Tower and Town, August 2023 (view the full edition)EditorialI chose Vincent Stokes' painting "Plan and Elevation (Blue)" for the cover of this month's edition as I enjoy its atmosphere of much-needed calm and contemplation. As Vincent himself explains on page 11, he aims to present the viewer with a 'doorway.' So I am inviting you to step through that doorway into this month's edition of Tower and Town. As a resident of George Lane, I have always considered the Police Station a major presence on the street, a symbol of the Thin Blue Line in Marlborough. In the early 1990s my son and I watched a temporary building craned in to be used while the old police station was demolished and a new one built; that building itself now awaits demolition to be replaced by houses and flats. Finding out that there was another even older police station in the town made me want to find out more about the buildings. My research on a recent visit to Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre enabled me to write a short article on the old George Lane police station. Nick Baxter and David Davidge bring to vivid life the work of police officers in the town at opposite ends of that building's life. u3a in Kennet continues to go from strength to strength and Jill Turner and Jeff Hide have willingly contributed articles about current activities and the wide variety of courses available to members. The serendipitous arrival of a picture in my inbox led to the article, meticulously researched by Gráinne Lenehan, Archivist at Marlborough College, about the remarkable Christopher Hughes, College art teacher and four times mayor of Marlborough! And finally, Max More's exceptional photographs and the reflections on his life by friends, colleagues and family echo the contemplative cover painting. Sarah Bumphrey |