Credit For Park Not on Perkins

Despite putting his face as that which thought of the idea for the Fleming Way park, Deputy Council Leader Councillor Perkins is wrong.

He didn't think of the idea, as Komadori has said, the idea has it's origins from former Councillor Young and was floated by the previous Chief Executive, Karen Walker of the Forward Swindon company.

Swindon Centric Says ; Perhaps if Councillor Perkins stopped taking credit for the things that weren't his idea and instead got to grips with being the Swindon People's Director on the board of Digital City (the private company set up and given £450,000 of government money to build the failed wi-fi scheme), we might all be better off.

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses ; 212

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. Security is such a joke, I actually started laughing when they told me.

9. Are you the one who's responsible for the shoes she's wearing?

8. Sarah told Carol who told Martina and then someone decided to send me a memo about it.

7. You seem to be forgetting I'm on my lunchbreak and all I've had to eat is a macadamia nut that was slightly damp.

6. They diverted it passed the shops and now I have to get the one behind and walk in the verge for 15 minutes.

5. Get someone to press your suit, it's crumpled like a newspaper.

4. No, Chase and Status isn't a 70's comedy double-act, let me explain.

3. We could just breath less and see what effect that has on Sindy, you can guess what I'm hoping.

2. Monetarily, I've never been as well off, so you can see, I'm immensely happy now.

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

1. She got all the way back, was heading home and a thing, god knows what, flew out of her jumper, it had come through customs and all.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 211

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. Take back what you owe me and we'll call it almost even.

9. It floated right over, then drifted towards the factory and started to drop down behind the trees.

8. Malcolm is slightly more inclined to make stuff up than you'd think.

7. She's had pieces shaved off her leg, some symptoms that I really don't understand.

6. Give it a try, if it doesn't work, what the hell.

5. Whatever she's sprayed on, it smells like it shouldn't have been.

4. You go left, keep on until you reach that high wall, then turn into where it says 'no entry'.

3. Never give them access, once they're in, they're in for life.

2. Have you seen his hair? It looks like whatever was killed to make it suffered in it's last moments.

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

1. He's not allowed sausage rolls anymore, he's very depressed now.

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

Honda - The Power of Dreams (And Turbines)

The decision on whether to build wind turbines at the Honda plant will be made at tonight's Planning Committee meeting.

There seem to be two main objections to the turbines, firstly the size with each being 393 feet, the second is 'shadow flicker' (not that's not a website-in-waiting that Flicker have in the event of a natural disaster!), which refers to the shadows thrown by the turbines when the sun sits behind them at a specific angle. This link explains the effect better than I can.

What none of the campaigners have said (are they aware of it?), is that Ecotricity, the company behind the plan will switch off the turbines in the event it occurs (as it says in the link).

Swindon Centric Says ; The decision is due this evening and Swindon Centric hopes it goes for Honda to be granted approval. As one person on the Swindon Advertiser comments section on this story has said "I fail to understand such opposition, Swindon biggest building (B&Q warehouse) accross the road of the proposed Windturbines site has not raised so many concerns despite the loss of an orchard, natural habitat, green field and increased HGV traffic (noise, pollution).", NIMBYism seems to have gone part-time!

... This just in...

The Council have decided to defer the decision after too many people turned up at the meeting for them to be able to fit them in the room. It would appear everything about this project is on a big scale. Details from the Swindon Advertiser here.

There Was Once A Man Who Climbed Aboard The Bus...

A piece of culture-jamming, with a rogue piece of poetry masquerading as an official Poem on the Underground. Spotted on a Bakerloo Line service in 2003.


Swindon Centric would like to make all our loyal readers (and those disloyal cads that have stumbled on the blog!) aware of the Domestic Cherry team, a poetry collective with more verses than a church hymn book.

Swindon Centric Says ; As has been said before, far from being a cultural desert, for a town of our size, we punch several times above our weight, with cultural quantities more akin to an oasis.

