Author Topic: Swindon (Read 32709 times)

rogerzilla · « **Reply #100 on:** 22 April, 2013, 09:03:53 pm »

Quote from: Dibdib on 22 April, 2013, 08:54:24 pm

I didn't even know that Liquid & Envy had shut. Good riddance IMO, the one time I got dragged there it was crap.

Before your time, but Route 66 was the worst (and the most popular). Basically a pub with baseball-hatted blokes dancing, sometimes actually on the bar, with pints in their hands. Upstairs was the ambient house/chillout area which had a few sofas. It turned into Destiny and Desire (rapidly christened Desperate and Divorced*) and then closed.

*Swindon has a tendency to give waggish names to such places; the pub by the station, now boringly called the Great Western Hotel, used to be The Flag And Whistle. Known generally as The Slag And Whistle because of the clientele, my sister met her husband in there

fuzzy · « **Reply #101 on:** 23 April, 2013, 09:14:21 am »

I had my Stag Night in the Brunel Rooms- the night before my wedding

On leave from the Army and the Friday night was the earliest all my mates could make it to Swindon to try and lead me astray.

The photo's of me outside the church before the weeding include some very bloodshot eyes......

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #102 on:** 23 April, 2013, 10:46:15 am »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 22 April, 2013, 09:03:53 pm

Before your time, but Route 66 was the worst (and the most popular). Basically a pub with baseball-hatted blokes dancing, sometimes actually on the bar, with pints in their hands.

The brother of a former cow-orker was a worthless moneyed yuppie City shit at the height of the eighties. One evening him and his equally horrible mates were downing 'poo at the rate of about a gallon a minute in some god-awful Trendy Wine Bar - celebrating their bonuses in the manner of braying pissroasts.

Barman: Oi! Caaaant! If you wanna dance on the bar then take your faaaaackin' shoes off!

Kim · « **Reply #103 on:** 11 April, 2014, 06:15:03 pm »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-26984434

hellymedic · « **Reply #104 on:** 27 June, 2014, 03:28:53 pm »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-28052826

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #105 on:** 14 April, 2015, 06:04:27 pm »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32295970

hellymedic · « **Reply #106 on:** 14 April, 2015, 06:40:37 pm »

At approximately 15.30 yesterday, I was sitting on a train that went through Swindon.
I survived.

Guy · « **Reply #107 on:** 25 February, 2016, 01:43:36 pm »

Is Swindon the fault of a half-eaten sandwich?

Quote

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-35605986
Swindon was a small agricultural holding before the arrival of Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his railway. But does the town owe its existence to the trajectory of a discarded ham sandwich?

Jaded · « **Reply #108 on:** 25 February, 2016, 01:45:19 pm »

Quote

Its name is derived from the Saxon words "swine dun" meaning pig hill, or the hill where pigs were bred

Hmmm...

hellymedic · « **Reply #109 on:** 25 February, 2016, 02:01:11 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 25 February, 2016, 01:45:19 pm

Quote
Its name is derived from the Saxon words "swine dun" meaning pig hill, or the hill where pigs were bred

Hmmm...

There are many porcine place names in Britain, from Auchtermuchty to Swinefleet to Kingswinford to Toller Porcorum...

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #110 on:** 25 February, 2016, 02:11:02 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 25 February, 2016, 01:45:19 pm

Quote
Its name is derived from the Saxon words "swine dun" meaning pig hill, or the hill where pigs were bred

Hmmm...

But yes:

"The first recognisable quasi-human settlement of which we have more than the foundations was built by refugees from the nearby city of Bath, who scavenged the midden heap which had accumulated at the site. In fact, the name Swindon is a corruption of "Swine Dun" or "Pig Hill", so named because later inhabitants, seeing the remnants of the crude buildings, believed them to be pigsties."

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #111 on:** 25 February, 2016, 02:22:03 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 25 February, 2016, 02:11:02 pm

Quote from: Jaded on 25 February, 2016, 01:45:19 pm
Quote
Its name is derived from the Saxon words "swine dun" meaning pig hill, or the hill where pigs were bred

Hmmm...

But yes:

"The first recognisable quasi-human settlement of which we have more than the foundations was built by refugees from the nearby city of Bath, who scavenged the midden heap which had accumulated at the site. In fact, the name Swindon is a corruption of "Swine Dun" or "Pig Hill", so named because later inhabitants, seeing the remnants of the crude buildings, believed them to be pigsties."

