Latest news with #JimRobbins
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Swindon croc' returns after five-year absence
A much-loved crocodile is back on display at a town art gallery. The stuffed gharial, a type of crocodile mainly found in India, returned to its display at Museum & Art Swindon after being absent for five years. Fondly known as the Swindon Croc, the gharial has been in the council's possession since 1931 and has been displayed in a number of exhibitions throughout the years. The gharial has had extensive restoration work done since it disappeared from view when the museum closed in 2020 and was welcomed back with an unveiling event earlier. Gharials are one of the longest living members of the crocodile family but are now an endangered species. It is estimated there are fewer than 250 still alive. The Swindon gharial was originally a hunting trophy and its first known owner was Maj Morton Hiles, who lived in India between 1916 and 1922. He later lived in Warminster and gave the gharial to Warminster School before it was passed to the museum in 1931. The new exhibition at Museum & Art Swindon explores the history of the gharial, the moral, ethical and legal considerations of protecting a critically-endangered species, where it can currently be found in the wild and what it means to the people of Swindon. The new exhibition also highlights creatures in Wiltshire that are on the critical list such as the West European Hedgehog and the Lapwing bird. The gharial was unveiled at the civic offices by Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins, deputy mayor of Swindon Neil Hopkins and South Swindon MP Heidi Alexander. Councillor Jim Robbins, said: "The gharial, or Swindon Croc as it's fondly known, is one of the most famous pieces in Swindon's collection and was the figurehead of the Save the Croc campaign when the Museum & Art Gallery closed at Apsley House in Old Town. "The gharial is more than just a stuffed reptile in a museum and we want to make sure its long and complex history, which intertwines with Britain's past and the country's place in the world, is explored in the right way." Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Museum reopening 'a success' when gharial returns Campaigners mark three years of museum closure New town museum opens four years after closure Swindon Borough Council
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Swindon croc' returns after five-year absence
A much-loved crocodile is back on display at a town art gallery. The stuffed gharial, a type of crocodile mainly found in India, returned to its display at Museum & Art Swindon after being absent for five years. Fondly known as the Swindon Croc, the gharial has been in the council's possession since 1931 and has been displayed in a number of exhibitions throughout the years. The gharial has had extensive restoration work done since it disappeared from view when the museum closed in 2020 and was welcomed back with an unveiling event earlier. Gharials are one of the longest living members of the crocodile family but are now an endangered species. It is estimated there are fewer than 250 still alive. The Swindon gharial was originally a hunting trophy and its first known owner was Maj Morton Hiles, who lived in India between 1916 and 1922. He later lived in Warminster and gave the gharial to Warminster School before it was passed to the museum in 1931. The new exhibition at Museum & Art Swindon explores the history of the gharial, the moral, ethical and legal considerations of protecting a critically-endangered species, where it can currently be found in the wild and what it means to the people of Swindon. The new exhibition also highlights creatures in Wiltshire that are on the critical list such as the West European Hedgehog and the Lapwing bird. The gharial was unveiled at the civic offices by Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins, deputy mayor of Swindon Neil Hopkins and South Swindon MP Heidi Alexander. Councillor Jim Robbins, said: "The gharial, or Swindon Croc as it's fondly known, is one of the most famous pieces in Swindon's collection and was the figurehead of the Save the Croc campaign when the Museum & Art Gallery closed at Apsley House in Old Town. "The gharial is more than just a stuffed reptile in a museum and we want to make sure its long and complex history, which intertwines with Britain's past and the country's place in the world, is explored in the right way." Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Museum reopening 'a success' when gharial returns Campaigners mark three years of museum closure New town museum opens four years after closure Swindon Borough Council
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Swindon croc returns to museum after five-year absence
