Ref. 71753-02A TIME capsule full of treasures has opened a window into what life was like 113 years ago in Swindon.

It was buried at the Rolleston, one of Swindon's oldest pubs, in Commercial Road. It was originally a coaching house, with stabling where The Furnace nightclub next door now stands.

It was opened on Tuesday, August 17, 1891 and the landlady of that time buried the capsule.

Kevin Fitzgerald took over the pub and the nightclub three years ago and inherited the capsule which had never been opened.

"When one of the walls was knocked through it was discovered,'' said Kevin.

Inside they found three lace-up boots about a size 3 and a dress.

"The original landlady must have been very short,'' he said.

Also there were three beer bottles, a cotton reel, half a doll and a bottle of compound essence of aniseed, linseed, horehound and tolu, in a bottle whose label said it was for coughs, colds and sore throats and made up by S Daniel Pharmaceutical Chemists of 26 Regent Circus, Swindon.

Kevin also discovered a copy of The People newspaper dated Sunday, May 31 1896 and an envelope addressed to the former landlady Miss E Fox, Rolleston Arms, sent from Graham & Co with a stamp dated 1898.

"It must have been the landlady's because she was a Miss,'' said Kevin.

"It would be interesting to find out if any of her relatives are still living around here.''

The landlord believes that the pub was named after one of Swindon's prestigious, land owning families, who would have paid for the inn to be built but would have given the licence to someone else to run.

Kevin has been trying to discover the history of the pub but all records for the week it opened have disappeared.

"Perhaps Miss Fox is haunting the pub,'' he said. "We do know that it was built as a hotel and restaurant and would originally have had 12 letting rooms.''

To mark the anniversary there will be an all-day celebration with an exhibition by Contemporary Artists Of Swindon, a charity headshave and a sponsored leg wax on Tuesday.

"Everyone will have to bid to pull off one of the strips on the bloke's leg,'' said Kevin.

There is also a raffle and music from Kocha, Sean Boswell and Becki, Tim Sawyer and Ian Doezer, the singer and guitarist from the Hamsters From Hell.

All proceeds from the day will be split between the RSPCA and MS Charities. For more details telephone 01793 534238.

Events of the year 1891

Thomas Hardy's rural novel Tess of D'Urbervilles was published as was The White Company by Sherlock Homes' creator Arthur Conan Doyle

Thomas Edison patented the radio

Basketball was invented by Canadian writer James Naismith

Songwriter Cole Porter and writer Henry Miller were born

The first London to Paris telephone link opened

There were mass demonstrations in Hyde Park for an eight-hour working day

The Factory Act prohibited the employment of children under 11

The construction of the Blackwall Tunnel started

Flicky Harrison