Swindon
Swindon shown within Wiltshire
Population	155,432
OS grid reference	SU152842
- London	81mi
Unitary authority	Swindon
Ceremonial county	Wiltshire
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SWINDON
Postcode district	SN1-6, SN25, SN26
Dialling code	01793
Police	Wiltshire
Fire	Wiltshire
Ambulance	Great Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	North Swindon
	South Swindon
List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire

Coordinates: 51°33′30″N 1°46′52″W / 51.558333, -1.781111

Swindon (pronunciation (help·info)) is a large town in Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles west) and Reading (64 km / 40 miles east). Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between London is 130 km / 81 miles east. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. It is on the rail line between London and Bristol, and has one railway station. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is in the borough of Swindon, which has been a unitary authority independent of Wiltshire since 1998. Economy This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Swindon at current basic prices published (pp See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions A resident of Swindon is known as a Swindonian. A Swindonian is a person who inhabits or originates from Swindon, England. Swindon's motto is "Salubritas et Industria" (Health and Industry). A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group

Swindon was named an Expanded Town under the Town Development Act 1952 and this led to a major increase in its population. ^[1] In the 2001 census the population of the Swindon urban area was 155,432, whilst around 184,000 lived in the Borough, which includes the satellite towns of Highworth and Wroughton. Economy This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Swindon at current basic prices published (pp Highworth is a Market town in the Unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about six miles north-east of Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire in the South West England region of the UK.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Industrial Revolution 1.3 Railway Town 1.4 20th Century 1.5 21st Century 2 Geography and climate 3 Government 4 Demographics 4.1 Polish Community 5 Business 6 Transport 6.1 Roundabouts 7 Tourism and recreation 7.1 Events 7.2 Shopping 7.3 Green Spaces 7.4 Sporting Facilities 7.5 Other 8 Media 8.1 Print 8.2 Radio 8.3 Television 9 Film and TV Location 10 Education 11 Museums and cultural institutions 12 Sports 12.1 Football 12.2 Motor Sports 12.3 Other Sports 13 Twin towns 14 Swindon in popular culture 14.1 James Bond 14.2 Swindon references in music 15 Notable Swindonians 16 References 17 See also 18 Further reading 19 External links

History

Main article: History of Swindon

Etymology

The original saxon settlement of Swindon sat in a defensible position atop a limestone hill. Swindon is a town in Wiltshire in the South West of England. People have lived in the town since the Bronze Age and the town's location being Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. It is referred to in the Domesday Book as Suindune, believed to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon words swine and dun meaning 'pig hill', or possibly 'Sweyn's hill', where Sweyn would be the local landlord. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey

Industrial Revolution

Swindon was a small market town, mainly for barter trade, until the mid-1800s. Barter is a type of Trade in which goods or services are directly exchanged This original market area is on top of the hill in central Swindon, now known as Old Town.

The industrial revolution was responsible for an acceleration of Swindon's growth. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the It started with the construction of the Wilts and Berks Canal in 1810 and the North Wilts canal in 1819. The canals brought trade to the area, and Swindon's population started to grow.

Railway Town

In 1840, Isambard Kingdom Brunel chose Swindon as the site for the railway works he planned for the Great Western Railway. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Eastwards towards London the line was gently graded, while westwards there was a steep descent towards Bath. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Swindon was the junction for the proposed line to Gloucester. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England.

Swindon Junction station opened in 1842 and until 1895 every train stopped for at least 10 minutes to change locomotives. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. As a result, the station hosted the first recorded railway refreshment rooms. There were three storeys to the station in 1842, with the refreshment rooms on the ground floor, he upper floors housing the station hotel and lounge. A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology That building was demolished in 1972, replaced by an office building with a single-storey modern station under it. A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology

The town's railway works were completed in 1842. The GWR built a small railway 'village' to house some of its workers. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West People still live in the those houses and several of the buildings that made up the railway works remain, although many are vacant. The Steam Railway Museum now occupies part of the old works. Swindon 'Steam' Railway Museum is located at the site of the old Railway works in Swindon, England - Wiltshire 's 'railway town' In the village were the GWR Medical Fund Clinic at Park House and its hospital, both on Faringdon Road and 1892's Health Centre in Milton Road – which housed clinics, a pharmacy, laundries, baths, Turkish baths and swimming pools – was almost opposite. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West

From 1871, GWR workers each week had a small amount deducted from their pay and put into a fund – its doctors could prescribe them or their family members free medicines or send them for medical treatments. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West In 1878 the fund began providing artificial limbs made by craftsmen from the carriage and wagon works, and nine years later opened its first dental surgery. In his first few months in post the dentist removed more than 2,000 teeth. From the opening in 1892 of the Health Centre, a doctor could also prescribe a hair cut or even a bath. The cradle-to-grave extent of this service was later used as a blueprint for the NHS. The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although ^[2][3]

