James Arkell, Swindon brewery boss and former High Sheriff of Wiltshire Picture Ref: 77585-62SWINDON...AND PROUD OF IT: THE people of Swindon have thrown their weight behind the Adver's aim to boost pride in our town.

Yesterday we launched a campaign urging you to show how much you love the place.

The move follows comments made by fashion guru Wayne Hemingway who said some of Swindon's new estates were worse than prisons and "jaw-droppingly bad".

Swindon brewery boss and former High Sheriff of Wiltshire, James Arkell, whose family have been living here for more than 150 years, said Swindon had a lot going for it.

"You have got to remember that Swindon has expanded three times in the last 40 years or so," he said.

"It's become one of the fastest growing towns in Europe and therefore it's got a lot going for it.

"I think some of the new estates are really attractive, particularly in West Swindon.

"You can always find some not so good ones but that's the same wherever you go.

"Swindon is great. It's got a lot going for it and I love the place.

"I really like Taw Hill, that's one of my favourite places now."

And Swindon Town legend Don Rogers, who has remained in Swindon after helping them win the League Cup in 1969, and has a sports shop in Fleet Street, said: "You can always pick faults in places but Swindon's got better and better that's for sure.

"Since I came here in 1961 there's loads more stuff going on. Things like the Oasis and the Link Centre weren't here when I moved here.

"You can take places for granted but I think Swindon's great. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to London.

"People knock the place and it's the easiest thing in the world to just knock things. But all I can say is it's got so much better and it's still going."

Former Brunel Rooms DJ Sandy Martin, who now has a show on BBC Radio Swindon, has also backed the Adver initiative.

He said: "I think it's a terrific idea. It will unite people with one positive objective to be proud of the place we live in.

"When I read what Wayne Hemingway said I thought, 'what a plonker'.

"I moved to Swindon in 1979 because it was a town of opportunity. I left Scotland in search of freedom and adventure and I could have gone anywhere but I came to Swindon.

"It's not the houses that make a place, it's the people and Swindon has got movers, shakers, characters and crackpots."

Gareth Bethell