Just over 50 years ago (1967). There were no restaurants in Old Town (there were a few cafés and snack bars), 30% of the buildings were houses. No empty units compared to 5% empty today (one empty space where Queen Victoria House was about to be built).

Typographic map of The Lawns, Old Town, Swindon. 50 x 70cm.

Created as a piece of art, a ‘snap shot’ of Old Town as it is today. Also see the map of the town centre (today) and how it was in 1968. Both Old Town and the town centre’s largest category  is places to eat and takeaways, with trades and services (including estate agents, marketing, plumbers and solictors) the second biggest category. Just under 5% of the shops are empty (compared to 14% in the town centre).

A copy is on display at The Core, Devizes Road where you can also buy a copy.

Signed prints, 90cm x 60cm, on good quality 180gsm paper, £28.
Available for sale at The Library Shop, Regent Circus. Copies can also be viewed at the Library’s Local Studies department.

Custom versions are possible! Email [email protected] or call Swindon 420938 for a chat.

This is Swindon Town Centre, 50 years ago, in January 1968. A quarter of the town centre then was houses (none today). There were lots of ‘home care’ shops, such as DIY, carpets, furniture and drapery, in 1968 – most of these are now on out-of-town shopping centres. 50 years ago there were far more shoe shops and ‘clothing care’ shops (dry cleaners, sewing machines, knitting etc), but only one charity shop (The Lions), and far fewer salons. Have a look at the previous post that shows the town centre today…

Signed prints, 90cm x 60cm, on good quality 180gsm paper are available for £28 at The Library Shop, Regent Circus, Swindon. There is a copy of this map in the Library’s Local Studies department if you’d like to take a closer look. I’ve given a copy to Swindon Alzheimers Society which they’re going to use at their memory talks.

Email [email protected] or call Swindon 420938 to order, or ask questions

Created as a piece of art, a ‘snap shot’ of the town centre today. The internet and out-of-town shopping centres have massively affected traditional shopping centres. The largest two categories of businesses are places to eat and takeaways (10%), then ‘beautification’ (hairdressers, barbers, nail salons and tattoo parlours) at 7%. Sadly 14% of shops are empty. Interesting to see how much shopping has changed in 50 years – see the next post of the same area in 1968. There is also a similar map of Swindon’s Old Town (and I will do a 1968 comparison once I get hold of the reference material!).

Signed prints, 90cm x 60cm, on good quality 180gsm paper are available for £28 at The Library Shop, Regent Circus, Swindon. There is a copy of this map in the Library’s Local Studies department if you’d like to take a closer look. I’ve given a copy to Swindon Alzheimers Society which they’re going to use at their memory talks.

Email [email protected] or call Swindon 420938 to order, or ask questions

Part of the Weird Wiltshire exhibition at Richard Jeffries Museum, Swindon. 1-29 April 2017

The man, he killed the dog’s master
So the hound was bound to kill he,
This ended in disaster –
In the end, the dead were three.
For the maid, for whom the duel was fought,
Killed herself – heart broken, lonely and distraught.

The dog, it’s said, lives on still
Around the wood and on the hill.
Glimpse it now and you should fear,
For you’ll be dead within the year.

Black Dog Hill and Black Dog Wood
51.2376ºN, 2.2539ºW

old, wise, rescue dog