Untypically tropical

摘要

Geography is destiny, as they say in Swindon. The Wiltshire market town's location between London and Bristol made it an important stop on the Great Western Railway, and Brunei placed his engine works there. About a century and a half later, the town's location halfway between Oxford and Bath meant it was where my sister and I were taken for days out with our similarly aged, Avon valley-based cousins. But what was there to do in Swindon? Well, that was the best part: we went to the Oasis Leisure Centre. The Oasis, you must understand, was not your common-or-garden leisure centre. Designed by Mark Potiriadis at Gillinson Barnett & Partners in the mid-1970s, it had three thrilling water slides, a wave machine, and a number of other attractions, all underneath a 14m-high glazed dome. Architectural treasure-houses they might be, but Oxford and Bath are a little short on wild-eyed fun. Raised in tourist centres, we went to Swindon to get away from it all. Words cannot quite capture the visceral excitement that built up as we awaited the next trip.