The Glue Pot.

Day 2 of the Heritage Open Weekends.

Today, we went into Swindon Town Centre to attend a guided walk around the old Railway Village. The chap giving the tour was “Swindon born and bred” and had many tales of the old buildings. I particularly liked his tale of the first owner of the Glue Pot.

Originally, a shop selling everyday goods as well as ale, the shopkeeper soon realised that the money was in the ale, rather than anything else. As it is very near the carriage works, the workers would often go in there on their lunch break, taking their pot of glue with them. The landlord kept a brazier going for each man to put his glue pot on, ensuring that it was at the right temperature when they returned to work.

Extras include the Baker’s Arms ( originally a bakery) and the Cricketer’s Arms ( soon to be a shop).

I’ve also included a shot of the derelict Mechanic’s Institute and the hoist that was used to lift an elephant into the building for a theatre production!