Swindon’s role as a centre of innovation was highlighted at a Hooty Party hosted by law firm Thrings as part of its sponsorship of the town’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
The event, at the STEAM museum, brought together members of Swindon’s business community to hear more about the celebrations and to gain an insight into how the former railway town helped shaped not just rail travel but was the reputed birthplace of the NHS and free public libraries.
Guest speaker Swindon-based branding and marketing expert Paul Gentleman – who is working with the Swindon 175 team – gave a brief history of innovation in the town from the moment engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his superintendent of locomotives Daniel Gooch decided to site the Great Western Railway’s works on open countryside near the sleepy market town.
Within a few decades the works were employing thousands of people producing world-leading locomotives. But Swindon’s innovation did not begin and end with the railways – important as that was, said Mr Gentleman.
Its engineering prowess included Garrard – which produced what were viewed as the world’s best record players after setting up in Swindon in 1915 – and later car body manufacturer Pressed Steel, which turned the ignition on the town’s thriving car industry.
But Swindon also produced aircraft – including Spitfires in World War Two – and after the war had a key role to play in the formation of the National Health Service when Labour health minister Aneurin Bevan visited the GWR Medical Fund and decided to use it as the model for the NHS.
“So you see the NHS was really born in Swindon, along with the first lending library in the world,” said Mr Gentleman.
The closure of its rail works in 1986 would have been the death knell for many towns, he said. But Swindon had already started to reinvent itself as a centre for technology and financial services while remaining an important centre for the rail industry.
The Hooty Party took its name from the iconic Swindon Works hooter that sounded over the town at the start of the working day but fell silent when the works closed.
Pictured below: Thrings partner John Davies at STEAM
Pictured below: Louise Rhoades of Banks Accountants; Liz Ledger of Total Guide To; Sara Tye, redheadpr and Caroline Black of Swindon 175
Pictured below: Paul Gentleman speaks about Swindon’s innovation at the Hooty Party
Pictured below: Thrings’ John Davies welcomes guests to the event
Pictured below: Jeremy Sutton of Keningtons and Richard Sollis of Santander
Pictured below: Neil Elsden of Banks Accountants, Scott Robins of Thrings and Chris Lennon of Lockton
Pictured below: Nick Cleverley and Connor Lee of Hannick Homes; Nigel Henham of Thames Architecture and Robert Hart from Persimmon Homes
