Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 2nd October

I was the first to leap to Swindon’s defence this week as a dismissive article appeared in Tatler magazine declaring our town a ‘no-go zone’ as a result of our famous magic roundabout. To me this was quite ludicrous because the magic roundabout actually does serve its purpose well by reducing congestion. Not to mention that it got a ringing endorsement from Boris Johnson when he came to visit Swindon last year.

Needless to say that I was quick to suggest that Tatler needed to rely less on tittle tattle in their office, and instead come to visit our town to see for themselves that we are in fact a town on the up. Whilst Swindon has had its ups and downs, especially when regeneration came to a sudden halt as a result of the economic crises in 2008, we are now one of the fastest growing towns in the UK; witnessing record investment resulting in new businesses and jobs.

Even Tatler had to concede in its article that we are home to some of the finest facilities in Wiltshire, including the Oasis leisure centre, three cinema complexes and a mainline station to London. I personally would say that this is merely scratching the surface. We also have the brand new Regent Circus development, the Designer Outlet Village, award winning parks and a thriving sporting community. And there is more to come down the line with the new Kimmerfields Development, the new bus station and The Crossing – a proposed new renovated food space that will be built inside the Brunel. The reality is that Swindon is growing and benefiting from increased investment. This is something that we should all be proud of and get excited about – regardless of what is written in the glossy pages of Tatler.

On a separate note, a big congratulations is in order for North Swindon resident Max Cook, who at the young age of 12 has won the 2015 Aprilia Superteen Mini-Moto Championship at Donnington Park GP Circuit. I met with Max and his dad Adam earlier this year where they discussed their ambition to open up motorcycling through Mini-Moto as a sport for young people in Swindon and Wiltshire. Max’s success was rounded off by an invitation from Red Bull asking him to attend a Rookie selection event in Spain to take part in a chance to secure a place in the Rookies Cup which supports the Moto GP European rounds. This is a huge achievement and I know everyone will want to join me in wishing Max the best of luck for what will no doubt be a very bright future. He will certainly do Swindon proud!