"Success is based on the strength of your integrity" - Rikki Hunt

The SwindonWeb profile of Rikki Hunt makes interesting reading, especially in light of the setting up of Digital City and the wi-fi scheme late last year.

In his own words "Success is based on the strength of your integrity. Do what you say you will."

Swindon Centric Says ; According to his own words then, we have nothing to worry about. Convinced?

P.S. The addition of an advert for Digital City's 'Signal' at the very bottom of that page could be a metaphor for the marketing of the wi-fi scheme by Digital City : small, hidden and keeping as low a profile as possible.

Council Steps Up & Confirms Mechanics Work

Repair work on making the Mechanics' Institute safe has been confirmed by Swindon Borough Council.

Chances are you may have missed this news, but it's in the latest issue of Swindon News that Swindon Centric posted about yesterday (Scroll down on the link and you'll find it on the sixth page).

The work has been ordered by the council to make the building safe and money (in the form of a grant of £200,000 from English Heritage) spent will be claimed back from the owner.

Swindon Centric Says ; Will the work be carried out by Swindon Commercial Services or will the council bring in another contractor?

P.S. Swindon Centric spotted the current owner of the Mechanics' Institute, standing on the corner of Emlyn Square and London Street a few days ago, pensively listening on his phone. Seems that the time for talking is over.

Final Front Page For Swindon's 'Pravda' Paper?

The monthly, local publication that you pay Swindon Borough Council to produce, have you recently read a copy?

Central government isn't a fan of local council-produced newspapers, including our own Swindon News.

Eric Pickles (Local Government Secretary) isn't keen on "town hall Pravdas" pretending they're real, independent newspapers.

Swindon Centric hasn't received a copy of Swindon News for over a year and doubts a majority of residents know of it's existence. The current issue and previous ones are available as pdf files and provide an interesting record of what's in the council's 'to do' list, month-to-month.

Swindon Centric Says ; The name Pravdas has been applied to the Swindon Advertiser by some at Talk Swindon, it appears the name, for all different publications, is back in favour!

Leaked : Swindon's Budget Rapidly Losing Height

A letter leaked to the TalkSwindon Lamplighters Leakline has shown that Swindon Borough Council's Gavin Jones (Chief Executive Officer) is to announce a
emergency'mid year' budget in October.

Swindon Centric Says ; Swindon Borough Council, as led by the Conservatives, is seriously holed below the waterline. How long before advice to load lifeboats and leave is officially given, or will the Captain stubbornly refuse and go down with the ship?

Swindon Becomes A Rotten Borough

If someone can photoshop Tony Blair's head for that of the Swindon Borough Council leader, this cover would be spot on for our town.

The appearance of Swindon's wi-fi deal in the Rotten Borough Column of Private Eye has been acknowledged by many, but unsurprisingly, has entirely escaped the pages of the Swindon Advertiser.

It might be because the Private Eye story summarises the main points of the deal with more facts in one story than the Adver have included in the many puffy column-inches they've written since November last year.

Swindon Centric is hoping Private Eye will be keeping tabs on how the wi-fi ends and reports accordingly.

Swindon Centric Says ; With £400,000 of the £450,000 now taken by Digital City, where's our money gone and where's our wi-fi?

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 157

Click here for the original and still the best at this brilliant idea, here's our own version for Swindon's buses from last week.

10. He waved his hand and that was it.

9. I've got four more 2's to do.

8. Sublime, professional, but an arsehole.

7. When he retires he'll be saved for the nation.

6. She buys everything on the Jewellery Channel.

5. Their bananas looked manky, so I didn't get any.

4. Unmarked, at the spot, midnight.

3. He's got a face like Blofeld without makeup.

2. Don't expect mercy, it's a political decision.

And the number one overheard phrase on Swindon's buses from last week is...

1. Don't worry, I'm in charge of this Rotten Borough.

Overheard something we've missed? Then let us know.

Council Bus Bingo Service Cuts... Grab Your Dabber

901 The Copse/Groundwell Park & Ride.
12 Priory Vale Express.

54 West Swindon routing.

1 Covingham and Eldene (renamed number 2, reduced frequency)

Will the buses below soon be added to the above list of withdrawals and cutbacks of buses in Swindon?

