A welcome mat in Royal Wootton Bassett (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

A welcome mat in Royal Wootton Bassett

6:00pm Friday 13th January 2012 in Royal Wootton Bassett By Emma Dunn

A visitor and tourist information centre could soon open in a family home if the idea gets the thumbs up from surrounding businesses and residents.

Sheridan Parsons, who lives in Royal Wootton Bassett’s High Street, has already set up a website and social networking accounts promoting the town and hopes to extend the idea to her own home.

She has been talking to the council and is keen to hear people’s ideas about the plans, which would see her open her Grade II listed Georgian home to the public.

“When the tourist information area at the entrance to Wootton Bassett’s library was closed in 2011, it left the town without any tourist or visitor facilities,” she said. “We were seeing coaches stopping in town when travelling from places like Avebury.

“They are in the area and there is no co-ordination of what they can see and do and how to direct them for places to eat.

“We thought it would be good to supply information to those people. In the momentum going after the repatriations we have something to give. Royal Wootton Bassett is a very unpretentious town.”

Sheridan lives in the house – with the Kung-Fu Panda in the front room – with her husband Mike and five of their children.

She will need planning permission before the idea can go ahead. And Sheridan said she is keen that the centre will keep a link with the forces.

“It is important to keep the relationship that Wootton Bassett has with the forces strong and we will help disseminate information about the forces’ charities.”

To send ideas to Sheridan about the centre or to see the website visit www.royalwoottonbassett tourist.info.

To follow the centre on Twitter log on to http://twitter.com/royal wbassett