Entertainment Swindon

On the surface, Armed Forces Day in Swindon, was a success with over 6500 people attending the event. But when you take a deeper look, things weren’t great.

Firstly, the numbers would have been close even without the event, as Swindon Borough Council had already been pushing ‘The Big Weekender’ a series of weekends at Lydiard Park with a funfair. When we asked members of the public attending the event if they had known about the event, many said no and were surprised there was an event that day. Speaking to many veterans, including some that were involved in having a stand at the event said it was embarrassing and went home soon after arriving. One who wished not to be named said “this council sponsored picnic is a disaster, there’s next to no military presence, and don’t get me started on the performances on stage!’.

Attending was a skeleton crew from of three of Swindon’s Army Reserves, due to being committed elsewhere because of being invited to the event at last minute. For an Armed Forces Day event to be successful, organisers need to book military units, re-enactors, parachute display teams etc a good 12 to 14months before the event, as every event across the country on the same day are booking the same people, the same groups, the same units. Swindon Borough came to the party late, and we were told from a councillor within the Labour led council, they did not want the event, they did not want to pay for the event and were practically bullied into it. Finally in mid January, the Council started forming a committee to put on the event.

I was invited to join the Swindon Armed Forces Day committee in March. With just just 3months to go, I asked what promotions had been done, as I had not seen any, the answer was none and that we weren’t able to promote the event until the Swindon Council Comms Team had signed off on a press release. At this stage, not even a poster had been designed. I asked if I could design a poster and this was denied, again due to the SBC Comms team having to do it. We finally got a poster back in front of us at a committee meeting end of May. I just put my head in my hands with dismay, the poster was in green, orange and yellow and had three or four American WW2 Army GIs on it, it was if the poster was promoting the American 4th July celebrations.

The poster went back to the drawing board and was placed in front of the committee on 2nd June, just 26 days before the event, the poster this time had been changed to Red White & Blue, which was good, but now it seemed like it was just promoting a family funfair day out with a large Ferris Wheel and Merry-Go-Round, with a tiny silhouette of a Tommy, it had to do, there was just no time left to have another re-design. The posters were circulated and finally put out to the public with a press release from Swindon Borough Council on 2nd June.

The poster promised Army Vehicles and a military parade. On the morning of the event, even I was expecting a selection of vingage military vehicles, at least a couple of Army Land Rovers, but nothing, oh, we did get a big REME MAN truck with a crane. That was it, that morning I was told there was no old vintage vehicle coming as promised and there was not going to be a military parade due to lack of cadets and military personnel to put on a parade. As one veteran told me on the day, “this was truly embarrassing”. It wasn’t an Armed Forces Day event, it was a family funday with a funfair and three army tents.

This wasn’t the Army’s fault, they were literally the last to receive party invite, and other Armed Forces Day events planned way in advance had already booked our local units.

This is just another in series of contempt by the Swindon Council Labour Leadership towards the Armed Forces Community.

We have had a number of 80th Anniversaries surrounding World War Two, first was the 80th Anniversary of D-Day back in June 2024, two senior members of the Labour Leadership, including Leader Jim Robbins took a jolly off to the National event in Portsmouth leaving nothing to commemorate the important milestone to remember the pivotal moment of the war, the council flew the LGBT flag, instead of flying the Union Flag proud to remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.

With VE Day, the council had an opportunity to show they did care about the armed forces community, however when we repeatedly asked the council what they were doing to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the beginning of the end of WW2, there was no response. And with five days to go before the 80th anniversary of this hugely important moment in history, we were informed by the Mayor of Swindon’s PA that the council were rushing a tea party together to show something was going on. The post went out on the councils social media inviting people with just a few days to go, to turn up with their own food and drink. On the day, only a handful of cub scouts turned up to have a photo on the steps of Euclid Street with the Mayor and members of Swindon Council Leadership.

To make things worse for SBC’s half hearted attempt at redeeming themselves for the D-Day embarrassment, many of the small parish councils put on spectacular events, including the small market town of Highworth where, the town was turned back in time to the 1940s and even had a full size replica of a Spitfire in the market square next to several WW2 vehicles.

We have asked the council if they have organised anything to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of both VJ Day and the end of the war, but again the council have not replied.

This years Armed Forces Day was used as a photo-op for the councils leadership to look good and be seen to be doing something in the eyes of the armed forces, they had the opportunity to invite the official opposition Tory Party Leader to stand united in support of the Armed Forces community, it was something I had suggested, but was refused.

Important milestones in our armed forces history have been neglected by the current leadership.

This all comes in a week where Leader of the Labour Swindon Borough Council is under investigation for allegations of misconduct surrounding the Oasis Leisure Centre debacle, which is looking likely that Seven Capital will pull out of the deal to refurbish the Oasis Leisure Centre.

We have asked members of the Swindon Borough Council, including CEO Sam Mowbray to answer our questions surrounding the money of this years Armed Forces Day in Swindon, along with a Freedom of Information Request, however we are still waiting for a reply.