The Mechanics Institute, formed in 1844, moved into a building, looking not unlike a church although including a covered market, on May 1, 1855. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The New Swindon Improvement Company, a co-operative, raised the funds for this cathedral to self-improvement, and paid the GWR £40 a year its new home for its commanding site at the heart of the railway village. It was a ground-breaking organisation that transformed the railway's workforce into some of the country's best-educated manual workers. ^[4] Some claim that GWR Chief Engineer Daniel Gooch had got the railway to fund the Institute^[5]

It offered the aspiring poor the UK's first lending library,^[6] and a range of improving lectures, access to a theatre and worthy pastimes from ambulance classes to xylophone lessons. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A former Institute secretary formed the New Swindon Co-operative Society in 1853, which, after a schism in the society's membership, spawned the New Swindon Industrial Society that ran a retail business from a stall in the market at the Institute. The Institute also nurtured pioneering trades unionists and encouraged local democracy. ^[7]

When tuberculosis hit the new town, the Mechanics’ Institute helped the industrial pioneers of north Wiltshire agree that the railway’s former employees should continue to receive medical attention from the doctors of GWR Medical Society Fund, which the Institute had played a role in establishing and funding. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West ^[8]

Swindon’s ‘other’ railway, the Swindon, Marlborough & Andover Railway merged with the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway to form the Midland & South Western Junction Railway, which set out to join the London & South Western Railway with the Midland Railway at Cheltenham. Formation The M&SWJR was formed in 1884 from the amalgamation of two local lines the Swindon Marlborough and Andover Railway and the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR was a Railway company in England from 1838 to 1922 The Midland Railway (MR was a Railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London Midland and Scottish The Swindon, Marlborough & Andover had planned to tunnel under the hill on which Swindon’s Old Town stands but the money ran out, and the railway ran into Swindon Town station, off Devizes Road in the Old Town, skirting the new town to the west, intersecting with the GWR at Rushey Platt and heading north for Cirencester, Cheltenham and the LMS, whose 'Midland Red' livery the M&SWJR adopted. Swindon Town railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway at Swindon in Wiltshire. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Rushey Platt railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway at Swindon in Wiltshire. Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London Education London Midland for the new (2007 railway company The London Midland and Scottish Railway ( LMS) was a British Railway company

During the second half of the 19th century Swindon New Town grew around the main line between London and Bristol. The Old Town, the original market town, merged with its newer neighbour at the bottom of the hill to become a single Swindon.

20th Century

On 1 July 1923 the GWR took over the largely single-track M&SWJR and the line northwards from Swindon Town was diverted to Swindon Junction station, leaving the Town station with only the line south to Andover and Salisbury^[9][10][11] The last passenger trains on what had been the SM&A ran on 10 September 1961, 80 years after the railway's first stretch opened. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

During the first half of the 20th century the railway works was the town's largest employer and one of the biggest in the country, employing more than 14,500 workers. The works' decline started in 1960, when it rolled out the Evening Star, the last steam engine to be built in the UK^[12] The works lost its loco building role and took on rolling stock maintenance for British Rail. British Railways Standard Class 9F number 92220 Evening Star, is a preserved British steam locomotive The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways" In the late 1970s much of the works closed, and the rest followed in 1986.

21st Century

In 2001 construction commenced on Priory Vale, the third and final instalment in Swindon's 'Northern Expansion' project, which began with Abbey Meads and continued at St Andrew's Ridge. Priory Vale is the third and final installment in the Northern Expansion of Swindon, which began with Abbey Meads and continued at St Andrew's Ridge In 2002 the New Swindon Company was formed with the remit to regenerate the town centre,^[13] reflecting Swindon's regional status.

In February 2008 The Times named Swindon as one of "The 20 best places to buy a property in Britain" ^[14]. Notably, In the list, only Warrington had a lower ratio of house prices to household income in 2007, with the average household income in Swindon being among the highest in the country. Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England.

Geography and climate

See also: List of places in Swindon

The town has a total area of approximately 40 km² (25. This is a list of areas tourist attractions and other places of interest in the English town of Swindon. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 33 mi²). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile.

Swindon has a temperate climate, with roughly equal length winters and summers. The landscape is dominated by the chalk hills of the Wiltshire Downs to the south and east.

