A SWIMMING teacher has plunged in to help people struggling during the Covid pandemic. Lesley Neal, from Cheney Manor has been using her spare time to buy Christmas presents for vulnerable children and joined volunteers in restoring the garden of an elderly man who had not been outside for four years. Grateful mum Aisling Roberts from Old Town told the Adver: “She has taught all four of my kids to swim and just over lockdown she helped people do their gardens for free and not many people would bother to do that for anyone else. She’s helped so many families learn to swim.
THE COATE Water underpasses have flooded – again. Pictures and video show both the Queens Drive and Marlborough Road subways, which link Park South with Coate Water country park, are submerged. It follows heavy rain and high winds on Boxing Day into the early hours of this morning, as Storm Bella strafed Swindon. It is at least the fifth time the underpasses have been flooded this year alone.
The Queens Drive subway underwater - again Picture: DAVE COX
An Adver reader sent in this video of flooding on Sunday morning Video: SUBMITTED In March, it was announced that Swindon Borough Council planned to block the underpass under Marlborough Road from the roundabout to Coate Water Park, near the ornamental gates, funding the project from a £5m highways investment.
MAY saw the end of a kind-hearted campaign which showed our appreciation for those working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Every Thursday for 10 weeks, we stood on our doorsteps at 8pm and applauded Swindon’s health and care workers who were putting their lives on the line to treat patients who had or were suspected to have the deadly disease. Clapping echoed around the town, accompanied by the percussive power of pots and pans and even a few fireworks. It became a bright spot during the uncertain times of the first lockdown, giving neighbours a chance to socialise from their front doors.
FEBRUARY saw two huge storms hit Swindon along with signs of a much bigger storm looming on the horizon. On February 9, Storm Ciara brought 60mph gusts of wind to the town which felled trees across the A419 as well as Marlborough Road and Liden Drive and a road in Rodbourne Cheney. The gales damaged the roof of Great Western Hospital, knocked down the hoardings around the historic Mechanics Institute and caused minor havoc with bins, recycling boxes and garden furniture. The winds disrupted bus services, led to reduced rail services being carried out, delayed trains to and from London after a tree fell on the tracks, and caused power cuts in Wroughton and Chiseldon.