77633-54SWINDON...AND PROUD OF IT: WILTSHIRE'S jazz star Jamie Cullum has backed our Swindon And Proud Of It campaign. The musician was only too happy to sign one of our pledge cards.

Although Jamie was brought up in Hullavington, near Chippenham, he admits to having a soft spot for Swindon.

"I've made a lot of good friends in Swindon," he said.

"It's sad that the town has always been at the butt of people's jokes.

"It's not a bad town people choose to live here for a reason."

Since the death of the railway in the 1980s, Swindon has worked hard to create a new image.

The town is now home to firms such as Honda, Nationwide and Intel.

It has also spawned smaller but equally as successful enterprises.

Jamie's dad, John, is chairman of Premier Watercoolers, which runs its operation from Kembrey Park, Swindon.

This week the young pianist helped launch a dispenser specifically designed for schools and colleges.

Jamie is not the only star to sing Swindon's praise. He couldn't hide his excitement when the Adver asked him about his forthcoming album earlier this week.

The 25-year-old only finished recording it on Saturday.

Although reluctant to give away too much, he did say fans could look forward to something special.

"It's taken three and a half weeks to record and I've been writing the words since mid-January but I've enjoyed every minute," said Jamie, whose last album, Twentysomething, was a huge hit.

The name of this latest album has yet to be revealed.

"It's a real mixture of stuff and more piano and bass than the last album," said Jamie who will be performing a gig in Bath on July 31.

"Jazz is all about improvisation and I've always tried to put it in unfamiliar situations."

The new album is due out in September.

Kevin Shoesmith