• ( 51°33′51″N, 1°46′15″W)
• grid reference SU150850
• Nearby towns and cities: Calne, Chippenham, Wootton Bassett, Cirencester, Cricklade, Highworth, Marlborough
• Nearby villages: Aldbourne, Blunsdon, Chiseldon, Hook, Lambourn, Liddington, Lydiard Millicent, Purton, Ramsbury, Wanborough, Wroughton
• Nearby places of interest: Avebury, Barbury Castle, Crofton Pumping Station, Silbury Hill, Stonehenge, Uffington White Horse
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Swindon include - Coate Water, Great Quarry, Haydon Meadow, Okus Quarry and Old Town Railway Cutting. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude Calne is a Town in central Wiltshire, England. It is situated at the southern extreme of the county's North Wiltshire * local government district Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Wootton Bassett is a small Market town located in northern Wiltshire, UK. Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London Cricklade Cricklade is a small town in north Wiltshire in England, on the River Thames situated midway between Swindon and Cirencester. Highworth is a Market town in the Unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about six miles north-east of Marlborough ( IPA /ˈmɔːlbrə/ " Maul bruh" is a market town in the English county of Wiltshire on the Old Bath Road Aldbourne is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. Broad Blunsdon is a large village in the Borough of Swindon, England, located approximately 1 Chiseldon is a Village in the borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England, with a population of circa 3000 A small village in England between the town of Wootton Bassett and the village of Purton, just north of the M4 motorway. Lambourn is a large Village and Civil parish in the northwestern corner of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Liddington is a village in the Borough of Swindon in Wiltshire Purton is a large village in North Wiltshire with a current population of about 4000 Ramsbury is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. Wanborough is a village to the south-east of Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire in the South West England region of the UK. Avebury is the site of a large Henge and several Stone circles in the English county of Wiltshire surrounding the village of Avebury Barbury Castle is an Iron Age Hill fort situated in Wiltshire, England. Crofton Pumping Station is a Pumping station near the village of Great Bedwyn in the English county of Wiltshire: it supplies the Summit Silbury Hill is a 40-metre (130-ft high man-made chalk Mound near Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised Prehistoric Hill figure, 374 feet (110 m long cut into the turf of the upper slopes of White A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Coate Water ( is a Country park in the south-east of Swindon, near Junction 15 of the M4. Great Quarry Swindon ( is a 0994 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1951 Haydon Meadow ( is a 639 Hectare Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1999 Okus Quarry ( is a 2500 square metre Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1951 Old Town Railway Cutting Swindon ( is a 178 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1975

Government

Further information: History of government in Swindon

The local council was created in 1974 as the Borough of Thamesdown, out of Swindon Borough and Highworth Rural Councils. The history of government in Swindon has its origins in the Middle Ages It was not initially called Swindon, because the borough covers a larger area than the town and encompasses villages and land. It was eventually renamed to Borough of Swindon in 1997, however. The borough became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998, following a review by Local Government Commission for England. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002 The town is therefore no longer under the auspices of Wiltshire County Council.

The executive comprises a leader (Cllr Rod Bluh), and a cabinet made up from the Conservative Group. The makeup of the council is Conservative 43 councillors, Labour 12, Liberal Democrat 3 and 1 (previously Labour) independent. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the

Swindon is represented in the national parliament by two MPs. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Anne Snelgrove (Labour) was elected for the South Swindon seat in 2005, and Michael Wills, also Labour, has represented North Swindon since 1997. Anne Christine Snelgrove (born 7 August 1957 Wokingham, Berkshire) is the Labour Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom South Swindon is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Michael David Wills (born 20 May 1952, St Pancras) is a politician in the United Kingdom. North Swindon is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Prior to 1997, there was a single seat for Swindon, although much of what is now in Swindon was then in the Devizes seat.

Demographics

At the census of 2001 there were 180,061 people and 75,154 occupied houses in the Swindon Unitary Authority. ^[15] The average household size was 2. 38 people. The population density was 780/km² (2020. 19/mi²). 20. 96% of the population were 0-15 years old, 72. 80% 16-74, and the remaining 6. 24% were 75 years old or over. For every 100 females there were 98. 97 males. Approximately 300,000 people live within 20 minutes of Swindon town centre.

The ethnic make-up of the town was 95. 2% white, 1. 3% Indian, and 3. 5% other. 92. 4% were born in the UK, 2. 7% in the EU, and 4. 9% elsewhere.

It has been forecast that there will be a 70,000 (38. 9%) increase in Swindon's population by 2026; from the current 180,000, to 250,000. ^[16]

Swindon is considered to be an almost exact microcosm of the whole United Kingdom in its demographic make-up, to the extent that it has been used for market research purposes and trials of new products and services. One example was the ill-fated Mondex electronic money. Mondex is a Smart card Electronic cash system which was originally developed by National Westminster Bank in the United Kingdom and subsequently

Religious communities include Church of England, Catholic, Mormon, and one of the largest Sikh temples in the UK. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. More people have joined the Hare Krishna movement in Swindon than in any other English town. The Hare Krishna Mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra" is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well

In May 2007 65. 3% of households in Swindon had broadband Internet access, the highest in the UK, up 5. Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just Broadband, is high-speed Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access over a Modem 5% from June 2006. ^[17]

A 2007 report by Endsleigh Insurance concluded that the town was the second safest place to live in the UK, second only to Guildford in Surrey. Endsleigh Insurance is a Cheltenham -based UK insurance intermediary specialising in the student and graduate markets The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Guildford ( IPA /ˈgɪlfəd/ is the County town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. ^[18] This was based on the number of insurance claims made in the region and the total incidences of burglaries and accidents reported. Endsleigh commented that "Swindon is a great example of where local authorities, working hand in hand with the community, have played a key role in bringing down crime"^[18]