Down At The Bottom Of The Garden

The excellent blog by Swindon Advertiser columnist Graham Carter has a habit of throwing up true Swindon gems and this latest post is no exception.

A case of a well, whisky and water.

Swindon Centric Says ; I couldn't have resisted trying it too Graham!

New Blogger, New Politics, New Swindon

Thanks to the efforts of TalkSwindon, Swindon has a busy, feisty, and wide-ranging platform for political and current affairs debate.

A new blogger has emerged on the Borough scene, former Swindon South Labour MP Anne Snelgrove has a new blog on all things politics and town, hitting the ground running with a statistical post about Job Seeker's Allowance and GCSE results that's generated a lot of feedback.

Swindon Centric Says ; Councillor Steve Wakefield wrote here, "... who knows politics may go viral in Swindon?" It would be great if it did, but one thing's for certain, political debate and analysis in Swindon went viral nearly 18 months ago.

And it's tipping point? Wi-fi. Strange to think how a huge political stumble has been the making of grassroots democracy in Swindon.

That's one thing the wi-fi has achieved.

4 into 1 Does Go In Swindon's Roundabout Changes

What it use to look like in 1956.

The end of the 4 day public exhibition at the Oasis on the first part of the Great Western Way Highway Improvements for the Bruce Street Bridges junction has seen the information now available online.

The first option has the four roundabouts replaced with a main one, but with full-time signalisation (such a great nerdy word!) of the entire junction, but with an anti-clockwise section of the southern side.

The second option is a bigger roundabout replacing the current four and part-time signalisation (got it in again!) of parts of three of the junctions.

The second option is similar to the Bridgemead roundabout set up further along Great Western Way and appears to be the best option, in Swindon Centric's opinion. This plan would lead to Bruce Street residents having to double-back when coming out of their street, but they would gain more space that wouldn't be a main road (including a footpath and greenery) between the northern end of their street and roundabout. The other issue would be pedestrian access across the junction, no great detail is gone into, but sites for pedestrian crossings are identified. Perhaps if enough feedback is given, Swindon Borough Council will consider a footbridge for the western junction area to link the north and south of the area.

Swindon Centric Says ; Swindonian's love roundabouts and we love them even more with reduced traffic lights! Go for design two, but voice all your concerns about the design, give your views by clicking here.

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 210

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. It's time you had your party frock on and not your overall.

9. With heels like that, I'm not surprised you've got a look like that on your face.

8. Never have I met such a cheeky monkey.

7. I'm not getting off there, these jeans wouldn't be welcome south of the dual carriageway.

6. Whatever happened to that Katy in the houseware department?

5. The impression is given of being somewhere else, but not here.

4. I got a second wind and I'm well away, you can sleep when you're dead.

3. Get your leg back over there, go on.

2. There's going to be music, fireworks and a stall selling muffins of amazing size, oh yeah.

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

1. It's a slippery slope, it starts with eating fast food and ends with watching ITV 2.

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

Big Bus Push for Big Arts Day

The link between art and public transport is well known and Swindon will be practicing just that on Saturday, with a dedicated bus service for the Big Arts Day.

Swindon Borough-owned Thamesdown Transport will be running a special service, the 1X every 20 minutes from Fleming Way to Lydiard Park from 12pm until 3pm and from 4.40pm until 7.40pm.

Return services will depart Wilmot Close (just outside the Tregoze Way entrance to Lydiard Park) from 12.14pm until 15.14pm and from 4.54pm until 7.54pm.

There's also Thamesdown's regularly scheduled no. 1 and 1A that runs to Grange Park and along Tregoze Way.

Swindon Centric Says ; A bus and art mega day in a leafy part of town, what more does one need?

Wi-Failed : Another Wi-Fi Announcement About Another Announcement

Another week, another announcement of 'jam soon' from Swindon's pathetic wi-fi dalliance.

