IN SPITE of its economic prosperity, low unemploy-ment figures and fast-growing population, Swindon is regularly the victim of bad press.

Ask any stranger what they know of the town, and they may well describe a sprawling concrete vision of dreariness, a plethora of big businesses and a pretty complicated roundabout right in the centre of town.

The Swindon stereotype of a town with no history or culture seems to precede us, and in spite of its greatest efforts, the reputation is proving hard to crack.

Swindon has failed two years running in the bid for city status, losing out to Brighton, Inverness, Wolverhampton and, more recently, Preston.

It has been accused of being overly materialistic at the expense of culture, and a damning Ofsted report of schools in Swindon has proved a major setback in the restoration of the town's good name.

In August last year, Swindon hit the national headlines when employees of the National Trust objected to the company headquarters moving to the town.

Judging by their disgruntlement and scepticism, they had clearly heard the rumours, and many refused to consider relocation in Swindon.

"I abhor Swindon," one employee told a national newspaper. "I will just get another job."

The National Trust is not the only company to have trouble recruiting people to work in Swindon.

Zurich Financial Services, one of Swindon's biggest employers, has been battling against the town's reputation for years, and often has to work hard to persuade staff to relocate here.

If they do agree to work at the company headquarters, based near the railway station in the town centre, many prefer to commute every day, rather than move house.

Jane Hewin, of Zurich, said: "We employ more than 4,000 staff but find it very difficult to recruit from outside the town.

"We find that many people have heard bad reports of Swindon and it is hard to change this image.

"Swindon doesn't have the archi-tecture of Cheltenham or Bath, and it doesn't have the regeneration activities of Birmingham.

"But we try to open their eyes to the very positive aspects of the town its good location, its prosperity and its low unemployment.

"It is essential to see the bigger picture with Swindon. It is not just the town itself that is important but the district as a whole."

Zurich finds that it is easier to recruit people with families to Swindon, as the town has much to offer young people.

"It is not so easy to attract the single twenty-somethings," said Ms Hewin.

"They are much more flexible and mobile, and when they have the choice of any location in Britain, Swindon would not be their first choice.

"We do find, however, that when people do move to Swindon, they are generally happy with what they find here."

But regardless of the national per-ception, many Swindon residents maintain that morale in the town is high.

It may not be the prettiest town in England, they say but it is honest as they come and Swindon has everything you could need.