2023 – Page 5 – Janet's Adventures in Waterstones

In the early 1800s Swindon was still a small market town. The Great Western Railway Company’s ‘Swindon Railway Works’, which opened in 1843, saw enormous expansion within the town and, at the height of its production, the site employed 12,000 staff. Today, as a result of this, and although the industry is long gone, Swindon is now the largest town in Wiltshire. The Waterstones is located in a new shop (having moved from the Brunel shopping centre in late 2022) in the middle of the town’s shopping area.

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Swindon map

Below, clockwise from top left. 1. Diana Dors statue. Diana Dors (born Diana Fluck) – an actress and singer who was born in Swindon in 1931. She appeared in many theatre productions and films – one of which is one of my all-time favourite films, The Amazing Mr Blunden. 2. and 3. Isambard Kingdom Brunel statue. Brunel was the Chief Engineer for Great Western Railway – the Brunel shopping centre is named for him. 4. And 5. Some of the houses in the Railway Village, built to house the workers at the GWR Works.

Currently reading: Full Tilt by Dervla Murply.

Barnstaple is a town in North Devon on the mouth of the river Taw. It’s a market town, but the Pannier Market, which opened in 1856, is currently being refurbished, so is closed at the moment, which is a shame as it looks like an attractive building from pictures I’ve seen of it online. The Waterstones is located in the High Street in the heart of the town.

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Barnstaple map

Barnstaple

Clockwise from top left: Smurfs! They were doing some kind of escape room. The Albert Clock (1862), Salem Almshouses, Penrose Almshouses

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After leaving Barnstaple we headed north to Ilfracombe on the coast to visit two statues.

The first is of a teenage girl called Ekaterine Frolov who tragically fell to her death in fog whilst studying in England in the year 2000. Although sad, I think the statue, which stands on the top of a hill surrounded by great views, is a beautiful tribute to her and has an Art Deco feel.

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The second is by artist Damien Hirst (possibly best known for his artworks preserving dead animals in Formaldehyde!) – she’s called Verity and stands some 20 metres high! She is an allegory for truth and justice, and stands in the harbour overlooking the sea. Installed in Ilfracombe in 2012, she is on loan to the town for 20 years. Love her or hate her, she’s certainly striking!

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