Fascinating Films On Swindon's Recent History Online

Take a look here, at the BBC Wiltshire website for a collection of films from the mid to late eighties about the threat and later closure of the rail works in town.

The first documentary, 'Jobs On The Line' tells the story of the threat to the works that came in 1982.

The second documentary, from 1985, 'Of Coppersmiths and Kings' and takes a look at the history of the line, Brunel and the GW150 celebrations in that year.

The third documentary, 'A Job For Life?' is a retrospective of 'Coppersmiths and Kings' and tells the immediate story of the closure announcement which many felt was a badly timed stab in the back with the imminent GW150 celebrations, much of which were called off or scaled back.

The fourth documentary, 'Off The Rails', charts the aftermath of the closure in 1986, it's effect on the workers and the town.

Swindon Centric Says ; These films are a true piece of recent Swindon history, so click on the links and venture 'inside'...

PS There's a fascinating interview with a worker who says the railway treated people like 'Honda does today' with pensions and health cover. Shows how the GWR set the standard for looking after the workforce far ahead of any other industrial manufacturer.