A little over 100 years ago the Broadgreen area had more grass than houses but sadly the living memories of those early years have now drifted into the mists of time.
With those lost memories at the forefront of our minds, and no comprehensive historical records exclusively dedicated to this area of Swindon, we decided in 2007 to form our own History Group as a sub-committee of the Broad Street Area Community Council.
Covering the two distinct Victorian neighbourhoods that fall either side of Corporation Street - Broadgreen and Queenstown, the aims of the group are simple, to not only research the history of our ‘own backyard’, forming an archive of documents, photographs and spoken stories for future generations, but also to actively engage local residents, schools and external bodies in research and promotion of the history and associated heritage of the Broadgreen Neighbourhood.
To date, we have gathered an array of documents and photographs, which has enabled us to not only hold a short photographic and history presentation to 3 classes at St. Josephs School, but also to put on a number of displays of ‘then and now’ photographs that have proved very popular with residents old and new, introducing new residents to the history of the area and reminding older residents of ‘the old days’, jogging their memories of a wealth of interesting stories, people and events.
By working on the archive, we hope to nurture a sense of ‘Pride of Place’ within the Broadgreen community and the wider Swindon community. A knock on effect will be to bring people together and allow a better understanding and respect of different age groups and ethnic backgrounds.
Were you born or did you live in the Broadgreen or Queenstown areas, do you have any memories, old photographs, documents, articles or something completely different?
If so, we are interested in all historical aspects of the areas, so if you have something that you think might be of interest - we would be really pleased to hear from you.
http://broadgreenhistory.btck.co.uk/
Contact Kevin Leakey - broadgreenhistory@hotmail.co.uk