This building gave us quite a headache but we think we've sorted it out now!  We noticed some ghost writing towards the top of the building and wondered what it used to read.  We think - hope - we can justify our conclusions but will be pleased to receive any corrections.

A few facts we have learned: currently the address is 1 Faringdon Road; it used to be in Faringdon Street.  It is currently called Faringdon House but used to be called Waterloo House.  Until 2014 it was occupied by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) for many years - see CAB's new home at:  Sanford House.  In the past has been used by Brays & Co. (milliners, dressmakers etc), Chudleighs (milliners and drapers) and Millets (Governments Contractors).

Our information comes from three photographs on Flicker provided by the wonderful Swindon Local Studies and Family History's stream (based in the Central Library in Swindon).  They have a couple of original leaflets which they have scanned and made available to everyone.

    Leaflet dated October 1901 - The Swindonian
    Leaflet dated 1908 - Edwardian Booklet
    Close-up of building - Edwardian Booklet

Each photograph gives clues but questions do still remain.  In our photographs of the writing, there appears to be three layers of writing:  Chudleighs, Bray & Sons and Milletts.  We are not sure whether Chudleighs and Brays & Co. were the same company at one time or whether they were always two entirely different ones.  They appear to have sold some of the same services.  Where Millets came into it we don't know!

Our interpretation of the three layers (in no particular order) is:

    MILLETS
    GOVERNMENT
    CONTRACTORS

    DRAPER
    Chudleigh (written in a wavey line going upwards from left to right)
    MILLINER

    Bray & Co. (written at an angle going upwards from left to right)

Also can be seen (just under the word Draper), are letters 'LATE' or 'LATT', but no others appear to go with them.

And just to finish off our explanation, around the date stone at the top are the words Chudleigh (as seen in the close up of the leaflet).

The W.G.L. inscribed into the building is for W.G. Little.  At time of writing this (February 2017) we read this historic building is under threat in a short piece by Graham Carter and he also gives us details about this man and his legacy to Swindon.  Please follow the  link  to see the article as it will be better in his words than ours!  We await a longer article in the Swindon Heritage Magazine, due out shortly, in which we are promised more information about the story behind this man and building.