Polish Community

After the end of World War II a significant but unspecified number of Polish refugees were put up temporarily in barracks at Fairford RAF base about 25 km (15 miles) north of Swindon. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In about 1950, some of them settled in Scotland and others in Swindon^[19] rather than stay in the barracks or hostels they were offered. ^[20]

The 2001 UK Census found that most of the Polish-born people had stayed or returned after serving with British forces during World War II. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Swindon and Nottingham were parts of this settlement. ^[21] Data from that census showed that 566 Swindonians were Poland-born. ^[22] Notes to those data read: ‘The Polish Resettlement Act of 1947, which was designed to provide help and support to people who wished to settle here, covered about 190,000 people. . . at the time Britain did not recognise many of the professional [qualifications] gained overseas. . . [but] many did find work after the war; some went down the mines, some worked on the land or in steel works. Housing was more of a problem and many Poles were forced to live in barracks previously used for POWs. . . The first generation took pains to ensure that their children grew up with a strong sense of Polish identity. ’

In 2004, NHS planners devising services for senior citizens estimated that 5 percent of Swindon’s population were not ‘ethnically British’^[23] and most of those were culturally Polish. The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although

The town’s Polish ex-servicemen’s club, which had also run a football team for 40 years closed in 2007. Barman Jerzy Trojan, 56, blamed the decline of both club and team on the children and grandchildren of the original refugees losing their Polish identity. ^[24]

Business

Major employers include the Honda car production plant at South Marston, BMW/Mini in Stratton, mobile phone company Motorola, Dolby Labs and retailer W H Smith, with its distribution centre and headquarters. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 Motorola Inc ( is an American, multinational Fortune 100, Telecommunications company based in Schaumburg Illinois. This article is about the retail chain for people of that name see William Henry Smith. The computer company Intel has its European head office on the south side of the town and Alcatel-Lucent Technologies head office is on the west side. Alcatel-Lucent is one of the world's biggest industry players in Telecommunications that provides hardware software and services to Service Providers Enterprises and Insurance and financial services companies such as Nationwide Building Society and Zurich Financial Services, and pharmaceutical companies such as Canada's Patheon and the US-based Cardinal Health have their UK divisions headquartered in the town. Nationwide Building Society is the largest Building society in the world Zurich Financial Services Group is a major Financial services group based in Zürich, Switzerland. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Patheon Inc (commonly known as Patheon is a contract Pharmaceutical company, based in Ontario, Canada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cardinal Health Inc, is a Holding company. History Founded in 1971 as Cardinal Foods by Robert D The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Other employers include several Science Research Councils, the British Computer Society, eCommerce provider Shopatron, divisions of Tyco International, consumer goods supplier Reckitt Benckiser and a branch of Becton Dickinson. The UK Research Councils are government agencies responsible for co-ordinating and funding particular areas of research including the arts humanties all areas of science and The British Computer Society ( BCS) is a professional body that represents those working in Information Technology. Shopatron is an American ECommerce technology company based in California that provides eCommerce solutions to branded manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods products Tyco International Ltd is a highly diversified global manufacturing company incorporated in Bermuda, with United States operational headquarters in Princeton New Reckitt Benckiser plc ( is a leading British -based manufacturer of cleaning products Becton Dickinson and Company (BD ( is a medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices instrument systems and reagents

Transport

Main article: Transport in Swindon

At the junction of two Roman roads, the town has developed over the centuries, with the assistance of the GWR and the canals, into a transport hub. See also Swindon Transport in Swindon and the surroundings have directly contributed to the town's growth and the ingress of Businesses and Industries The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways It has two junctions (15 and 16) onto the M4 motorway and is on the ex-GWR main line to London. The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales.

Swindon has two bus operators - Thamesdown and Stagecoach.
The local council acknowledges the need for more car parking as part of its vision for 2010. ^[25]
Swindon is one of the locations for an innovative scheme called Car share. It was set up as a joint venture between Wiltshire County Council and a private organization which now has over 200,000 members registered. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Despite the name, however, it is a carpool or ride-sharing rather than a car share scheme, seeking to link people willing to share transport across defined routes. Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing) is the shared use of a car by the driver and one or more passengers usually This article deals with the use of shared cars for Public transport purposes

Roundabouts

The town is notable for its roundabouts and there is even a calendar featuring a different roundabout each month. A roundabout is a type of Road junction at which Traffic enters a one-way stream around a central island ^[26]

The best-known roundabout is the 'Magic Roundabout', which is actually not a roundabout but a gyratory, at the junction of five roads including Drove Road, Queens Drive and Fleming Way. The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England was constructed in 1972 and consists of one large roundabout containing five mini-roundabouts It It is near the County Ground. The County Ground is a football stadium located near the town centre of Swindon, England. The official name used to be County Islands, although it was colloquially known as the Magic Roundabout and the name was changed in the late 1990s to match its nickname. It is the subject of the song English Roundabout by local band XTC from the album English Settlement. XTC was a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005 This article is about a music album For the historical area of the United States known as the English Settlement see English Settlement (Illinois.

