n April 2017

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