Entertainment Swindon

Many like myself will have fond memories of The Octagon cafe next to the bus station, sat in the shadows of what used to be Tri-Centre One, Two & Three, originally home to Allied Dunbar and went on to become Zurich. I remember as a kid growing up in Highworth getting on the number 7 bus to Swindon, getting off and grabbing a quick coke before heading into town to wonder round the shops before heading to the old three screen cinema which is now the Savoy pub and on the way home, often stopping by the Octagon once again for a bite to eat, this was before Swindon had a McDonalds.

Now with the re-development of the surrounding area, including the work on the new bus boulevard and Covid, owners Jon & Heidi Flitcroft have been forced to close the cafe due to thousands of pounds incurred in debt.

The iconic octagon shaped glass building from where it got its name became a regular stop over its 40yr life with people stepping off the bus coming into town for work and shopping, last year the owners were told they would need to vacate the building ahead of it being torn down as part of the re-generation project.

Speaking to Jon about having to close, he said: “We have had to make the tough decision to close The Octagon due to situations out of our control since COVID and lack of business over the last couple of years.

“The council did gave us the break in rent until the building was due to get demolished as part of the Fleming Way project and unfortunately we are now in too much debt to carry on. We are devastated”.

As Jon said, the council did offer a lifeline, allowing them to stay with a year long lease rent free, but circumstances since Covid have been too much to recover to the dismay to many of the cafes regulars.

Many businesses since Covid have had a very uncertain future, many being forced to close, this and the changing geography of the town centre have forced the closing of the doors for the last time.