• There are more people in the 35-39 year bracket than in any other. Is that because of a baby boom in 1961? 
• The population in 2001 was 180,051

I anticipate that these figures will be substantially different in the 2011 census due to house building and immigration factors. 

15/10/08 Dear Residents

I am writing to provide you with an update on the work in Haydon Wick to alleviate foul water flooding. Our contractors J Murphy and Sons Ltd in conjunction with Onsite Services Ltd have completed the majority of first phase of work to the damaged sections of existing sewer and are currently carrying out the reinstatement work to the areas where they have been working. One outstanding local sewer improvement in Blunsdon Road is planned to be completed in the next couple of months.

 [Test Borehole Drilling at Manor Farm Public House]

Our Contractors, 365es are nearing the completion of their work to carry out Closed Circuit Television surveys and cleaning of the foul and surface water sewers in the area, this has identified subsequent remedial work which is planned to be undertaken in October and November.

Improvement works inside Haydon End Pumping Station have started and will complete in October and November 2008.

Ground investigations and trial hole work is proceeding which, once complete, will help us to determine the type of ground conditions we will be working in, once we come to lay the new Foul and Surface water sewers. We expect this work to be completed in November 2008. This will allow the detailed design to be completed, following which we hope to be able to start construction on laying the new sewers in the spring of 2009 with completion by March 2010 as planned.

The proposals include upsizing the surface water sewers in Hamble Road and the High Street, upsizing the foul sewers in the High Street. Thames Avenue and Blunsdon Road with a new sewer to be constructed to the trunk sewer in Lady Lane, upsizing the foul sewer between Thames Avenue and Deben Crescent and re-commissioning the pumping station in Deben Crescent.

The proposals have been discussed with Swindon BC and Haydon Wick PC  and a further public drop in session is planned for December 2008.

Kinds Regards

Peter M Taylor

Project Manager

Waste Water Thames Valley

[The corn, not yet harvested, off Tadpole Lane]

Just a short walk across the Thamesdown Drive at Junction 9, lies Clifford Meadow. As the sign says, this meadow has never been ploughed or fertilised so is has become rich in rare species. Although there is no right ...

... of access across the meadow, there are paths around it. Firefox users can right click on the picture below to view a larger copy.

 Swindon Garden Show, at Stanton Park, in aid of Age Concern, 10am Friday Sept 5th to 4:30pm Sunday 7th.

relocate 15,000 newts at Orton brick pits, near Peterborough, in 1996. (none of the newts surviving the move.)

[Fishing in Moulden Hill Lake] 

Apparently there are a number of issues that complicated the situation, such as the hard core left by Kings Oak, when they removed their Temporary Site Offices and a lack of areas to store top soil  as developers finished sites.

In the background of this picture, is the tidy area that Miller Homes has maintained, in stark contrast to the 'tip'. 

From the Westmill Farm web site:

 "Westmill will be the first wind farm in the South East of England and the first 100% community owned scheme in the UK from commissioning. The scheme will produce pollution-free electricity for over 2,500 average homes and will save the emisson of carbon dioxide.

It will comprise five turbines, 81m to tip,

erected in a straight line across the old airfield, near Watchfield, South Oxfordshire.

The wind farm will consist of five towers 49 metres high, topped by a nacelle containing the generator, gearbox and other operating equipment. Each generator will be driven by a three-bladed propeller, with each blade measuring 31 metres."

 [Photo - looking towards the wind turbines on saturday]

  [Photo - Hugging a turbine]