Yeah, usual thing 'money will come within days', or 'maybe soon', big shiny investor we won't name, jam tomorrow, JAM TOMORROW!

Swindon Centric Says ; Huge hat-tip to the Swindon Advertiser for showing it's respect for this 'news' by burying it on page 25 of today's edition, exactly where it deserves to be!

Former MP Anne Starts The Walk To 2015

Predictions of cracks in the coalition have been doing the rounds since last May and the long-look forward to the next general election has already started.

As reported in the Swindon Advertiser, the former MP for Swindon South, Anne Snelgrove, is in the selection process for the Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency.

Swindon Centric Says ; Anne and Robert, it'll be a contest worth watching!

Bus Service Quick Two-Way Win

With the main work on the Mechanics' Institute now over, the traffic changes, namely the diverting of the buses can now be easily tweaked to improve services.

The current situation sees all town-bound services use the Church Place and Bristol Street route, with all outbound heading along Faringdon Road and Park Lane, due to the narrowing of the roadway with the scaffolding erected at the North end of the Mechanics'.

There's no reason a two-way bus gate, as can be found at the North-Eastern corner of Faringdon Road park on Church Place, couldn't be installed at the corner of Bristol Street and Emlyn Square. The addition of a mirror attached to the wall on London Street could help to improve visibility.

Swindon Centric Says ; How about it Thamesdown, Stagecoach and Swindon Borough Council? A quick bus-win?

Thamesdown Takes More Smart Ticket Steps

The charge towards smartcard ticketing for public transport is being led in Swindon by Thamesdown Transport after the operator decided to move it's concessionary travel scheme onto smartcards.

Thamesdown is going to make the concessionary travel scheme readable by it's new ticketing system in the same way it's network card works.

Swindon Centric Says ; The inter-operability aspect is key, as Thamesdown's MD, Paul Jenkins says, now when are Stagecoach Swindon going to start issuing smartcards?

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 209

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. She appears shorter in person, which is quite an achievement at the grand height of 4 ft 2.

9. Excuse me Madam.

8. It's been reported to us that all the stripy ones have gone, that man's not going to be happy.

7. There was me thinking she was a vegetarian, simply because always saw her at lunch with a mung-bean salad.

6. He was impeccably well dressed and seemed terribly polite.

5. There's only a select number of buses on which sitting with an ipad, reading the news wouldn't result in it being nicked, this is not one of those buses, put it away.

4. I go all the way there, can't find what I'm looking for, end up spending all afternoon drinking tea and have had a great time.

3. Try and look at it from my point of view, he's about as attractive to me as a cheating husband who got rejected from Jeremy Kyle for not being enough of a cad.

2. Sandra said to me that if Mark did it again, she'd rip our the Sky dish and put it in a charity sack.

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

1. We're planning on running medical tests on you to see if your ability to function on little to no sleep can be harnessed as a renewable energy source for the nation.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week (The New Backlog) ; 208

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. I make it my business to know everyone's business, it's a great business.

9. It's all rocking on the top deck.

8. The air conditioning gave up about Covingham.

7. All the stuff's from Ikea, including the pasta.

6. Well lamb is in season right now, not that the chef would know what that means.

5. I'm just not attracted to her, and there was me thinking I was.

4. You add it to vodka, it's a mixer, I'll give you the full recipe when we get there.

3. He's given up working as an accountant, now gardens for people, really smart thing to do.

2. Those shoes aren't new, I just cleaned them.

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

1. I would offer to take her to bingo, but I'm not convinced she can count higher than her age.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last (Last) Week (The New Backlog) ; 207

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. Stop asking questions, all will become clear.

9. I need to go and see him, I really don't want to unless I'm drunk.

8. They're planning on reducing the planning department by 20 percent, considering their are only 2 people working in it, is going to be interesting.

7. There's a suspect that they've mentioned, but I can't say it was Mark.

6. Banter is the one thing that keeps our school going, that and the fun you can have annoying the neighbours.

5. Trevor suggested I talk to HR, but that woman is so unsociable.

4. Playing football isn't as fun as I remember it being, rather like wearing shorts or not getting enough sleep on a school night.

