NALC Study Tour 2018 hosted by Chippenham Town Council
MORE than 30 councillors and officers from all over the country saw Chippenham sparkling in the sunshine this week when they paid a two-day visit to the town.The delegates from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) were the guests of Chippenham Town Council, which invited the association’s committee and members for a fact-finding best practice tour.
The Larger Council Study Tour usually only involves the NALC leadership committee but, said chairman Cllr Sue Baxter, this was the first time members had been invited as well.
“This is an important day for the town,” said chief executive Mark Smith. “They are here to see all of the facilities we provide for the town and hear how we’ve developed them. It’s a great opportunity to show them off.”
The guests stayed at The Angel Hotel and were met there by Mr Smith, town council leader Cllr Sandie Webb and Mayor Cllr Andy Phillips.
He welcomed the guests to the town, saying: “We’re very proud of our town and we hope you enjoy your stay with us.”
The delegates were taken on a tour of the town, beginning with a look around the town hall and the Neeld Community and Arts Centre.
Its manager Julie Hook and deputy chief executive Adrian Jones explained how the hall’s retractable seating can be put into place within 30 minutes.
The visitors left the Neeld for a tour of Chippenham Museum and the nearby Yelde Hall. Museum curator Melissa Barnett. She explained the refurbishment of the museum’s entrance and the history of the Yelde Hall and its many uses over the years.
Royal Sutton Coldfield councillor Clare Horrocks said: “The attention to detail here is absolutely phenomenal. Everything has been so meticulously planned out and it flows really well. It’s a fantastic facility.”
From there the visitors boarded a coach and were taken to the London Road cemetery where they were shown around the expanded burial site and looked around the chapel.
After that there was just a short ride to Stanley Park Sports Ground, where facilities manager Pete Hussey explained the growth of the site since it was developed by the council in 2002 and opened in 2004. He told guests the number of teams using it as their home base had grown from 20 to 102. “In 2004/05 we had 325 matches and training sessions here. Between 2011 and 2017 that grew to just over 20,000 training sessions and matches,” he said.
The final stop on the tour was at John Coles Park, where the delegates enjoyed an ice cream from the park kiosk before admiring the £100,000 splash pad and the beautifully-kept gardens.
Cllr Baxter said: “We’ve had a wonderful trip to Chippenham. The park here is superb and I’ve enjoyed seeing the splash pad.
“Chippenham’s heritage, and the beautiful buildings and the way that the council has capitalised on those buildings is impressive. The way they use the buildings is very worthwhile.”
The town council hosted the NALC delegates at a dinner at The Angel on Monday evening and on Tuesday they took part in a NALC committee meeting at the town hall before departing.
Mr Smith said he was delighted with the way the visit had gone. “It’s been fantastic. We’ve had absolutely brilliant feedback from the delegates.
“I think we’ve certainly met our objective, the sun is shining, there are lots of happy delegates, lots of smiles and just an unbelievable large amount of compliments about how we do things in Chippenham.”
Cllr Sandie Webb, Leader of Chippenham Town Council said of the event: “It has been a wonderful two days which has enabled us to showcase the services and facilities provided by Chippenham Town Council to our national peers. We have exchanged ideas on best practice and plans for future development. We would like to thank NALC for their work in arranging this study tour and choosing to come to Chippenham.”
NALC committee chairman Cllr Kevin Wilson MBE said it had been an enjoyable visit.
“We are very impressed with the facilities provided by the town council. There is no doubt that Chippenham Town Council is an excellent council delivering for the residents of Chippenham and pioneering the potential role of local councils,” he said.
“This is a leading council who can be proud of their achievements. The next steps will of course be challenging as the town council take on an increased responsibility but the Council is in a good shape to take this on in partnership with the local community, residents and businesses.
“Chippenham itself is a lovely town and it is clear it has a bright future under the brilliant stewardship of the members and officers of the town council.”
Chippenham at Christmas
Find out what Chippenham has to offer with our new video that showcases some of the fantastic things to do over the festive season. The music has been written by local musician Jarid Clark especially for the video.
