Swindon Link founder editor Roger Ogle delivered a talk to mark the magazine's 45th birthday.
The well-attended gathering, upstairs at The Hop Inn, was the first of a series of quarterly community events planned by Swindon Ink, the curated community subscription news service delivered by the same team of experienced journalists.
Roger, who remained in charge of the Link until the middle of the last decade, talked the audience through the early years of the publication, which was founded as a community news source for the then-new West Swindon development in 1978.
Current Link and Ink editor and publisher Jamie Hill introduced Roger whose detailed talk was greeted with enthusiastic applause.
Jamie told the audience afterwards: "I have never met such an inspirational, passionate, campaigning journalist as Roger.
"He has been someone who cares so deeply about the community he works in. He has affected so many lives."
Jamie noted that even now he encountered people who remembered having been featured years ago in the magazine, some of them as children."
Roger's talk covered a wealth of subjects, ranging from Royal visits to the early history of the Western and Northern expansions of Swindon, and from the changing face of local politics to campaigns to save beloved local amenities such as Shaw Forest Park.
Roger's latest project is a new book called West Swindon - What the Eye Doesn't See, which was written with fellow local history experts Angela Atkinson and Frances Bevan.
The book traces the history of the area back far beyond the building of what we now think of as West Swindon, extending as far back as the Roman era.
Published by Hobnob Press, the book retails at £14.95. People can find it at Bert’s Books in Swindon’s Old Town, the central library shop in the town centre, Waterstone’s in Swindon and the Hobnob Press website at: https://www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/west-swindon-what-the-eye-doesnt-see-by-angela-atkinson-frances-bevan-and-roger-ogle
The authors are launching the book at the Village Inn in Shaw Village Centre, West Swindon, on Tuesday 14 November from 6pm to 9pm, and offering the book at a special launch offer price of £13.
Further information about Swindon Ink can be found at theinkswindon.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=76c00959
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