Timeline Calne: 29 October 1863, First train at Calne station

The first train to arrive in Calne was a goods train carrying 100 pigs, along with other goods, such as coal.

The train arrived on the broad gauge track on 29 October 1863 at 8:30am.



Reference:
Herbert, G., 1972. The Calne Branch. Oxford Publishing Co.

Place Names of Calne: Jelly Alley

Jelly Alley is the affectionate name given to the alleyway between what is currently Co-op and Marden Cafe.

The building was constructed in the 1970s and was home to Gateway supermarket, which in the early 1990s rebranded itself as Somerfield, which was subsequently aquired by the Co-op in 2008. Some time between 2002 and 2006, Somerfield took over the rest of the main building, which had previously been Europa News and Crusty Bloomers bakery[a].
Apart from when it has stood vacant, there have been various owners of Marden Cafe in the smaller unit on the other side of the alleyway.

By the late 1970s it seems that someone had thrown cubes of jelly at the ceiling of the alleyway, with others following suit, using the Gateway brand of jelly[1]. This has continued on and off ever since, until July 2018, when Catherine Crofts of the Calne Cleanup Crew posted about an opporunity for artists to help with murals or artwork in Town[2].

After meetings with Calne Town Council came to nothing, the owners of the Co-op building were approached and agreed to a mural in the alleyway. Along with volunteers, Natasha Deacon and Toby Welsby have created an excellent piece of art in an alleyway that was dingy with a ceiling riddled with decades of jelly cubes.

The atmosphere of the alley now matches the sweet name that locals have called it for years.

 

To discover more about the place names of Calne, buy the book:

References:
Many thanks to Natasha Deacon for the information on the current project.

[a] Experian, 2002 and 2006, Calne, Plan number: 4102AC, Experian GOAD Limited, Welwyn Garden City. Thank you to Caroline Newbury for reminding me of the businesses here.
[1] The Real Shout Out Calne shared a post. - The Real Shout Out Calne | Facebook. 2019. The Real Shout Out Calne shared a post. - The Real Shout Out Calne | Facebook. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/therealshoutoutcalne/posts/2002327213133406?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW4Vn8XOF4pRK98SAePh-P6mEKAnwCbWZv5fA8SoNvvM7TvwRQdO2ZLzb3W1X4kKABmKZ-bracOkuuINzLBlrqBvPZg2Q5XkIB8fD0MNEn_OamY5INaU3aF9yQILVUjkTKfBtLJbg9TAjARTXsbqU4BNfQDCV_mcpdzGo7fNgBTJu-PUaZN8W07cgCSuf5c3Ivr37OUqJ8BLr07FuwX4IB9Q7P05l67m9mPJXKjwcQvn1Sh8xwheSx3BOUuGV7f3ZOqf0JgN3hg8HAyrY4jP_QhdqOSrY2Hypuiw3IqrqJn1pbWAdAnjbsnqzo6nmH36Dq6Uovc-lG38zrBuYYsQFN2H-3L8XVo31oBVBMdwEjx_4oP-Yr8CZ_DGlET3-zR0bIcssE1NjIq4yWTiY2vDn-Cx_xPbu3MNrVcTg9nMTFZAWr_9oIEicWrZx0R77R90laJzaUwOwRfH1xjvR3Xpla7hb8EYcxlDR4gg_YzCKLQqfl9w&__tn__=-R. [Accessed 25 September 2019]. 
[2] Calne in Photographs public group | Facebook. 2019. Calne in Photographs public group | Facebook. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CalnePhotographs/permalink/445279136062084/. [Accessed 25 September 2019].