15 23 V bus 73 74 75

Swindon's recent record on buses isn't a happy one. A combination of house builders support money coming to an end, and a £100,000 cutback in the Swindon Borough council transport budget for subsidies will see the above services severely effected.

Any resemblance to a coherent public transport policy hasn't been the case for a while now. With reelected councillors pontificating on bus cuts, but without knowledge of the industry, or the laws shaping it, knowledge is thin on the ground bus-wise in the Council. It appears the ruling party have yet to get over the very 80s and 90s habit of pandering to motorists for votes.

Swindon Centric Says ; Perhaps Swindon/Wiltshire should launch it's own Passenger Transport Executive, but fill the board with a majority of passengers (each of different demographics, students, OAPs, workers, etc), Thamesdown Transport, Stagecoach in Swindon, First Great Western and a highly knowledgeable transport officer from Swindon Borough Council. But not a councillor in sight.

PS Swindon Centric understands that Thamesdown are planning on releasing a summary leaflet of the changes soon, with the new timetable and greater details from the 1st of July, with the changes being implemented from Sunday 25th of July.

Car Compassionate Conservatives (With a Large C)

Fairness and equality were given a good kicking last week, transport-wise.

A town-centre car parking charges cut was announced (and passed), followed by transport budget cuts to several bus services.

The cherry on top of the cake is that the deal-breaker for the Union Square redevelopment deal with MUSE seems to hinge on the council spending £11 million to buy a to-be-built car park on the site, which for MUSE makes the scheme viable.

So in summary,

the council is cutting car parking charges in the town centre, to get more people in...

... at the same time cutting bus services, so those without cars can't reach said town centre or other places...

... and is being held-hostage by the only developer interested in the last-surviving town centre regeneration scheme, to operate a car park, at a cost of £11 million to Swindon Borough Council, which will take maybe a decade to recoup the money.

While the same report said the council need to reduce their car-parking capacity to save money.

Swindon Centric Says ; Maybe some enterprising council wonk will come up with an idea for Thamesdown and V Bus to park all their surplus-to-requirements vehicles in the empty car park spaces? Charging them for it, or course.

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 156

Click here for the original and still the best at this brilliant idea, here's our own version for Swindon's buses from last week.

10. There's a soul in there, somewhere.

9. Sunny, but overcast most of the day, how is that an accurate forecast?

8. This one will go entirely, whilst the 15 will be heavily cut back.

7. But if you park, the council care more about you.

6. I hope they don't cut money for the essential things, like orange stickers on taxis and fountain cleaning.

5. The best person to play Tony Hayward in a film of the disaster is Michael Sheen.

4. Google it if you want, but you'll still be wrong.

3. I could never convincingly be interested in football.

2. I'm investing in a crepemaker, I plan on using it every day.

And the number one overheard phrase on Swindon's buses from last week is...

1. Move away from the window, if you're that close you'll start licking it.

Overheard something we've missed? Then let us know.

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 155

Have you seen the view from the top?

Click here for the original and still the best at this brilliant idea, here's our own version for Swindon's buses from last week.

10. Is this real?

9. We're going to get him back.

8. There's a very small chance that I've been lying all along.

7. Prices have been slashed, along with our fiscal future.

6. The guy with the leaflets got on at the same time as last week and he really unsettles me.

5. We're having fish for dinner and no potatoes or I'll heave.

4. Tom likes poetry and is quite proud about it.

3. I will be living mainly between the two places.

2. There are themes I wish to cover and one of them is superficially erotic.

And the number one overheard phrase on Swindon's buses from last week is...

1. He sounds like he's either in a bowling alley or the kitchen.

Overheard something we've missed? Then let us know.

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 154

Clearly Thames Water's flood relief programme still had some way to go in Haydon Wick.

Click here for the original and still the best at this brilliant idea, here's our own version for Swindon's buses from last week.

10. Eyes front, Mister!

9. It's coming in exactly 11 seconds.

8. There's hurricanes, rains and sunshine heading for us.

7. He really is lost.

6. They need to save several millions, but they've just bought land for a carpark?

5. The guy needs a bite of a reality sandwich.

4. Bahrain, Singapore and Coleview are all on my list.

3. She's got no idea that I can't dance.

2. Not there, there!

And the number one overheard phrase on Swindon's buses from last week is...

1. He got a spare, which added up to several extra points at the end.

Overheard something we've missed? Then let us know.