THE Duke of Edinburgh made several official visits to Swindon during his long life, both with the Queen and in his own right. The first was on February 12, 1960, when he came here to perform two duties and crowds of cheering spectators lined the streets along his toute through the town. The first of those duties was at the Drill Hall in Church Street, where he presented an accolade called the Trophy Challenge Shield to 4th Battalion The Wiltshire Regiment (TA). Later that day, he visited what was then Pressed Steel but is now BMW’s plant in Stratton St Margaret, where he was given a guided tour by managers and frequently paused to speak with production line workers. During this period, the Duke was very active in promoting British industry and encouraging bosses to make their businesses as competitive as possible.