Giant Turnips celebrating local culture

Swindon and Wiltshire are much "under-known" in UK culture.  Both are often seen at best as cultural backwaters, or worse according to some sources, but in actual fact both are vibrant areas that have made immense contributions to national and international heritage.  Swindon was a fulcrum of the Industrial Revolution and despite misconceptions to the contrary is full of culture, boasting a lively music, film, fringe theatre scenes, including its own opera about the town, snappily entitled Swindon The Opera!

And recently one of our co-correspondents saw the above photo at Swindon (Old Town) Museum and Art Gallery where they are holding an exhibition of pictures (paintings, photos and postcards), 175 in all, to celebrate the 175 anniversary of the GWR Works in Swindon. 

To quote from the Museum's own website at http://swindonmuseumandartgallery.org.uk/

"Our Swindon in 175 Images exhibition shares the history of Swindon during the last 150 years.  With 175 rarely seen images from our local art, photographic and postcard collections, many original, it will show the variety and vibrant nature of life in Swindon, both urban and rural, at work and leisure, and major events and celebrations.

The exhibition builds on work carried out by the Heritage Lottery funded project ‘Hidden Potential’ and features works usually cared for in store.  As part of the Hidden Potential project dozens of volunteers have been working on cataloguing and caring for Swindon’s stored collections. This exhibition will showcase images rediscovered through the project and reveal some of Swindon’s hidden history!

Swindon175 is being celebrated across the town with a series of events and activities planned throughout the year. Swindon175 is a celebration for the whole of Swindon to be proud of our town’s achievements, heritage and future.

Swindon in 175 Images is sponsored by Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery It's well worth a visit, and don't miss the Art Gallery, which contains some of the best modern art outside of London."

So get along there if you can and discover more than you might imagine.