Tourism and recreation

Events

• The town has a healthy live music scene, venues such as The Beehive, Riff's Bar, The 12 Bar and The Victoria regularly attracting good quality local acts as well as touring national acts. The Oasis Leisure Centre and the County Ground are also used for some of the more major events. The County Ground is a football stadium located near the town centre of Swindon, England.
• The Arts Centre, located in Old Town, is a 212 seater theatre which features all types of music, professional and amateur theatre, nationally-recognised comedians, films, children's events, and one-man shows.
• The Wyvern Theatre features many events in areas such as film, comedy, and music.
• Swindon hosts many festivals throughout the year, including an annual mela in the Town Gardens, the event attracts up to 10,000 visitors each year. Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious commercial cultural ^[27]

Shopping

• The Brunel Centre and the Parade are shopping areas in the town centre, built along the site of the filled-in Wilts and Berks Canal.
• Retail parks include Greenbridge, West Swindon Shopping Centre, Stratton and the Orbital Shopping Park.
• McArthur Glen Designer Outlet is an indoor shopping mall for reduced price goods (mainly clothing), using the buildings of the disused railway engine works. The McArthur Glen Swindon Designer Outlet is Europe's largest covered designer outlet occupying restored Great Western railway works, near Swindon The Outlet is adjacent to the Steam Museum. Swindon 'Steam' Railway Museum is located at the site of the old Railway works in Swindon, England - Wiltshire 's 'railway town'
• Craft shops within Studley Grange Craft Village, inside Blooms Garden Centre, just off Junction 16 of the M4.
• Small specialist shops within BSS House in Cheney Manor Industrial Park and Basepoint Business Centre.

Green Spaces

• Public parks include Lydiard Country Park, Stanton Park, Barbury Castle, Queens Park and Coate Water. Lydiard Park is a 260 acre country park in south-west Swindon, Wiltshire UK near Junction 16 of the M4. Queens Park is a public park located near the Regent Circus area of Swindon town centre Coate Water ( is a Country park in the south-east of Swindon, near Junction 15 of the M4.
• Shaw Community Forest is being developed on the site of a former landfill site in West Swindon.

Sporting Facilities

• The town is served by two leisure centres, the Link Centre and the Oasis. The Link Centre is a leisure centre in Swindon, England. The building was designed to be as energy efficient as possible with heat generated by the ice rink refrigeration
• Broome Manor Golf Complex is a golf course set against the backdrop of the Marlborough Downs. The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is located in the English counties of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire

Other

• The National Monuments Record Centre is in Swindon, the home of English Heritage. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of

Media

Print

Swindon has a daily evening newspaper, the Swindon Advertiser, with sales of over 21,000 per week. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. The Swindon Advertiser (affectionately known by locals as 'the Adver'is a daily tabloid Newspaper, published in Swindon. Other newspapers circulating in the area include Bristol's daily Western Daily Press and the Adver's weekly, the Gazette and Herald. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The Western Daily Press is a regional newspaper covering parts of South West England, mainly Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset The Swindon Advertiser (affectionately known by locals as 'the Adver'is a daily tabloid Newspaper, published in Swindon. The Gazette and Herald is a local weekly paid-for newspaper established in 1816 There are local magazines, including the The Wiltshire Ocelot, a free listings magazine, Busy Bee Magazine, Swindon Star, Stratton Outlook, Swindon Link magazine, Frequency, an arts and cultural magazine, "The Great Swindon Magazine" and the Swindon Business News.

Another Swindon-produced title that has become very, very popular over the last year is madcap comic/magazine, Hungry Monkeys. It features an array of off-beat characters that get involved in increasingly humorous adventures. Despite the seemingly eccentric nature of the comic, all of the characters in Hungry Monkeys live in actual Swindon addresses, which is a nice twist, to say the least.

Radio

Local radio stations include GWR FM Wiltshire and Brunel FM in the commercial sector, with BBC Radio Swindon as a publicly funded alternative. For a list of all "GWR FM" stations see GWR FM (disambiguation. For the regional Classic Gold station Brunel Radio see Brunel Classic Gold Brunel FM is a UK commercial radio An AM station, Classic Gold 936/1161 exists as well, but only includes local programming in the late afternoon. For the local Swindon radio station of a similar name see Brunel FM Gold is a regional AM station in the west of England

Television

Between 1973 and June 2000 Swindon had its own cable television channel. At first it was called Swindon Viewpoint, a community television project run mainly by enthusiasts from the basement of a Radio Rentals branch on Victoria Road, and later rebranded as the more commercial Swindon's Local Channel, which included pay-per-view films. Radio Rentals was formed in 1932 to rent out radio sets It later moved into televisions and ultimately videos Swindon Cable was the UK 's first Cable television channel. It closed permanently in 2000 after 27 years of putting out a mix mostly of Parish ^[28] NTL (later Virgin Media) took over the channel's parent company, ComTel, and closed the station. Virgin Media Inc (formerly known as ntlTelewest, after a merger of NTL Incorporated with Telewest Global Inc

