A symbol of blossoming hope across Swindon
An explosion of cherry blossom brings colour and beauty to our parks as part of the Swindon Blossom Festival
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Finding a moment of Zen with the Swindon Blossom Festival
Swindon has had a hard time of it of late. Times are hard. Money is short. Our town centre seems to be decaying before our eyes and problems seem to be piling upon problems when it comes to different issues across our borough. So it is fair enough that us Swindonians might want to have a moment of tranquillity. To catch our breath and to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us every day. From Saturday 20 April to Sunday 28 April, the town will be celebrating the Swindon Blossom Festival. An opportunity for us all to just unwind. It can’t come soon enough. At the Ink though we wish Swindon would blow its own trumpet about positive things like this a bit more.
By Jamie Hill
The cherry blossom, or sakura to give its Japanese name, symbolises both life and death, beauty and violence.
As the coming of spring promises new life, so the blooming of cherry blossoms brings a sense of vitality and vibrancy.
At the same time, their short lifespan is a reminder that life is fleeting.
It’s all pretty heady stuff.
A few years ago I was out in Tokyo for the cherry blossom festival.
They take it very seriously over there. Everything is about the cherry blossom and even their weather reports follow the blossoming of the trees across the entire country.
As a westerner it was definitely a bit of an eye-opener and I even attended a few ‘hanamis’, which are flower watching parties for the uninitiated.
These mainly consisted of picnics in the parks but music, dancing and fireworks also featured quite heavily.
The Japanese are also quite respectful. You never see any of them shaking the tree so that it rains blossoms just to get a good pic for Instagram (something that happens too much over here in the UK).
But there was something awe-inspiring about the whole thing. An entire country celebrating a blossoming. Revelling in its beauty not just on a visual level but also on a philosophical level. The Japanese love their philosophy. There’s probably a haiku about that somewhere.
So for Swindon to have its own Blossom Festival is something special.
Launched in 2021, the festival centred around the brief but spectacular cherry blossom blooms at the Town Gardens. But this year the festival, which runs from 20 to 28 April, will be taking place across the entirety of the town.
Talking to The BBC, organiser Fran Tucker describes the blooming cherry blossoms as enough to take your breath away.
For us Swindonians the loveliness of this festival offers us all an escape. An opportunity to celebrate the springtime, with the air filled with the delicate fragrance of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Sometimes it does feel in Swindon that we don’t shout about ourselves enough though.
And just to warn you I am going to have a little moan here.
For instance even this blossom festival isn’t being shouted about at all. It should be. You can find it hidden on the South Swindon Parish Council website here
But at no point were there any press releases sent out about this. We just found it by seeing a story about it on the BBC, a very unusual source for Swindon news seeing as it is so Bristol-centric these days.
It’s like the organisers have a Kevin Costner ‘Field of Dreams’ outlook when it comes to letting people know about an event. ‘If we build it they will come’.
I was talking to an Oxford inhabitant the other day sitting in a pub in lovely Headington.
They were talking about how proud they were of the city they live in. How there is so much to celebrate.
When it came time for me to talk about Swindon, I found myself getting defensive as they looked at me with a mixture of incredulity and doubt as I told them about the lovely parts of the town, the vibrant culture and the really strong sense of community.
And then it dawned on me.
The reason outsiders have such a negative view of the town is that we don’t shout about it like other cities do. We don’t extol the virtues of our town so all they have is a negative view of this urban sprawl surrounded by the rolling hills of Wiltshire with one bright spot being the Outlet Village.
This blossom festival is such an example. What a wonderful event going on under our noses but it’s like us Swindonians want to keep it on the QT.
Why do we hide such positive things from the world? What about Paintfest? The Swindon Shuffle? Pride? Litfest? Open Studios?
And why in God’s name don’t we even have brown signs at both of our motorway junctions pointing travellers towards Lydiard Park and Coate Water? It’s a simple thing that would tell people there’s more to Swindon than industrial estates and a crumbling town centre.
Sorry rant over.
I just wish Swindon shouted about itself that tiny bit more.
But in the meantime at least I can enjoy some lovely cherry blossoms to calm down.
The Ink News Briefing
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Man arrested on suspicion of vehicle interference thanks to police dog - Shortly before 3am on Wednesday 10 April officers received a report from Lawns residents who saw a man trying car and van door handles in the area. Officers attended, including Police Dog Bree and handler, who helped to locate a suspect in an alleyway nearby following an area search. Read More
Successful launch for new Swindon performing arts academy - Steam was the venue for the grand official launch of Thomford Academy. Read More
Tree planting at iconic Old Town church - King William Street School Church Council helped to plant native saplings at Christ Church Old Town. Read More
The Ink Piece
Culture Vulture
Old Town Festival to return after four-year break
By Jamie Hill
The Old Town Festival is set to make a big return this year from 1-9 June.
The festival, which had previously run for over 25 years, was a highlight of the annual calendar until it stopped due to pandemic restrictions four years ago.
Now, thanks to the Old Town Business Association, the festival is back with a new format and fresh look.
Originally devised as a Victorian Festival and created by the Old Town Business Association in 1999, in later years it was taken on by the Commonweal PTA as it quickly grew.
However, Covid and a dwindling committee meant it needed new energy to bring it back. Following a successful series of street events, and building a strong business community, the team at the Old Town Business Association, who are also behind the Friends of Old Town card scheme, decided to resurrect the festival for 2024.
Kris Talikowski, Vice-Chair of the Old Town Business Association, said: "Its history is rooted with us originally, so it feels right to bring it back.
"All of the team have loved the previous events, so we hope the local community support us bringing it back. The revived Old Town Festival will retain the spirit of the event but with a new format, new locations, and an array of engaging activities designed to bring the community together."
The festivities will kick off off with a 'Big Weekend’ of two events on 1 and 2 June.
On 1 June there will be a Family Fun Day at new venue the Town Gardens - a change from the festival's previous venue at The Lawns. The day will feature two stages showcasing local musicians, performers, and dance groups, along with an assortment of local food and drink vendors, community stalls and fun family activities such as circus workshops.
On 2 June, Wood Street will be transformed into a Victorian wonderland for an Old Town Street Party. The party will be similar to the Friends of Old Town's September Street Foods Festival but will feature on street entertainment, food and drinks stalls and live music.
Following the 'Big Weekend', the festival will continue with a week-long line-up of Fringe events from June 3 to 9, offering something for everyone in the community to enjoy.
Richard Deacon, Chair of the Old Town Business Association, said: "We're thrilled to announce the return of the Old Town Festival.
"This event has long been a cherished tradition in our community, and we're committed to making this revival a memorable one."
The festival’s charity partner has been announced as Prospect Hospice. CEO Jeremy Lune said: “We are incredibly grateful to the people behind the popular Old Town Festival to be chosen as this year’s charity partner.
"It’s a real privilege for us to be caring for local people and we’re delighted that we’ll have a presence there to talk to people about the care we’re able to provide and help support them in their fundraising activity for us.
"All the funds we raise through the event will stay in the local area and be used by us to care for and support our patients and their families.”
Further information and stall bookings for both the Family Fun Day and the Old Town Street Party are now online, and people can find out more here
The Swindon Link Magazine Archive
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