Unambition Unworthy of Brunel

The objections by the owners of the Brunel Centre to the Oasis redevelopment plan (and also the plans for Cribs Causeway) smack of someone in a boat that's slowly sinking blaming everyone round them for the seaworthiness of the craft they're bobbing about in.

The Brunel don't like the Oasis plan because it will include retail space which they feel will unfairly compete with the Brunel. The Oasis plan says that retail would be related to the sports activities, so you can bet one of them, at least, will be a shop selling snowboards. Not exactly something the Brunel has cornered the market in, or ever will or would want to.

It also complains about the empty units in the town centre and the lack of demand for them. It claims this would be made worse by the Oasis plan, yet the Brunel has figured out how to deal with it's long-term empty units as it's about to turn a large number into a food court, which it seems confident of letting. Also getting in on the leisure game, the Brunel has applied to turn units that have never been let since the Brunel Arcade was refurbished in the 1990s, into a gym.

The Brunel deserve strong praise for the number of events and higher-profile branding they've committed to in the last few years, this has brought more people in and shows that when an organisations spends the time and money, they can get things right.

So why whinge and moan about the Oasis and Cribs Causeway? Take a bit of spirit from the statue you're about to turn around of the engineer and make yourself the destination. Complaining about other developments makes it seem like you've left your ambition in an empty shop unit.

Give us a Brunel that can compete and see the crowds flock in*

*That goes for you too Forward Swindon. Raise your game, and while you're at it, your website doesn't seem to have been updated since June, hardly a vibrant shop window for a vibrant town is it?

Swindon Gives Away The Crown Jewels

Is giving a private company Swindon's Oasis Leisure Centre, in return for it's refurbishment and substantial expansion the only option, or an austerity-cloaked privatisation?

The plan for a Snowdome at the Oasis North Star area is not new and the fact it's reached this far is great news. But is the part of the deal that the company concerned, Morai Capital Investments, will be allowed to build this leisure addition, in return for full modernisation of the Oasis, too high a price to pay?

And the Swindon Card you may own? That won't be usable at the Oasis any more.

In the same way that the street light switch-off was spun that it would save us substantial amounts of money in the long-term, what the real story consists of, is our local authority getting out of having to worry about the town's infrastructure. The 'saving' councillors talked about concerning the lights was actually the cost of replacing the lights, as the areas in question included street lights which were rapidly approaching the end of their working lives. The spin about the lights being in areas 'it wasn't thought they would be much needed', or the environmental benefits, was just that, spin.

A 'get-it-off-our-books-as-quickly-as-you-can' attitude.

Swindon Centric Says ; Were the options of direct capital investment from Swindon Borough Council even looked at? Did the council even research taking out loans to modernise the town's assets? If they did, are these documents available for us to see please?

Time for a Freedom of Information Request maybe?

Doctor Who Thought Responsible For Oasis Gig Problems

Problems at last night's Oasis concert of famed Scottish singer Paolo Nutini have been traced back to having a Doctor Who connection.

Following the Saturday report from Swindon Centric about the Doctor parking and disguising the TARDIS as the Oasis sports hall long term, it seems the TARDIS has had it's biggest effect on the town to date.

Some concertgoers alleged Paolo had one too many drinks and gave a less than good performance on Sunday. Many left in droves before the show ended. The actual poor quality singing was due to the Doctor having the TARDIS's anti-molecular rectifier filter switched to 'very high/stun' as he battled a especially subborn clan of The Ood who had invaded a chip shop in Nine Elms.

'' If I'd known we'd be seeing a below average quality concert in the midst of an intergalactic alien battle, on my weekend off, well. I should have taken my girlfriend to see McFly. At least its easier to deal with the flying knickers than flying laser beams from aliens wrecking the town.'' That comment from Steven Jones (no relation to Martha Jones), 24 of Peatmoor.

When contacted Doctor Who refused to comment on ongoing intergalactic operations, but did say for equality he prefers the term 'extraterrestrial' rather than 'alien'.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; When the doctor regenerates, do you reckon he'll put 'some new shoes on'? We love our puns!

TARDIS - Time And Relative Dimension In Swindon

As teenagers all over Swindon recover from last night's McFly concert at the Oasis Leisure Centre in the town, Swindon Centric can break a story that's been overlooked in the last few months.

Big names have been appearing at the Oasis recently, with gigs happening in the sports hall, which though big, is not where you'd expect big music acts to play in a town of this size.

Despite having a capacity of 3453 for a concert, Swindon Centric has had a secretly taken video by a Swindon Borough Council employee posted anonymously to us. The video shows the outside of the hall, then taken in through the fire exit, the interior appears huge in comparison, as big as an average sized arena, easily accomodating 11,000 people.

We've had the tape independently checked by experts who assure us it's genuine and has not been tampered with. '' It's not possible to do this type of large scale illusion through the use of misdirection and mirrors. Try hiding the Oasis up your sleeve, I have and it's not easy, so I see no way for this to be conventionally explained.'' That quote from Swindon's most famous magician, Jacob Uphissleeve-Roberts.

Rumours have been flying round Swindon of fleeting glimpses of Doctor Who, indeed, one late night reveller will swear he saw a Cyberman waiting for a taxi on Fleming Way last night. Overhearing him getting into the cab, the Cyberman asked to go to Okus Road.

Self-appointed experts say it's possible the TARDIS has been cloaked with a device to disguise it as something more 'Swindon' than a police callbox. The sports hall may be the TARDIS, but you didn't hear that from Swindon Centric.

Swindon Centric Says ; Words on the street is that '' its bigger on the inside than on the outside'' is this week's most popular chat up line on Bridge Street. David Tennant has a lot to answer for.