Hidden Swindon

Subject: Hidden Swindon Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:14 pm

Fame at last!

June's wonderful Hidden Swindon blog has been picked up on by BBC Wiltshire, who are featuring it on their own website: BBC Wiltshire

June's blog is lovingly put together, and it's great to see some 'official' recognition for it. A link on the BBC website should bring an awful lot of web traffic - watch out, June!

Subject: Re: Hidden Swindon Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:17 pm

Well done June!

PeteG

Guest

Well done june. queen

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Thanks for that Steve,

I should be embarrassed but in truth I'm dead chuffed - its Swindon that can take a bow (not me). It is far more than the 'magic roundabout' and the functionally soulless town centre which are the products of the 1960s and '70s. It has hidden springs and streams plus the mystical hill in Old Town (now called the Lawns) which looks towards the Downs and evidence of human settlement dating back 5000BC has been found there. During the winter I found a dozen or so ivy covered small sarsens hidden in some shrubbery - at first I thought they were tree stumps but they are definitely sarsens (no doubt left there when a cluster of much larger sarsens were put in place). They are still there, completely hidden by summer foliage and no-one would easily find them.

I am very pleased that Swindon's new library is nearly finished. To my eyes it is a beautiful building that any town or city would be proud of.

Thanks again, I'll shut up about Swindon now.

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Wow, well done June!
It really is a lovely blog with wonderful descriptions and beautiful photos as well as being an insight into 'old' Swindon. People often forget that towns were once fields!

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Well done June...

I love your Blog..

Tony

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Thanks to everyone for your kind words. I became rather preoccupied with finding hidden little places in or around Swindon earlier in the year...... but life moves on and seems quite busy at the moment.

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Kind words my As##

You deserve the praise..

Tony

Subject: Re: Hidden Swindon Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:04 am

Since this has become the plugging thread (!) I'd like to announce that I've finally got around to putting some of my writing work on line.

Several articles, including the Wiltshire Life ones about light pollution etc, can be found at:

STEVE'S WRITING

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Hi Steve,

I am trying to avoid sounding like an over impressionable teenie (as you are the only person on the forum who has met me,* you know the 'teenie' bit is far from the case). I admire your work very much, both music and writing. It inspires! That's all I'm going to say, plus that I have saved the link to my shortcuts so I can read it more later.

*I dropped into the Avebury Open Mic with some friends a couple of weeks back. Got to see Steve play some of his own work plus he supported some of the other musicians on the piano. Very talented man.

June

Subject: Re: Hidden Swindon Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:47 am

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Nice articles..

Good reading.

Steve.......

Tony

Age : 44 Joined : 11 Apr 2008 Posts : 36 Location : Surrey

That's a lovely blog June.

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Inspired...

I went here..

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

That is a really beautiful photo Tony, St Andrew's at Wanborough. As it happens I thought of you when I was there and want to do something in more depth about Ermin Street - it still exists by that name in a part of Swindon called Stratton St Margaret which is quite near to where I work.

I found the piece of paper on which I wrote Super Zoom, The Lumix 250 and think I may take that 'step up' very soon. I can see the difference between your photo and mine.

There is lots to inspire on this forum - mainly the wonderful photos posted by Pete, yourself, Megadread, Steve, Rose (and sorry if I've left anyone out).

June
Even more inspired, John Martin (Solid Air) on CD player and a glass of chilled Pinot Grigior

Subject: Re: Hidden Swindon Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:57 pm

Joined : 12 Jul 2008 Posts : 321

I wouldn't class my pics with the others June, i just use my 2mp camera on my phone.
For me this is sufficient and i have no plans to upgrade for the simple reason i prefer my eye to a lens and my brain to a memory card.
If occasionally i do need better pics i break out my old emulsion slr for which i have a range of medium quality lenses but its a rarity nowadays. Very Happy

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Subject: Re: Hidden Swindon Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:15 pm

Tony - that's a lovely photo.

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Thank you June and Steve.

It's a HDR..

I haven't taken any HDR's for some time...

Standing there looking at the Church inspired me to give it another go..

Tony