3. Turn left and go through the 'no entry' sign, don't question it.

2. I haven't seen you for ages, did your stop swelling up then?

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

1. They have a 2 for 1 on handbags and I haven't bought any since last week's crisis shop.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last Week ; 206

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 sat in the corner, made conversation with a few people he didn't know, and avoided eye contact.

9. There's not enough forgiveness in the entire world to make me be reasonable to him again.

8. The framework document's been published and no bugger's going to read it.

7. Guidance will be sought, but they won't go with it, it's a political decision.

6. Stop thinking everyone thinks you're cool, newsflash, they don't.

5. Move your foot and let that woman sit down, consideration is needed when it comes to your attitude to others.

4. I'm going to Wimbledon to watch all the rather odd people who go, don't care about the tennis.

3. They sit with their bags on the seats, then grumble when people ask to sit down, and they're not paying!

2. As we passed the stop he was stood holding his side and laughing into his iphone.

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

1. Keep it covered, don't scratch it and when we get off, keep turned the left, I don't want those pensioners seeing it.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last (Last) Week ; 205

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. Don't shout that loudly, my head will shatter.

9. He stumbled into the wheelie bin at 2.45, don't know where he is now.

8. All the trees have gone, now they're filling it in.

7. There's that creepy guy, it's my aim to creep him out.

6. He went all the way there and came back and didn't tell anybody until a week later.

5. Have you rebooted the machine for a 5th time? That usually works.

4. It was so quiet I could hear her breathing next door.

3. I'm thinking of a salad for lunch, smoothie, followed by a massive 'these are what you've been saving the calories for' desert.

2. He started to clear out his drawer, it's taken him 3 days so far.

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

1. He fell asleep in a chair and had a face like thunder when I left, looked like he had it pressed against a piece of glass.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last (Last, Last) Week ; 204

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. It's as if the guy is taking an evening class in how to act weird.

9. Excuse me Sir, have you seen my goldfish?

8. Oh, lucky!

7. I think it was a particularly poor shower.

6. Seems vibrant enough, but I bet I'm the only one who thinks so.

5. Just because I've got good shoes on, it doesn't mean I'm in charge.

4. Grab what little style you have and we'll see what we can do.

3. I deleted his number, blocked him off facebook, the lot.

2. Apparently, all the kicks are pumped up, it's what I heard.

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

1. What did you put in that punch, it tasted of butterscotch and shoes?

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last (Last, Last, Last) Week ; 203

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. It's what I spend my life doing, filing.

9. I think she's finally realised she's more useless than a LibDem in a cabinet position.

8. I can do exciting things, I'm sat on the backseat, see.

7. Sarah always gets cucumbers and courgettes mixed up, rather awkward when she served the Pimms.

6. There's no excuse for that type of denim, or that shape of legs.

5. Look to your left and you'll see exactly what I mean.

4. I don't use roll-ons any more, the aerosol is where it's at antiperspirant wise.

3. I put my key safely in my purse pocket, but now where did I put my purse?

2. Tony hear it from Keith, who then spread it around the corner office and that's where I heard it and put it in an email.

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

1. It's not believable when the chat in confidence is conducted between the photocopier and the main reception room.

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

Top Ten Things Heard On Swindon's Buses Last (Last, Last, Last, Last) Week ; 202

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. I need a doctor, but not him.

9. I gave him that money last week, he's losing it.

8. It was well rad.

7. Did you not think the blue one fitted better than the one with the spots?

6. It'll take patience, know what that is?

5. Wish I could play the trombone, I'd love a big trombone.

4. They're going to move it to the left, so less people will know where it is.

3. A car couldn't get through here, but he's gonna try.

2. Did you have the pasty of the melt?

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

1. I want him to take me dancing, but he won't, I know.

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