Regional news programmes covering Swindon include Thames Valley Tonight and The West Tonight from regional ITV1 stations and South Today (Oxford) and Points West from BBC One's regional variants. Thames Valley Tonight is a regional news programme broadcast to part of the ITV Network in the Thames Valley area of southern England. The West Tonight is the flagship news programme in the ITV West region This article deals with the ITV1 brand name as it is broadcast at present South Today is the BBC 's regional television news programme for East Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire and West

Film and TV Location

Swindon was used as a backdrop to a 1994 commercial for Benylin cough medicine. Historically Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide Adult education, particularly in technical subjects to working men Benylin is a Brand name owned by Johnson and Johnson for a range of cough cold and flu medications The advert featured a shot of Britain and then zoomed in and cut to aerial views of Swindon, stopping at a bathroom window at a house in Falconscroft, Covingham.

The long-running television series Casualty has used Swindon locations for two of its episodes. The Oasis Leisure Centre featured in the 1994 episode "Only The Lonely", and Wroughton Airfield was used to recreate a huge motorway crash in the 1997 episode "The Golden Hour". Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire in the South West England region of the UK.

In 1999 a television advertising campaign for the Honda Civic was shot in the town. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. The adverts were aired during July/August. Locations included Covingham, West Swindon, Lydiard Park, the town centre, and Lawn Junior School.

In 1999 the Motorola Building in North Swindon was used as a filming location for the James Bond film "The World is Not Enough".

Education

Swindon has 53 primary schools, 11 secondary schools and 2 purpose built sixth-form colleges. One of the secondary schools, Greendown Community School, has been awarded specialist Sports College and Maths and Computing College status. Greendown Community School is a mixed sex comprehensive Secondary school for pupils aged between 11 and 16 years Sports Colleges were introduced as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 1995 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards Two secondary schools also have an in-house sixth-form. Isambard Community School was opened in September 2007 with an intake of only Year 7 (11-12 year olds). It is situated within the mass housing development of Priory Vale.

New College and Swindon College cater for the town's further education and higher education requirements, mainly for 16-21 year olds. New College is a further and Higher education institution founded in 1983 and located in Swindon, England Swindon College is a Higher education College in Swindon, England. Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Swindon College is one of the largest FE-HE colleges in southwestern England, situated at a purpose-built campus in North Star, Swindon.

The "University of Bath in Swindon" was established in 2000, with its Oakfield Campus in Walcot, east Swindon, although the campus will soon close. The University of Bath is a Campus university located in Bath, England.

In March 2008 a proposal was put forward by the MP for Swindon South, Anne Snelgrove, for a university-level institution to be established in the town within a decade, a possible University of Swindon. Swindon is the UK's largest centre of population without its own university.

Museums and cultural institutions

• Museum of Computing Oakfield Campus, University of Bath in Swindon, Marlowe Avenue.
• National Museum of Science & Industry, Wroughton
• Railway Village Museum
• Richard Jefferies Museum is dedicated to the memory of one of England's most individual writers on nature and the countryside. Science Museum Swindon in Wroughton, near Swindon, Wiltshire, England is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire in the South West England region of the UK. Coate Water ( is a Country park in the south-east of Swindon, near Junction 15 of the M4.
• Steam Railway Museum
• Swindon Arts Centre is a theatre and cinema venue, gallery, and meeting place for arts-related activities. Swindon 'Steam' Railway Museum is located at the site of the old Railway works in Swindon, England - Wiltshire 's 'railway town'
• Wyvern Theatre is the town's principal stage venue
• Swindon Museum and Art Gallery

Sports

Football

• Swindon Town F.C. - Football team playing in Football League One at the County Ground. The County Ground is a football stadium located near the town centre of Swindon, England. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Swindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. The County Ground is a football stadium located near the town centre of Swindon, England.
• Swindon Supermarine F.C. - Football team playing in Southern League Premier Division. Swindon Supermarine FC are a football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.
• Highworth Town F.C. - Football club based in Highworth, playing in the Hellenic League

Motor Sports

• Swindon Robins - Speedway team competing in the Elite League. Highworth Town FC is a football club based in Highworth, Wiltshire, England. Highworth is a Market town in the Unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about six miles north-east of The Swindon Speedway team also known as the Swindon Robins, are an English Motorcycle Speedway team established in 1949 that competes in the The team has operated at the Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon since the middle of 1949, initially as an open licence track which took over the league place from the Hull team. Details of the Robins meetings 1949 and 1954 can be viewed on Speedway Researcher. Proposals to redevelop the Abbey Stadium are under consideration. Speedway operated at a track in the Gorse Hill area of Swindon in the early days of the sport (late 1920s/early 1930s).
• Foxhill, an internationally renowned motocross circuit is six miles south east of the town. Foxhill is a well-known motocross circuit situated near to the small village of Foxhill around six miles south east of Swindon Wiltshire England Motocross is a form of Motorcycle sport or All-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed Off road circuits The circuit has staged Grand Prix events, and has been cited as the venue for the British Motocross Grand Prix in 2008.