A much-loved crocodile is back on display at a town art stuffed gharial, a type of crocodile mainly found in India, returned to its display at Museum & Art Swindon after being absent for five known as the Swindon Croc, the gharial has been in the council's possession since 1931 and has been displayed in a number of exhibitions throughout the gharial has had extensive restoration work done since it disappeared from view when the museum closed in 2020 and was welcomed back with an unveiling event earlier. Gharials are one of the longest living members of the crocodile family but are now an endangered species. It is estimated there are fewer than 250 still Swindon gharial was originally a hunting trophy and its first known owner was Maj Morton Hiles, who lived in India between 1916 and later lived in Warminster and gave the gharial to Warminster School before it was passed to the museum in new exhibition at Museum & Art Swindon explores the history of the gharial, the moral, ethical and legal considerations of protecting a critically-endangered species, where it can currently be found in the wild and what it means to the people of new exhibition also highlights creatures in Wiltshire that are on the critical list such as the West European Hedgehog and the Lapwing bird. The gharial was unveiled at the civic offices by Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins, deputy mayor of Swindon Neil Hopkins and South Swindon MP Heidi Jim Robbins, said: "The gharial, or Swindon Croc as it's fondly known, is one of the most famous pieces in Swindon's collection and was the figurehead of the Save the Croc campaign when the Museum & Art Gallery closed at Apsley House in Old Town."The gharial is more than just a stuffed reptile in a museum and we want to make sure its long and complex history, which intertwines with Britain's past and the country's place in the world, is explored in the right way."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Museum centrepiece missing for five years seems finally set to return
An iconic museum centrepiece that has been missing for years could soon be back. The hugely popular Indian gharial, nicknamed Apsley, has not been seen by Swindonians since the borough's art gallery and museum closed for the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. But she could well be on her way back home. Swindon Borough Council, which opened a renewed gallery and museum without Apsley in the upper storey of its civic offices in Euclid Street last year is certainly serving up some teasers. Historic pub set to be demolished saved by greenlight for new use Bus gates, no parking and 20mph limit: What new Fleming Way will be like A posting on the authority's Facebook page showed a dramatic picture of the 20-foot crocodile from its fishy prey's perspective, giving a close-up view of Apsley's rows of razor-sharp teeth under the legend 'it's been a while crocodile… Coming soon to Museum & Art Swindon.' It has also posted a cryptic video: A (slightly shaky) camera travels from Apsley House in Old Town to the civic offices, welcomed by council leader Councillor Jim Robbins and the recent Mayor Imtiyaz Shaikh, and up to the door of the museum. Coming Soon: Swindon's most famous resident returns to Museum & Art Swindon 🐊🏛️ — Swindon Borough Council (@SwindonCouncil) May 21, 2025 The caption says: 'Coming soon: Swindon's most famous resident returns to Museum & Art Swindon.' Assuming that the caption isn't suggesting Diana Dors or Billie Piper are soon to move into the civic offices, it seems likely it's another clue to the gharial's return.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Serious failings' in council homes say inspectors
A judgement on a council's social housing has said there are "serious failings" in standards and "significant improvement" is needed. Swindon Borough Council - which owns and manages more than 10,000 social and affordable rent homes - self-referred to the social housing regulator. Leader of the council Jim Robbins said he wanted to "work really positively with the regulator" and it had not raised any issues they were not already aware of. Problems included fire safety, electrical safety and the repair service. "We knew there were some challenges in our housing departments and we didn't think there had been enough investment" said Mr Robbins, who explained they already had plans to sort all the issues. He said that the council has already planned to spend £250m on its homes. "We are committed to doing everything we can to sort that out as quickly as possible. We also want to build new council housing to get down the amount of people on our waiting list" he added. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Maggie Hathaway-Mills has lived in a sheltered housing tower block in Swindon for 13 years which has lots of communal facilities and likes it: "I wouldn't leave. You would have to drag me out." There are wardens, which she said were "fantastic" and she had "no complaints" about council workers. However, she was concerned about repairs and felt there was not the same level of checks in place that there used to be. "There is no real oversight and that's what causing problems." Recently, her bathroom was being re-done and she was left without a toilet. She was told to use one several floors down, when she uses a walking frame. Ms Hathaway-Mills said: "It's the system that's got hiccups. They've always had hiccups but the hiccups are getting bigger." Mr Robbins put the lack of investment in the housing down to low local authority funding over time. "It's a really tricky situation. I think there haven't been the right levels of investment in the past. We are doing everything we can." He said they had already been working on the fire safety issues and had hired new management in the housing department. Mr Robbins has asked residents to come along to the council's engagement sessions. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Council to spend £250m on improving housing Regulator of Social Housing - Swindon Borough Council Swindon Borough Council
