MONO MONDAY - LANDMARK

We do have quite a few “Landmarks” in Swindon - the David Murray John Tower, a very tall building named after a  local politician who brought many small industries to the town after World War II; Christ Church, which is the Parish Church of the town, set on a hill and the old College Building, where I learned my secretarial skills many years ago, which has now been turned into residential accommodation, to name a few.  

We also have one of the most famous roundabouts, known as "The Magic Roundabout", consisting of five mini roundabouts around a sixth central, counter-clockwise one, which has confused many a driver, and which, after I had passed my driving test, I drove miles out of my way to avoid and I don’t think I am the only one!

However, I chose not to photograph any of these and instead, we paid a visit to our local library, known as the Central Library, which has been housed in this new building at the top of the road leading to the town centre, since 2008, cost £10 million to build and has been a welcome addition to the town.  It has three floors of books - over 77,000 of them in all - together with about 60 free-to-use computers with internet access, which are all well used, or were until the pandemic hit - and it was worth waiting for!  

The library has an amazing Local Studies department where the staff are very knowledgeable about our town, and after I did my Street Challenge on Blip, I also recorded it for local radio and interviewed the man in charge, Darryl Moody, who was very helpful. If you would like to hear this recording, then you can do so by clicking on this link.  I was a bit nervous as this was my first proper interview!

Prior to that, from 1949 until this new “state-of-the art” building was opened in October 2008, the library was housed in “temporary” portacabins on the same site, so it was a real boost for the town when it was built.  It used to have a visitor information centre, but I’m not sure this is still open at the moment, since the various lockdowns, but it has a well stocked gift shop, with many local books on sale, as well as other goodies, so we took the opportunity, during our visit, to buy a gift for a friend whose birthday is very soon. 

It didn’t take us long to find another seven books to add to the ones we still have at home;  going back into the library has re-ignited our passion for reading, so I doubt it will take us long to get through these.

When we left the library, I walked over to what used to be a vibrant, regenerated part of the town, after the concrete monstrosity, which was an extension to the college building was demolished a few years ago.  This, sadly, has suffered during the recent pandemic, with many places, including a large Morrison’s store closing, but hopefully, now restrictions have lifted, more restaurants will open and people will soon come back.

As I looked over at the library building, with the iconic clock tower of the Town Hall Clock behind it, I hoped that more people would come back to use it, because it would be shame to see something like this going to waste.  Hopefully, once we are all feeling better about meeting people, we will also want to go back to using our libraries and going out to eat.

It was only when I got home and view the shots on my computer, that I noticed the Swindon Borough Council van going past, which had written on its side, “Be the Change”.  I looked this up and although it is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, it appears he did not actually say it these particular words, but said this:

“We but mirror the world. 
All the tendencies present in the outer world 
are to be found in the world of our body.
If we could change ourselves, 
the tendencies in the world would also change. 
As a man changes his own nature, 
so does the attitude of the world change towards him. 
This is the divine mystery supreme. 
A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. 
We need not wait to see what others do.”
Mahatma Gandhi