A very brief investigation would suggest that the 'walking from Andover to Swindon' thing may have been an urban myth. Fleming's parents it would appear, moved from Andover to Swindon when he was a kid and he went to school in Swindon and worked at the GWR works whilst the parents owned a butcher's shop in Market Street.
I'm still going to choose to believe it nonetheless.
What do you reckon Reg?
I'd have thought a pre match walk from Andover would be pushing it, especially when you could get a train up to OT.
Alfred Williams used to walk daily to and from his cottage in South Marston to The Works. In his book he tells the story of fellow worker, who did a similar daily hike, but in a spell of wet and cold weather like we've just had, got a few too many soakings and died.
There's a few decent routes from Marlborough to Swindon....the best is to use the old railway to near Ogbourne St George, then veer off for Southend, then follow the Ridgeway Path up to Barbury, drop down the hill and hop over the fence, to the path for Overtown Farm....follow the lane round to the right, although you can drop down to Wroughton if desired by going straight on, which brings you out by Halcrow up at Brimble Hill... tiny bit of road walking leads to the top of Ladder Lane, follow that down to Piper's Way, cross into the Great Copse, then out by Intel and back on the old railway which leads up to the side of The Wheatsheaf
