• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Thursday January 26 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Federation of Small Businesses unveils proposed new Swindon flag

The Federation of Small Businesses has unveiled a proposed new Swindon flag as part of its Swindon Day celebrations.

Swindon Day was devised by the FSB last year, after it emerged the borough did not have a celebratory day of its own.

The date of January 22 was picked – the anniversary of the day when Queen Victoria signed a charter – the last such of her reign – to bring Old Town and the new town established around the railway from 59 years earlier together as one.

The road that links the two still bears her name.

This year’s event was marked with a networking event on January 24 at Swindon Borough Council’s new business office and co-working space The Workshed, where the blue and white flag – designed by town resident Torin Clements and featured to the right of our picture – was unveiled.

The proposed flag features brass finishings from the Great Western Railway steam trains on which Swindon’s current status and prosperity were founded.

The four chevrons represent the four hills surrounding Swindon: Highworth, Old Town, Barbury, and Liddington. The blue represents the skies in which Swindon-built Spitfires flew during the Second World War and the white represents the town’s industrial and economic present.

The colours are taken from the town’s coat of arms that bears the motto Salubritas et Industria – health and industry.

The event also included a Swindon-themed quiz designed by author, blogger and volunteer area lead for FSB in Swindon, Angela Atkinson.

Ruth Lambert, development manager with the FSB for Swindon and Wiltshire, said: “ Many small businesses are having a challenging time at the moment, so it was great to be able to offer an opportunity for people in the town to come together and celebrate all the good things Swindon has to offer; one of which is definitely the great range of small businesses working in and around the town.”