Thank you to all of the businesses for their time and assistance in creating this video, Amelia Classics, Butlers Butchers, Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre, Sarah Jayne's Cafe, Floral Culture, Humbugs Sweet Shop, La Passione, Phase Patch, Rivo Lounge, St Andrew's Church, The Brunel, The Buttercross Inn, The Craft Company, The Garden, Thyme
This video is brought to you by Chippenham BID
Places to see in ( Chippenham - UK )
Places to see in ( Chippenham - UK )
Chippenham is a historic market town in Wiltshire, England, 13 miles east of Bath and 96 miles west of London. Chippenham was established on a crossing of the River Avon and some form of settlement is believed to have existed there since before Roman times. Chippenham was a royal vill, and probably a royal hunting lodge, under Alfred the Great. The primary school, King's Lodge School, gets its name from this tradition.
Chippenham continued to grow when the Great Western Railway arrived in 1841. The town of Chippenham is now a commuter town. Chippenham is twinned with La Flèche in France and Friedberg in Germany. The town's motto is Unity and Loyalty.
Chippenham is in western Wiltshire, at a prominent crossing of the River Avon, between the Marlborough Downs to the east, the southern Cotswolds to the north and west and Salisbury Plain to the southeast. The town of Chippenham is surrounded by sparsely populated countryside and there are several woodlands in or very near the town, such as Bird's Marsh, Vincients Wood and Briars Wood.
Suburbs include Cepen Park (North & South), Hardenhuish, Monkton, Lowden, Pewsham, Primrose Hill, Englands, Frogwell, Derriads, The Folly, Redland, Queens Crescent, Lackham, Fenway Park, and Hill Rise, loosely corresponding to local government wards. Chippenham lies 4 miles south of the M4 motorway, which links the town to Bristol, Swindon, South Wales and London.
Chippenham railway station is on the Great Western Main Line and is served by services between London Paddington and the West Country via Bristol Temple Meads or Swindon, and is famous for its railway arches and other buildings engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel as part of the Great Western Railway development. Historically a market town, Chippenham's economy has since changed to that of a commuter town with residents travelling to workplaces in Bath, Bristol, Swindon and even London (almost 100 miles to the east).
Surrounding the town are a number of stone-built villages, including Lacock (National Trust), Biddestone, Bremhill, and Castle Combe. The great house and art treasures of Longleat, Bowood House, Lacock Abbey, Sheldon Manor and Corsham Court are within easy reach. Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre is in the town centre and tells the story of the market town.
( Chippenham - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Chippenham . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Chippenham - UK
Join us for more :
Sindy exhibition opening 2nd September 2013
Curator, Melissa Barnett, introduces us to the record breaking Sindy Exhibition at Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre
Neil Burridge casts a Bronze age style sword.MPG
Neil Burridge demonstrating ancient metal working techniques during the CBA Festival of British Archaeology in 2011
Location: Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre, 9-10 Market Place, Chippenham SN15 3HF. Tel: 01249 705020 Date: Thu 28 July
Email: heritage@chippenham.gov.uk - Web: chippenham.gov.uk
Neil Burridge has his own web site at
Rowley Mile Racecourse Newmarket UK Sunset
Rowley Mile Racecourse Newmarket UK Sunset
Celebrating Swindon's railway past
A collection of clips from the Swindon Cable archive that feature elements of Swindon's railway past... from the opening of the Outlet shopping centre to the last days of the old GWR Museum in Faringdon Road.
Paul Langcaster reports.
McCarthy & Stone - Waterford Place, Chippenham
The pretty market town of Chippenham in Wiltshire has been sitting on the banks of the picturesque River Avon since Ancient Roman times. To this day, you will find plenty of historic attractions to visit including railway arches built and designed by the famous engineer Brunel. Nature lovers will love the easy access to the great outdoors with several local woodlands just moments away.
The stunning River Avon is a short distance from the development and offers plenty of pretty walks with ample opportunities for spotting wildlife and rare plants. The Cotswolds and Salisbury Plain are also within easy reach for fun days out with the family. The town of Chippenham offers plenty of attractions, including a Museum and Heritage Centre exploring the rich history of the local area and its people. Music lovers can also visit the annual Chippenham Folk Festival in May, now in its 45th year.
