A tale of two towns that would rather be be cities

THE RELATIVE merits of Reading and Swindon, two indifferent towns off the M4, are unlikely to get pulses racing outside the parochial confines of the Thames Valley. But for residents engaged in a war of words, the subject is of deadly importance.

With the towns competing to be elevated to city status for the new millennium, traditional rivalries between them are at fever pitch.

Martin Salter, a Reading MP, was forced to apologise to his Swindon counterparts yesterday for "hot-headed" remarks in the local press.

Mr Salter told his newspaper, the Reading Evening Post, he had "every sympathy for everyone who has to live in Swindon" and could "understand why they would need to make outlandish statements to improve its image". He said Swindon's claim to be the economic capital of the Thames Valley was laughable, adding: "The River Thames in Wiltshire is little more than a ditch."

Yesterday Mr Salter described his words as ill-chosen, but insisted he stood by the spirit of them.

He said Reading clearly had the better claim to be made a city. "The fact is that Reading is the regional capital, and everyone recognises that," he said. "It's got history, it's got an 11th-century abbey and a premier shopping centre.

"Parliament used to sit in Reading at the time of the Great Plague. The only thing that it hasn't got is Honda Cars."

Several towns are vying to be elevated to city status as part of the millennium celebrations. Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, will name the winner later this summer.

Rumours that Swindon is on a shortlist of four - the other three of which are said to be Brighton, Milton Keynes and Wolverhampton - have contributed to the current increase in hostilities. Another catalyst is an advertising campaign by Honda, one of Swindon's biggest employers, that portrays the town as an idyllic place to live and has had Reading residents snorting with derision.

Referring to the Honda campaign, which includes television commercials and posters, Mr Salter said: "There are lies, damned lies and advertising campaigns."

Forty miles down the M4, civic fathers in Swindon declined to rise to the bait. John Roche, spokesman for Swindon Borough Council, laughed pleasantly and said the town was flattered by the attention lavished on it by Reading.

"We are jolly pleased that Honda is one of the big names here and that it wants to use us as the backdrop for its product," he said. He hastened to point out that many other household names had their headquarters in Swindon, including Motorola, WH Smith and St Ivel.

Mr Roche added: "We're not in the business of criticising other towns, because Swindon is a cracking place to live. There is bound to be a healthy rivalry with Reading in terms of industry and tourism, particularly because Swindon is so handily located."

But he did admit the Honda campaign was "impressionistic". Asked if the view of the town depicted on the poster - showing Swindon surrounded by bucolic countryside - was one with which he was familiar, he replied: "Personally, no."

Battle of the Bland

READING

Famous sons and daughters: Kate Winslet, Kenneth Branagh and footballer Lawrie Sanchez.

Main sights: A Victorian town hall, an 11th-century abbey and (most notably) Reading Gaol, where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated, an experience he commemorated in verse.

Other attractions: An annual rock festival, seven leisure centres and a meandering stretch of the River Thames.

Day trips: The Chiltern Hills, Berkshire Downs and the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Nightlife: "Heaving", according to one (possibly biased) resident. Numerous pubs and nightclubs including 20 live music venues.

SWINDON

Famous sons and daughters: A long and varied list including Diana Dors, Desmond Morris and the topless model Melinda Messenger.

Main sights: A little short on traditional attractions, Swindon has the Brunel Centre, a new shopping mall and the Great Western Designer Outlet Village, a complex of factory shops.

Other attractions: 19 cinema screens and a new museum devoted to the age of steam, reflecting the town's railway heritage.

Day trips: The Cotswolds and Marlborough Downs.

Nightlife: Described by a city spokesman as aspiring to "continental- style" - ie pubs and pavement cafes.