Discover Swindon's pictorial history with photographer Richard Wintle's new book

Link photographer Richard Wintle has had a career that has spanned half a century and he has now put together a book 'A picture is only the start of the story...'

Richard Wintle, who runs Calyx Picture Agency, has been a news photographer for nearly 50 years and in that time he has documented the history of the town from the closure of the railway works to the announced closure of Honda.

He said: "Surrounded by my archive of about four million film-based and digital images, which I have gathered over more than four decades of press photography in Swindon, I have discovered connections that run through the archive that weren’t obvious at the time.

"What’s the connection between the Magic Roundabout and the Seekers pop group, and the connection between a Eurovision Song Contest entrant and a flight over the North Atlantic? Why a work experience boy saw history being made, and the story behind finding an unknown Swindon pop idol, are all revealed in the book. How come there were twelve winners of a Miss Thamesdown competition? The pictures we took and had published then that can’t be published now are also explained during the meander."

The book “A Picture Is Only the Start of The Story” takes you on a voyage of picture stories which Calyx Picture Agency has covered; traversing the decades, linking the protests, as the Railway Works closed, to Honda announcing it closure.

It takes you through a series of interesting links as it meanders through the modern-day Swindon story while visiting many events and places as it goes, while at the same time it explains some of the technological changes to the industry during that time, and the back stories associated with the agency.

“Richard’s life as a press photographer gave him with an excellent vantage point to document major local events.

Drawing on his vast archive of images, Richard has created a truly unique book, capturing local life in a way unlike any other publication “

The Local Studies team, Swindon Libraries

For a signed copy e-mail: [email protected]. with your address and he will send an invoice and dispatch the book on receipt of transfer for £14.95 + £2.50 P&P (UK only). £1 from every sale goes to Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, and it will be available through local outlets when COVID-19 passes and life as we have known it returns to somewhat normal.

Unsigned copies for international sales through Amazon.