For more information or to register your interest, click here:
The UK's leading developer of retirement apartments, specialising in designing property for later life mccarthyandstone.co.uk
Tour to swindon
Swindon country side
A walk around Calne
We take a walk around some of Calne's Heritage Quarter passing the Doctor's Pond, The Green, St Mary's Church and some of the side streets of this historic Wiltshire town.
To find out more about Calne and the surrounding areas visit visitwiltshire.co.uk
Calne from A2B (Avebury to Bowood 2019) (22 min version)
Calne in Wiltshire, England promoting history, heritage and tourism entitled: 'Calne from A 2 B' (Avebury to Bowood).
Filmed in the spring months of 2019 - One TB of footage to produce two videos for Calne Our Place as part of the Great West Way programme. The brief was to produce one long version (22 mins) and one short version (3 mins). Enjoy the 22 minutes version here........
A HUGE thank you to all that contributed in the making of both videos from the museums, hotels, B&B's, self catering, restaurants, cafes, bistros, tea rooms and not forgetting the people who were interviewed or went out of their way to make the video special for Calne.
Copyright: candidpictures.co.uk of Calne
for commercial photography and video 07715 770244
Santa's Grotto - The Shell Grotto Pontypool
Our annual visit to see Santa at the Shell Grotto in Pontypool, Torfaen. A yearly event in the 18th century Grotto in Pontypool, Wales. Hosted by volunteers, the event is completely free of charge and includes face painting, crafts, cakes, hot & cold drinks and a visit to Santa himself!
Find out more about Pontypool Shell Grotto here :
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Karl Lee Flintknapper - Ovate Hand Axe No.1 Paleolithic.MPG
Karl Lee Flintknapper creates a Ovate Hand Axe as used during the Paleolithic period. This demonstration was carried out as part of the Festival of British Archaeology on Thursday 28 July 2011.
Location: Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre, 9-10 Market Place, Chippenham SN15 3HF. Tel: 01249 705020
Date: Thu 28 July 10.00--16.00
Email: heritage@chippenham.gov.uk
Web: chippenham.gov.uk
Places to see in ( Warminster - UK )
Places to see in ( Warminster - UK )
Warminster is a town and civil parish in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36 and the partly concurrent A350 between Westbury and Blandford Forum. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were. The name Warminster first occurs in the early 10th century.
Warminster is located in south-west Wiltshire, near to the Somerset border. The town is surrounded by six hills, providing shelter and security for early settlers. The area is made up of chalk, which provides good drainage to the nearby River Wylye, providing plenty of arable and pasturable land near to the village. The Wylye is a tributary of the River Avon. Warminster is also close to Selwood Forest.
As Warminster is in an area of fertile land, much of its early economy was through farming, especially corn. William Daniell commented in 1879 that Warminster lay 'in the midst of a fine corn-country', and Warminster's market provided the backbone of the economy through the 16th to 19th centuries. Warminster's clothing trade suffered greatly in the early 19th century, as there was no suitable river to power machinery during a period of industrialisation.
Warminster has a number of local venues which facilitate cultural events for the community. This includes a library, museum, five theatres and cinemas, eleven halls and a number of pubs. There are many festivals and events held annually within the area including Warminster festival, Vintage bus run and heritage open days. Warminster is twinned with Flers in France.
Close by to Warminster is stately home Longleat, which has included Longleat Safari Park since 1966; the first drive-through safari park outside Africa, home to over 500 animals, including giraffe, monkeys, rhino, lion, tigers and wolves. The town includes a theatre, the Warminster Athenaeum, an 1858 Grade II listed building. The Warminster Lake Pleasure Grounds were laid out in 1924 and facilities include tennis courts, play area and boating lake. They were officially opened by the Marquess of Bath on Saturday 26 July 1924.
