Swindon
Swindon lies is midway between Bristol, 40 miles (64 km) west and Reading, 40 miles (64 km) east. London is 81 miles (130 km) east.
Companies which have a presence in Swindon include Motorola, Honda, BMW and Intel. The town has a live music scene, venues such as The Beehive, Riffs Bar, The 12 Bar, The Furnace and The Victoria attract local acts as well as touring national acts and host Swindon's annual music festival the Swindon Shuffle. The Oasis Leisure Centre and the County Ground are also used for some of the more major events. Opening December 2010 the M.E.C.A is the new 2000 capacity music venue at the top of Swindon's town centre. Also not to be missed is The Arts Centre. Located in Old Town, it is a 212 seater theatre which features music, professional and amateur theatre, nationally-recognized comedians, films, children's events, and one-man shows.
Swindon is also home to some excellent shopping. The Brunel Centre and the Parade are shopping areas in the town centre. Retail parks include Greenbridge, West Swindon Shopping Centre, Stratton and the Orbital Shopping Park with shops ranging from M&S to Comet and Mothercare.
Not to be missed are Swindon’s numerous public parks, including Lydiard Country Park, Stanton Park, Barbury Castle, Queens Park, Town Gardens and Coate Water.
