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Victor Cazalet MP for Chippenham in 1924
Sportsman, Traveller and Champion of Poland, whose death in 1943 with General Sikorski remains a mystery.
Philip Rundell Royal Silversmith and his connections to North Wiltshire
You may have heard of Grittleton House near Chippenham and how Joseph Neeld its owner, came to be MP for Chippenham in 1830. Joseph Neeld went on to build the Neeld Hall in the centre of Chippenham and acquire many more properties in Wiltshire and London. But just how did Joseph Neeld amass such wealth in such a short time? This fascinating article describes his relationship with his uncle, Philip Rundell, from whom he inherited a vast fortune in 1827.
Ken Gill and Dan Awdry – A Communist and an Old School Tory profiled.
Two people from different ends of the social spectrum, both of whom were in some way connected with Chippenham. The Trade Union leader Ken Gill was a pupil of Chippenham Secondary School while Dan Awdry was a past Mayor and an MP for Chippenham. Here we contrast their time in office through the 1960s and 70s.
Lord Hinton of Bankside 1901 – 1983 – Son of a Chippenham School teacher and a pupil of Chippenham Secondary School.
Christopher Hinton was a local boy who rose to be head of several national industries and a distinguished engineer in his own right.
Dame Florence May Hancock 1893 – 1974 – From local factory girl to national figure.
Rising from humble beginning as a child in Chippenham, Florence Hancock went on to hold many senior posts in the trades’ union movement, industry and other public institutions before becoming a dame of the British Empire in 1951. This remarkable woman is one of Chippenham’s most influential figures of the mid-20th Century.
OS Nock as he appears on the cover of his autobiographical work ‘Line Clear Ahead’ originally published by Patrick Stephens Ltd.
O.S.Nock 1905 – 1994 – Noted Railway Journalist, Author and Signal Engineer.
Ossie Nock was a man of his time; a confident and well known author whose connection with Westinghouse in Chippenham lasted from 1926 until his retirement in 1970. Nock was witness to the effects of World War II whilst working at Westinghouse and the turbulent years of railway modernisation from the 1920s until the end of steam. In this article we reveal some of his personal reflections on life in Chippenham during this time.
Paul Magdocz 1920 – 2002 Chippenham’s last traditional Blacksmith
This remarkable man was a well-known resident of the town for over 50 years. His skills were appreciated by many, and his work still lives on. His most well known Chippenham work, the ‘Vauxhall Railings’ are now at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum in Calne.