Other Sports

• Swindon Wildcats and Swindon Panthers - Ice hockey teams who play at the 6000 capacity Link Centre ice rink
• Swindon Flames - Roller Hockey team who train at Croft Sports Centre
• Swindon Sonics - Basketball team who compete at the Link Centre. Swindon npower Wildcats are an Ice Hockey team they were originally formed with this name in 1986 as a council-operated venture before being privatised in the early 90s The Link Centre is a leisure centre in Swindon, England. The building was designed to be as energy efficient as possible with heat generated by the ice rink refrigeration
• Swindon St George ARLFC - Amateur Rugby League Club.
• Swindon RFC - Amateur Rugby Union Club.
• Swindon Road Club - Cycling Club.
• There are gliding clubs at Sandhill Farm near Shrivenham and Aston Down airfield near Cirencester. Gliding is a Recreational activity and competitive Sport in which pilots fly un-powered aircraft known as Gliders or sailplanes Shrivenham is a large Village and Civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. The Cotswold Gliding Club (CGC is based at Aston Down airfield between Cirencester and Stroud in Gloucestershire, South West England Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London

Twin towns

Swindon is twinned with -

• Salzgitter, Germany (1975)^[29]
• Ocotal, Nicaragua (1990)^[29][30]
• Toruń, Poland (2006)^[29]
• Chattanooga, USA (2006)^[31]

Swindon in popular culture

Books set in Swindon include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, the Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fforde, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective, Sherlock Holmes, who ate lunch in the town in the short story The Boscombe Valley Mystery. Salzgitter ( is a city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ocotal is the capital of the Nueva Segovia Department in Nicaragua, Central America, located within the Municipality of Ocotal Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Toruń Lublin Voivodeship Toruń (Thorn Torń Thorunium see also other names) is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River with population Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is a 2003 Novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Mark Haddon (born on September 26, 1962 in Northampton) is a British Novelist and Poet, best known for his 2003 novel Thursday Next is the main Protagonist in a series of Comic fantasy, Alternate history Novels by the British author Jasper Fforde Jasper Fforde (born in London on 11 January, 1961) is an English Novelist. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who first appeared in Publication in 1887 "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the fourth of the twelve Fforde's Thursday Next novels feature an alternative-universe Swindon that includes a parodic "Seven Wonders of Swindon," . Fforde makes the city a character in the fiction.

Robert Goddard's Into the Blue, Out of the Sun and most recently "Never Go Back" feature the central character of Harry Barnett from Swindon, and all three novels start in the town. The TV detective series A Touch of Frost starring David Jason is often set in or around Swindon (called "Denton" in the series) and early episodes feature briefings of the detective team in front of maps of the Swindon area. A Touch of Frost is a detective Television series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV in the United Kingdom. Sir David John White OBE, known by his Stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940 is an English Actor, known

The British television comedy series The Office contains many references to Swindon, as Swindon was home to a newly absorbed part of Wernham-Hogg's Slough office after significant downsizing. Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England.

The town was referred to heavily in a 1998 episode of The Comic Strip titled "Four Men in a Car" in which Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmundson et al attempt to get to Swindon for a sales conference. The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians known for their Television series The Comic Strip Presents Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March, 1958) is an English Actor, Writer and Comedian. Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957 is an English Actor, Comedian, director and Writer and featured Mayall's frequent lament "I just want to get to Swindon".

The British television series Red Dwarf makes a reference to the town in series seven, in the episode Epideme. According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool Star, of the Main sequence, either late K " Epideme " is the seventh episode of Science fiction Comedy series Red Dwarf VII and the 43rd in the series run The character Dave Lister dies and is brought back from the dead. David "Dave" Lister (commonly referred to simply as Lister) is a Fictional character from the British Science fiction Situation Upon being asked what death was like, he replies "Have you ever been to Swindon?"

The father of The Nice Family (a caricature of a strictly disciplined, dull family) in Channel 4's "Absolutely" exclaims "By Swindon, this is an inspiring tale!" during a particularly boring presentation by a travelling salesman.

Comedian Eddie Izzard typically uses Swindon as the base of a fictitious 1960s British moon landing attempt that uses a series of ladders. Edward John "Eddie" Izzard (born February 7, 1962) is a British stand-up comedian and Dramatic Actor. In his live recording Dress to Kill, the San Francisco-based audience fails to recognise the reference and he makes light of this:

There should be a bigger laugh for that joke, I think. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

Yeah, I can't quite understand it; I thought it was really funny. Swindon, a knackered, kind of Fresno town.

