What to do in Swindon?

What to do in Swindon?

Author
Discussion

Mysterae

93 posts

140 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Take a walk down Manchester Road with £60 in your pocket wink

Scamper

732 posts

221 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Go out in the bottom of town and see how long it takes to stabbed or robbed....alternatively go to old town, eat a curry and pick up some old bint in the pub!

Swindon isn't really somewhere you visit for fun things to do...if you want to drive about, then the roads between Swindon, Bassett and Cirencester are worth a go...watch out for the 40 everywhere brigade!!

budfox

1,510 posts

128 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Mysterae said:
Take a walk down Manchester Road with £60 in your pocket wink
...though watch out for Pam and Kevin:

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9155268.Vi...

I wouldn't mess with Kevin, no way.

silentbrown

8,793 posts

115 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Kevin said:
"No, I'm just watering my trees."
Never heard that one before!

littlegreenfairy

10,133 posts

220 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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There is fk all to do. It has just about been dragged into 1995 as there is now a Wagamama and Pizza Express.

The bars in Old Town are ok. Avoid town like the plague.

24 hour asda can be like going into a zoo which can be interesting ton watch.

I would suggest going to Magnum wine shop in Old Town and get a nice bottle of something and then a Pizza Express take away.

The place really does lack any form of anything positive. Oh wait, we have a Waitrose now. Praise be.

chrismcg1

508 posts

172 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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My sister lives just outside Swindon..... Recently divorced .... Own teeth ......

RB Will

9,662 posts

239 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Without using daft exaggerations what is it that people think is so bad about Swindon?

I have lived here all my life but am pretty well traveled and I don't see it as any worse than any other town or city.
Has its nice areas and stty areas just like anywhere else. Certainly nothing I have thought of here that marks it out as particularly downmarket and dreary.

To the OP Go to The Weighbridge for food one evening, its the best food around here.
Got a fun car? there are some great roads (PH did a little feature on them recently)

Its a shame you cant make it to Steam its a great museum.

Swindon Karting (http://www.swindonkarting.co.uk/) is open well into the evening as is M4 Karting if you dont mind a 20 min drive.

littlegreenfairy

10,133 posts

220 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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It's just so dull and average. Nothing of note, nowhere decent to eat, nowhere for a good drink. Just nothing of anything. It's just boring.

RB Will

9,662 posts

239 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
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Define decent to eat and a good drink. As I mentioned the food and drink at The Weighbridge is first class, it's not an environment to go and get bladdered in though.
Quite a few of the Arkells run pubs are nice and traditional.
Few good curry places if that's your thing.

Will agree the town doesn't have anything terribly standout like a snowdome etc but what sort of things are people expecting the average town to have?

I just don't get what is sooo bad about it. So much so that it seems to be recognised by many as a crappy place. I can recall various people , Steve Coogan, all 3 off top gear, Russell Howard, Dom Jolly and a few others making jokes about how bad it is here. I have never really found myself wanting for anything while living here. It's much better than the 2 year stint I did in Chippenham lol.

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

148 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
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Inall seriousness.

If you're into ice hockey, then the Swindon Wildcats are ina final tonight at home.
Other then that, shopping at the outlet village which has just been revamped.

MG511

1,754 posts

240 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
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RB Will said:
I don't see it as any worse than any other town or city.
Really? Where else have you been? The town centre is long overdue a major revamp (plans seem to keep falling through), it's a drap featureless place with lots of ugly buildings. The selection of bars and places to eat is very poor, and I really cannot think of any redeeming features. Outlet village is okay I guess, but that's about it.

RB Will

9,662 posts

239 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
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MG511 said:
Really? Where else have you been? The town centre is long overdue a major revamp (plans seem to keep falling through), it's a drap featureless place with lots of ugly buildings. The selection of bars and places to eat is very poor, and I really cannot think of any redeeming features. Outlet village is okay I guess, but that's about it.
Been all over the UK and about 20 other countries.

The town centre has recently been revamped, and that is still ongoing. The shopping bit has had the frontages and walkways redone. You have a new (ish) hotel, gym, they have knocked down the knackered old police station, reworked the road to ease congestion (a bit) and are almost finished building a new cinema, shopping, eating complex in the centre having knocked down the old college. Train station has had a bit of attention too, bus station could do with sprucing up though.
Not a lot you can do about the older buildings that are occupied as there is no way they are going to move everyone out and rebuild the town centre.

