A NEW Blue Plaque commemorating a historic event in Old Town’s past will be unveiled on Saturday.

The seventh Swindon Heritage plaque will be unveiled at the Goddard Arms at 11am after a short ceremony from 10.30am.

The plaque celebrates the bicentenary of the first-ever meeting of Freemasons in Swindon.

Pre-dating the coming of the railway by nearly 30 years, the Freemasons met in Swindon for the first time on May 1 1818 at the pub.

The VIP with the honour of pulling the string to unveil the plaque on the day will be Rt.W.Bro. Richard Goddard PPrGM (Worcestershire), a descendant of Swindon’s Goddard family.

The Goddard Arms will host an area for refreshments, and a display of artefacts from Swindon’s Masonic heritage will be on display.

David Lewis from the Freemasons said: “It’s a huge achievement to still be going after 200 years, we’re very lucky.

“The Goddard Arms was a meeting place for many years.

“I love history, sometimes we aren’t very good at publicising Swindon’s rich history, so this will be a great occasion

“We are delighted that Richard Goddard accepted our invitation to do the honours.

“We would like to thank Liz Smith-Gibbons, senior conservation officer at Swindon Borough Council, for helping and guiding us in gaining permission to fit the plaque on The Goddards, this wonderful Grade II listed building.

“This is an open invitation to all, irrespective of a Masonic connection. Everyone is welcome.”