New House.

A Memory of Swindon.

My parents and I moved to Swindon in 1961 from Edmonton, London to a brand new three bedroom house ( think). My father worked at Pressed Steel were they made car body panels for Austin, and Morris, and I used to cycle halfway to the factory to meet him from work. I can well remember the bad winter of 1962/63, with snow till March. My mother was stuck in Princess Margarets Hospital, ( I think it was), having given birth to my sister on Janiuary 6th 1963. We lived in Welcombe Avenue, and the mobile shop that was in an old coach, used to drive slowly down the road once or twice a week, and my mother used to get groceries from it. I can still remember the smell in the coach.
I attended Park North Junior School, I think two teachers names were Mr Vivash, and a Mr Money. I did hear that Mr Vivashes son also taught at the school later on. I also recall a school day trip to a Prinknash Abbey?.

Walcot shopping center off of Whitbourne avenue is another recollection. At the lower end of Welcombe Avenue was just fields,
I can recall attending the Fire Station Christmas Party, as our neighbour was a Fireman. The GWR workshops were still functioning but I think at the time steam was giving way to Diesel and electric traction, and as I recall some of the steam locos were being broken up there. The diving board at Coate Water is another memory still very clear in my memory, although I never saw it used.
Unfortunately we moved back to London for reasons unknown to me, in !967, using a removal company named Mascalls Bros I believe.
A very pleasant six years in Swindon, with open spaces and grass front lawns.
Happy memories.

Graham Morland. 68 yrs.