As for eating and drinking we have most of the major chains represented and smaller family run places for a bigger selection of world foods. Drinking is similarly well covered. You have all the normal Wetherspoony places but also the options of nicer pubs that serve local ale.

Another good point is there are great pubs in the surrounding villages just a 10-15 min drive from the town or numerous parks to go for a nice wander.

There is greyhound racing at Blunsdon Stadium on Friday if that is your thing or try something different like climbing at the Link centre or go whack a basket of balls at Broome Manor driving range or go and try and eat a 32oz hubcap burger at the Abbey meads pub lol.

What more are people expecting? Suppose a big arts centre would be nice but I dont think the town is touristy enough to sustain one.

I have friends from all walks of life who are perfectly happy here, even one who drives to London everyday for work as he says its nicer here, and he did live in London for a few years.

DevonPaul

1,169 posts

136 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
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I was there last week for a meeting at STEAM.

Fortunately I did some research first (I asked the organiser what there was to do in the evening, he said "drink and fight")so stayed at work until 6pm and got the later train up.

I arrived about 10:30, walked 5 mins to the Holiday Inn express, dropped my bags and walked down the the Wetherspoons at 11:05.

It was closed.

I found a Lloyds no1 with about 5 people in, quite friendly, but in the City Centre there really is 2/3 of phuq all to do during the week.

Swindon centre seems largely a commuter terminal for London, with a retail park. It is strying to reinvent itself, but there is no night time economy. Plymouth would be pretty much exactly the same without the students.

FunkyCEO

157 posts

179 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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For food & drink as others have mentioned Weighbridge is good

others all in old town
Also los gatos for good Spanish tapas & atmosphere
The Hop Inn for good range of ales & beers, small but great atmosphere

Baila Coffee & Vinyl sometimes have acoustic bands on a Thursday evening






littlegreenfairy

10,133 posts

220 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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On Faringdon Road (bottom of town, near Brunel car park) there is the most brilliant coffee shop if you can get there before 5.30. Dark Room Espresso. They serve proper coffee and it is the best you'll ever taste. And their pastries are from the Bertinet kitchen in Bath and are superb.

MadRob6

3,594 posts

219 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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Shame I didn't see this earlier. I was in Oxford bored to tears at 5pm yesterday. I ended up going to the pub.

TheLordJohn

Original Poster:

5,746 posts

145 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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Must say I went to The Weighbridge last night, and it was excellent. So thanks very much for the recommendation.
Also been to The Victory (bit of a sports bar) after I'd been swimming in The Link (I think it was called!)
Not been so bad in the end, but will be nice to head home tomorrow evening.

graeme4130

3,823 posts

180 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2015
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TheLordJohn said:
Must say I went to The Weighbridge last night, and it was excellent. So thanks very much for the recommendation.
Also been to The Victory (bit of a sports bar) after I'd been swimming in The Link (I think it was called!)
Not been so bad in the end, but will be nice to head home tomorrow evening.
Weighbridge is reasonable, but if you want to eat well you need to get into the Cotswolds
Whatley manor is a 15-20min drive from Swindon, and both the brasserie and dining rooms are well worth the journey

Swindon karting is worth a trip and lovetts Ferrari is always worth a nose around
Lovetts Porsche currently have a lovely 4.0rs in the showroom too
If you want reasonable driving roads, head out northwest down towards Ashton Keynes/minety
Not exactly north wales standard roads, but some if the better ones around here



Edited by graeme4130 on Tuesday 3rd February 19:24

bint

4,664 posts

223 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
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I think you need to split Swindon into two or people to understand the bad and good. Bottom end of town (the actual centre) needs nuking from orbit and starting again.

Old town (top of the hill) has plenty of good real ale pubs, quality independent restaurants; Mexican, Caribbean, Argentinian, Spanish, French, Italian and the obligatory Indian as well as a few independent retailers selling interesting food, wine, gifts, furniture and a great hardware store. It just needs some quality clothes shops.

There are 2 theatres in Swindon as well as 3 cinemas, an ice skating rink, indoor climbing, Turkish baths, laser quest, indoor crazy golf (a bit naff but amusing) and an annual literary festival. WTF do you want?

Oh hang on, pretty buildings for the boatload of tourists that get in your way in the summer and a university to get students drunk in.

I lived just outside Cambridge for 8 years, it was better outside of Cambridge than in, as the uni controlled so much of the development there wasn't much to do.

CAPITAL

461 posts

128 months

Monday 16th February 2015
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Dick Lovett ferrari dealer based there. Worth a look.