DERELICT SUNDAY - THE CORN EXCHANGE, SWINDON

When we woke this morning the sun was streaming into our bedroom and we realised that it was going to be a beautiful day.  I am feeling much better after a few days of being “under the weather” (hence no comments), so asked Mr. HCB if he would mind taking me out before church so that I could take some photographs for Derelict Sunday.

We went up into the old part of Swindon to The Corn Exchange, more recently known as The Locarno, where sadly, over many years, this once beautiful, Grade II Listed building has been allowed to fall into disrepair.  

This now derelict building was originally The Old Town Hall, and this and the clock tower were built in the 1850s.  It was used as a corn exchange and later for roller skating, as a cinema and then in the Second World War was used as a dance hall.  Later it was used for wrestling, pop concerts and finally a Bingo Hall!  I wonder if those going through the doors paid any heed to the inscription above the door!

While we were walking around the site, which is boarded up and enclosed by hoardings, Mr. HCB noticed the inscription above what was once the main door, which he said he had never seen before :  “Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits.”  A man was interested as to why I was taking photographs, so I told him about Derelict Sunday - and he reminded us that there used to be a very good Wine Merchants at the other end, called Brown & Plummer, so he and Mr. HCB had a good chat about that and other things, whilst I carried on taking more photographs.

There have been several fires in the building over the years, and I just hope that before too much longer, it can be restored to its former glory.

“In the end, our society 
     will be defined
          not only by what 
               we create,
                    but by what 
                         we refuse to destroy.”
John Sawhill