The east of the town is situated along the A36 road and the Warminster service station is on the route. The Warminster railway station, opened in September 1851, is managed by Great Western Railway
( Warminster - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Warminster . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Warminster - UK
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The Best of 60163 Tornado 2014-2015
Hello & Welcome to Harnetty Railways Mainline Steam Collection.
Coming up.
We feature the best of The A1 Trust's 60163 Tornado from 2014 to 2015.
We start in July 2014 were we see the A1 at Crewe after leaving Crewe Heritage Centre to head off to be turned ready to take over The Boarder Raider special to Carlisle which was being electric hauled from Euston earlier that morning.
Soon we see 60163 departing Crewe with the special. We next catch up with the A1 at Lancaster speeding through on the fast line.
Finally in the 2014 part we see the A1 speeding through Oxenholme Lake District following the pathing stop at Carnforth.
2015 we see 60163 not long after completion of the locos recent mainline overhaul in the mountains of Scotland while working Scot Rail's The Highland Caledonian from Inverness to Stirling.
Our 1st shot of the A1 in Scotland is just outside Aviemore as the A1 accelerates up the hill. We catch up with the A1 at Kingussie were we see the A1 take on water before heading off to Newtonmore for the last shot of the A1 in Scotland.
And finally we see the A1 on home teriitory the East Coast Mainline July 2015.
We start at the National Railway Museum were we see the A1 being prepaired to do the return leg of The White Rose which the outward leg was being diesel hauled.
We next catch the A1 passing through York station with support coach before finally seeing the A1 through Doncaster which is were we end this video.
Thanks for reading enjoy the best of 60163 Tornado.
Karl Lee Flintknapper - Leaf Shaped Arrowhead Neolithic Period.MPG
Karl Lee Flintknapper creates a leaf shaped arrow head typical of the ones used during the Neolitchic period. This demonstration was carried out as part of the Festival of British Archaeology on Thursday 28 July 2011.
Location: Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre, 9-10 Market Place, Chippenham SN15 3HF. Tel: 01249 705020
Date: Thu 28 July 10.00--16.00
Email: heritage@chippenham.gov.uk - Web: chippenham.gov.uk
Discovering Wiltshire Volume Two (North) - presented by Henry Buckton
Discovering Wiltshire Volume Two is written and presented by Henry Buckton and produced on DVD by the 1st-Take film studio. For more information visit 1st-Take.com or telephone 01454 321614. The second film is the series visits north Wiltshire which contains some of Britain’s best known prehistoric monuments such as the Avebury Stone Circles, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow. This ancient landscape is explained by David Dawson the director of the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. We also visit the Kennet and Avon Canal Centre, and Crofton Pumping Station, which was an integral part of the canal system. Important local industries featured include Avon Rubber in Melksham and the Harris Pork Processing factory in Calne. You will also see how railways helped the area to expand particularly around Swindon, where the Great Western Railway was a major employer and there is a feature on the county’s only heritage line, the Swindon and Cricklade Railway. Other highlights include visits to Bradford-on-Avon, Chippenham, and Marlborough, with a focus on the beautiful merchant’s house. We also visit Corsham to explore the 17th century almshouses and Malmesbury with its majestic abbey.
Neil Burridge cast a Bronze age style knife.MPG
Neil Burridge demonstrating ancient metal working techniques during the CBA Festival of British Archaeology in 2011
Location: Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre, 9-10 Market Place, Chippenham SN15 3HF. Tel: 01249 705020 Date: Thu 28 July
Email: heritage@chippenham.gov.uk - Web: chippenham.gov.uk
Neil Burridge has his own web site at
The Flying Scotsman coming through Chippenham going to Severn Valley Railway
Karl Lee Flintknapper - Karl's Toolkit.MPG
Karl Lee, Flintknapper, talks about the various tools used in the manufacture of flints over 35,000 years from the Paleolithic onwards. This demonstration was carried out as part of the Festival of British Archaeology on Thursday 28 July 2011.
Location: Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre, 9-10 Market Place, Chippenham SN15 3HF. Tel: 01249 705020
Date: Thu 28 July 10.00--16.00
Email: heritage@chippenham.gov.uk
Web: chippenham.gov.uk