New book to show Swindon life throughout 20th Century

A book showcasing the life and history of an ‘ordinary’ Swindon family throughout the 20th Century is set to be launched next Tuesday (27 March).

As part of a year-long Heritage Lottery Fund project, Swindon Borough Council’s Local Studies team have been working closely with the Swindon Heritage magazine and Mike Attwell and his family, who donated more than 7,000 documents and photographs relating to his Swindon family.

The items provide a remarkable record of the everyday life of Mike’s grandfather, Jack Dixon, who lived in Swindon from 1899 to 1984, allowing the project to document an “ordinary” Swindon family in an unprecedented way. 

Many topics are touched on throughout the book, including the Great Western Railway and British Rail, Swindon Town Football Club, the First and Second World Wars and much more.

Throughout the project, Mike has given a series of talks and next Tuesday will be the final instalment, providing an overview of the project.

This will be combined with the launch of the book, which will also be donated to many schools and residential care homes across Swindon.

The talk will take place in the Reading Room on Floor 2 of the Swindon Central Library, at 7:15pm on Tuesday 27 March. Tickets will cost £2 for library members, £3 for non-members and entry will be free to those who have pre-ordered the book.

To book or to find out more information, please email localstudies@swindon.gov.uk or visit the Central Library.

The book, “A Swindon Time Capsule: Working Class Life 1899-1984”, will be available to purchase from the Central Library from next Wednesday (28 March).