Was this during the reign of King Bladud?
http://www.kingbladudspigs.org/king-bladud.html

Zipperhead · « **Reply #112 on:** 25 February, 2016, 02:43:58 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 25 February, 2016, 01:45:19 pm

Quote
Its name is derived from the Saxon words "swine dun" meaning pig hill, or the hill where pigs were bred

Hmmm...

Perhaps it's time for some "rebranding", maybe change its name to "Cameron"

Dibdib · « **Reply #113 on:** 25 February, 2016, 03:29:24 pm »

Quote from: Zipperhead on 25 February, 2016, 02:43:58 pm

Quote from: Jaded on 25 February, 2016, 01:45:19 pm
Quote
Its name is derived from the Saxon words "swine dun" meaning pig hill, or the hill where pigs were bred

Hmmm...

Perhaps it's time for some "rebranding", maybe change its name to "Cameron"

Well we do have two incredibly spineless Tory MPs...

ElyDave · « **Reply #114 on:** 25 February, 2016, 03:41:02 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 09 January, 2011, 08:25:54 am

County Islands, later officially renamed The Magic Roundabout because that's what everyone calls it, is a roundabout where you can choose which way you'd like to go round it. Clockwise or anti-clockwise, your choice.

I learned to drive on the Magic Roundabout driving from Carterton to Windmill Hill to see my nan. Still marvel at the controlled chaos every time I go near it.

Tigerrr · « **Reply #115 on:** 26 February, 2016, 07:44:35 am »

Quote from: fuzzy (retd.) AAGE on 23 April, 2013, 09:14:21 am

I had my Stag Night in the Brunel Rooms- the night before my wedding

On leave from the Army and the Friday night was the earliest all my mates could make it to Swindon to try and lead me astray.

The photo's of me outside the church before the weeding include some very bloodshot eyes......

I mis-spent a lot of my youth in the Brunel rooms in the mid 70s, drinking snakebite, Arkells keg, and rum&pep. It had brown carpeted walls and mirrors, plus a revolving bar which was slightly jerky. They had a grab a granny night on Thursdays which was legendary, and let the hippy scruffs in on Tuesday nights. Guaranteed fighting outside, and at the burger van in the car park after, where the cars were rocking.
I got beaten up for being pakistani one night. I guess any reason is a good one, but I recall lying on the ground being kicked with the DMs, shouting that I wasn't pakistani. That sort of thing was routine though. By the early 80s the feral estate youth had taken over the 'Old Town' and the street of market town pubs there became a War Zone of flying glass and vomit on a weekend night.
I left in 76 for London and that was a good move. Peckham was peaceful in comparison.

Bledlow · « **Reply #116 on:** 26 February, 2016, 01:20:59 pm »

Brown carpeted mirrors! Amazing!

Tigerrr · « **Reply #117 on:** 26 February, 2016, 02:44:05 pm »

In the 70s carpet on the walls was very, very sophisticated. And chocolate was the colour of choice. It was an era of experimentation.

Jaded · « **Reply #118 on:** 26 February, 2016, 05:56:18 pm »

"It was an error of experimentation."

I think you mean.

Jurek · « **Reply #119 on:** 26 February, 2016, 07:05:04 pm »

Don't diss Peckham.
My happiest years were spent in Peckham, when my age, shoe size and house number were all the same.
42. Seeing as you are asking.
There's an air of syzygy about it.

Tigerrr · « **Reply #120 on:** 27 February, 2016, 07:01:53 am »

Pekham is posh these days, in bits. Unlike Swindon.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #121 on:** 27 February, 2016, 02:50:59 pm »

Peckham is only posh when compared to for e.g. Harlesden or Nunhead - the latter is so named as it's the traditional decoration placed by the Natives on the doors of their Huts.

hellymedic · « **Reply #122 on:** 27 February, 2016, 05:15:19 pm »

The former having the highest MURDER rate in the UK in 2000...

Jakob W · « **Reply #123 on:** 27 February, 2016, 07:23:07 pm »

When I first moved to Peckham (2005?), it was wise to tell late night cabbies you were going to East Dulwich (we were between there and Peckham Rye). By the time we left 6 years later it was 'Peckham Village'; these days it's wall to wall gastropubs and hipsters, with rents to match. North Peckham and Queen's Road Peckham still resist gentrification AFAIK.

hatler · « **Reply #124 on:** 28 February, 2016, 12:35:48 am »

When I moved to Peckham, we were burgled before we even moved in. Moved most of the stuff into the flat one day with the intention of moving the rest in the next and then moving in properly. The place was done on that first evening. This was a few years ago mind ('86 possibly ?)