Forced to stay (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Forced to stay

THIRTY years ago we were a nice town set in lovely countryside. We were small enough to be friendly, big enough to be reasonably important.

We had everything we needed such as lovely shops (McIlroys is particularly missed) and places to work. Thirty years ago I loved living in Swindon.

Today much of that countryside has been destroyed by housing, the town centre is crowded and unpleasant, there is far too much road traffic, in short we have grown much too big, yet the council and others keep crying expansion. It is a concept that has destroyed nearly everything that made Swindon a lovely place to live only a few years ago.

Today I find very little to like about my birthplace. I would leave, but personal factors force me to stay.

G Scott

Swindon