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As the Merlin will be packed with skanky northerners by 11 am this Saturday, whats everyones plans for pre match pintage ?

Winners for me

I'll probably set one foot in the County, realise it'll take an hour to get served, repeat at Winners.

I'm driving anyway.

Tap and Barrel, Tap and Barrel la la la la la!!!  From mid day.  Can't wait.

Merlin for me. I like skanky northeners.

Merlin unless everyone goes somewhere else, then I shall go there.

Merlin unless everyone goes somewhere else, then I shall stay at home.

merlin, no doubt.

Come to the Tap Ben so I can do the head nod in acknowledgement that I know who you are.  

Is the Merlin any good these days?  We went in there after the Trannie match, but pre match is it still rammed?

Merlin, don't really care if its busy, good laugh providing they don't sing their crappy songs again.

I mind when it takes an age to get served, Tap gets busy but they seem to cope better.

Merlin for me as usual - Liverpool v Man Utd is on I think as well ... did they cause trouble in there last time?

It's been busy but not rammed. Don't think its taken long to get served.

Imagine it might be a bit busier Saturday.

Word


Looks like its the Merlin then

I'll be drinking anywhere but the Merlin, I can't stand having to wait 30 minutes to get served.

Im going to take a flask of tea!

Im so rock and roll me

Try a shooting-stick, or one of those fold up chairs that anglers use.

Mailcoach

The Pink Rooms not open on Saturday then Si?

Dunno, ask Fred.

They dont open until 10 pm

Anyone fancy The Pipers then?

Pipers it is.

You can get a rainbow burger for £3

winners winners
woo woo woo

You need a ticket to get in the winners.

i have a ticket
woo woo woo

The Glue Pot.  Every time.

Is the glue pot a gay pub? or has it ever been a gay pub?

Only when Ardiles is in there!

come and say hello to me
woo woo woo

whats a rainbow burger?

Yeah the Gluey used to be a poofy pub, but it isn't anymore.

So where do you go now then?

just go to merlin and buy 5 pints, keep ya going for a couple hours

Mailcoach or Pipers.

Keep up Baldylocks.

Why thank you.

I certainly wasn't aware that the GP had ever been a gay pub.  The Cricketers, however, just across the road was a well known for it.

The Gluey is not, and has never been a gay pub, as far as i know.

I didn't think it'd ever been a gay pub.

No worries Ardiles!!!  ;-)

The Cricketers isn't a gay pub anymore. The only mustaches on show in there remain from when they were last fashionable.

and on the women

So is the general consensus still le merlino?

Or the lawns for a bbq and foootyball?

will there be rainbow burgers on the BBQ?

Dunno. Gazza is in charge of bbqs

oh OK - Ill maybe eat before I come then!  ;)

One in the Swiss Chalet then into the County Ground Hotel for a good sesh.

Supposed to be going to the Merlin...

I miss our little chats with Mr Whippy in the Glue Pot. 

I knew a girl like that once

Ummmm, probably Rudi's then grab a can from the Co-Op on Groundwell Road.

Not 100% on this though as I need to find a bookmaker on my travels.

If you're going to Rudis theres a bookies near/next to the cooperative bank at Regent Circus!

 Isn't there one at the top of Groundwell Road, near where the old launderette blew up?

 There certainly used to be, although as a non betting man, I din't take much notice of these things.

You're thinking of William Hill. It's closed now.

There's a ladbrokes nearby (which Luci suggested)

 Oh right is it a pizza place now then...

Nah I think it's just an empty place. Unless they have done something with it since I last went past.

it moved to opposite the savoy.

Oh yes, so it did. There you go Michel, you're sorted.

Excellent thanks.

Liverpool v Man United at mid-day so I will be trying to avoid that one.

That's next door Reg!

 Oh right....bring back teh Empire Theatre.

 [url width=470 height=294]http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/images/2006/02/22/swindon_postcard_54_470x294.jpg[/url]

What a nice building! Was that where pizza hut is now? What happened to it?

 Burnt down in a fire...that's teh block La Dolce Vita etc...you can make out where The Khyber is down to Maryla's shop...still there.

What a shame! I've seen lots of old pictures but i had never seen that before. I love learning about swindon history.

Don't fancy the Merlin and a load of Leeds fans signing that crap marching on together bullshite. The County was really good before the Leeds game last season but also quite busy/ Great atmosphere in there though.

 Me too...I particularly like the collections of old photos, that get published periodically by the Swindon Society....there's some very fine examples in the Bath Road Museum, by a fella called Brian Bridgeman...who just went round snapping ordinary stuff.

Apparently there are 1000's but nowhere to display them.

 A place that fascinated me as a kid was Moredon Power Station, which had a cooling tower...like Didcot. Now not a trace, not sure I've even seen a photo of it.

Swindon looked pretty amazing in the old photo's shame it seems to have suffered from the 1950's, 60's and 70's architects, or whoever is to blame for the many eyesores around town.

That building does look ace. cant believe they replaced it with the most bland generic building possible.

when will you be gracing us with presence Mr Todd

 Certainly the planners and architects responsible for many of Swindon's poorer buildings, should be put up against a wall and shot.  Nevertheless, there is an element that it can take a bit of time for buildings to be appreciated, and sometimes it only happens when they've gone.

Is this it???

http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/mpsrl.html

[url width=700 height=509]http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/mpsrl4.jpg[/url]

I have to say I live near to Moredon and didn't know of the power station or the connecting railway.

The power station is still there isnt it, just up the brook from hreod?

 Yep, that's it Batch....and a damn fine photo it is. It had the necessary combo of a railway to bring up the coal from Wales and a river to provide water for cooling.

 I like a bit of heavy industry.

The site of the power station is now Pembroke Park I think. I wouldn't grow veg in the garden if I lived there.

 I admit to being a mite surprised when houses sprung up on that site.  Thinking about it though electricity generating is in fact quite clean....assuming it's not nuclear.

Great photo.

I saw plans years ago for the completion of the northern orbital road (I don't know its real name), which was going to loop round from the northern development and join up with the square of roundabouts on the Great Western Way near Cheney Manor.  (I've been out of Swindon a few years now, so local knowledge & place names a little rusty...sorry).  I wonder whether its contamination from the old power station that's caused the delay - or just a failure to invest in infrastructure.

* Thamesdown Drive
** Bruce Street Bridges

Thanks!

I think the delay's moreso to do with the fact that to join those roads though they'd have to run straight through the middle of Shaw Forest.

What the dump you mean?

OK, so now I now the former power station is 5 mins walk from my house max! I guess the old railway line should have been a give away, I just assumed it was solely a passenger line and part of the Swindon-Cricklade route.

My favourite photo is the colour one of the small thin chimney getting demolished. Not sure why.

http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/mpsrl.html

Is that what those grooves are for on the bridge over the river ray near the big hill then? crazay

I ride along that old railway track from Moredon to the end of Marlbrough Road most days to work. It's a nice journey along there, especially the climb into Old Town over Mill Lane and all that jazz.

No, just some small substation or something like that.  It was demolished years ago, before I lived there, my mum reminds me of it's previous existence whenever we pass the area now as she's an old Moredon lass from it's incarnation - her original house was demolished in Gloucester St to make way for development.  I've been told that opening Renault Meganes or other electronic key opened cars can be a bit difficult in Pembroke Park at times.

I'm going to ditch losers to hang out with Padge. Wooot.

can anyone get in the winners tomorrow?

It's the GW for midday then tap'n'barrel. Ardiles' penchant for the Gluepot fuels the fire for a potential family feud but each to their own. we will win.

If you're going to the GP, give PWP a friendly kick in the knackers from me!