They don't seem to be going for it.

They're obviously bastards.

—Eddie Izzard, Dress to Kill (1999)^[32]

Actress Diana Dors was born in Swindon in 1931

James Bond

• James Bond author Ian Fleming is buried in the Borough at Sevenhampton. Diana Dors ( October 23, 1931 &ndash May 4, 1984) was an English actress and Sex symbol. Ian Lancaster Fleming ( May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, Journalist and Second World War Sevenhampton is a small village in Wiltshire, England, to the north-east of Swindon.
• Two James Bond films have used Swindon for scenes. James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story ^[33]
  • The former Renault building in West Swindon was used in A View to a Kill (released 1985). A View To A Kill (1985 is the fourteenth Spy film of the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as the fictional ^[34]
  • The futuristic Motorola production plant in Abbey Meads was used for a setting of a Turkish Oil refinery in The World Is Not Enough (released 1999). Motorola Inc ( is an American, multinational Fortune 100, Telecommunications company based in Schaumburg Illinois. The World Is Not Enough is a 1999 film&mdashthe nineteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as

Swindon references in music

• The rock band XTC, the rock-pop group formed in 1977, are from Swindon. XTC was a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005 Also members of related act Shriekback. Shriekback is a Rock band formed in the early 1980s by Barry Andrews, formerly of XTC and League of Gentlemen (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals XTC's co-founder guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and graphic artist Andy Partridge still lives in the town. XTC was a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005 Andrew John Partridge, born 11 November 1953 in Mtarfa, Malta, and known variously as Andy Partridge, Sir John Johns
• Noel Gallagher, frontman of the rock band Oasis chose the name of his band after visiting Swindon's Oasis swimming pool and leisure centre in 1993, while working as a roadie for a band, Inspiral Carpets, which had been performing at the leisure centre. Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967 in Manchester, England is the lead guitarist backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Oasis Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Inspiral Carpets are an Indie rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1986
• Singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock's song Ride refers to Swindon. Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born March 3, 1953) is an English Singer-songwriter and guitarist
• A track on Venetian Snares' album Cavalcade of Glee and Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms is named Swindon. Venetian Snares is the main performing alias of Canadian Electronic musician Aaron Funk (born January 11, 1975) Cavalcade of Glee and Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms is a Breakcore album by Venetian Snares.
• Spinal Tap's Diva Fever refers to Swindon. Spın̈al Tap is a semi-fictional heavy metal band the subject of the 1984 Rockumentary / Mockumentary film This Is {{Unicode|Spın̈al
• Supertramp keyboard player and singer Rick Davies comes from Swindon. See also Supertramp (ecology and Alexander Supertramp Supertramp were a British Progressive rock band The sleeve art for Breakfast in America shows the band's members in an American diner reading their hometowns' newspapers, Davies is reading Swindon's Evening Advertiser (since renamed as the Swindon Advertiser). Breakfast in America is the sixth Album by the band Supertramp, released in 1979 The Swindon Advertiser (affectionately known by locals as 'the Adver'is a daily tabloid Newspaper, published in Swindon.
• Moody Blues' vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter Justin Hayward is from Swindon. The Moody Blues are an English psychedelic rock band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946, in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English Musician, best known as a He wrote their signature song Nights in White Satin. " Nights in White Satin " is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.
• Electronic music outfit Meat Beat Manifesto, were formed in Swindon in 1987. Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an Electronic music outfit originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny
• 1970s novelty act The Barron Knights released The Swindon Cowboy as the B-side of their 1980 single Never Mind the Presents. The Barron Knights is a British humorous pop group, originally formed in 1959 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire as Written after the band played a gig in town, it gently mocks the Swindon accent.
• Actress and singer Billie Piper was born in Swindon in 1982
• Metal band Eternal Lord base themselves in Swindon

Notable Swindonians

Further information: List of notable Swindonians

References

See also

• Swindon Civic Trust

Further reading

• Swindon, Mark Child, Breedon Books, 2002, hardcover, 159 pages, ISBN 1-85983-322-5
• Francis Frith's Swindon Living Memories (Photographic Memories S. The Swindon Civic Trust is a voluntary organisation and registered charity established in Swindon, England in 2001 ), Francis Frith and Brian Bridgeman, The Frith Book Company Ltd, 2003, Paperback, 96 pages, ISBN 1-85937-656-8

External links

• SwindonWeb Dedicated to Swindon
• Swindon.gov.uk Borough Council website
• BBC Wiltshire BBC site for Wiltshire & Swindon
• Swindon Link Magazine For North and West Swindon
• The Ocelot Magazine entertainment guide covering all areas of Swindon
• New Swindon Company Regeneration plans for the town centre
• Visit Swindon Tourism website
• Swindon Talk Forum
• Old Town Village The website for the Old Town community in Swindon, Wiltshire
• The Swindon Live website
• Swindon Only Job Board
• Swindon Archive Films and Historic Photos

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