A new bar has opened in Swindon at an unusual location. 

Even Swindon Community Centre on Jennings Street is now the new home of Slapshots Bar thanks to the efforts of mechanic-by-trade Bradley Egginton. 

The 41-year-old says he has always been interested in the bar industry and jumped at the chance to open his unique venue inside the venue usually reserved for bingo nights and other similar community events. 

Despite only being open for a couple of weeks, he says that the reaction to the new establishment - themed after his love of ice hockey having played it his whole life - has been brilliant. 

"It all started because the community centre had a licensee for a bar but that gentleman retired so I was asked if  I wanted to take on that role," he said. 

"I did my personal license, set up a small bar in there and it worked really, really well.

"Then a room became available and so I put all the planning and everything in to change the bar I had into the other room and the end result was this social club/bar for Swindon residents.

"It's taken off very very well."

The bar has worked closed with Arkell's, who supply it, with Bradley saying that the local brewers have been a lot of help. 

"Their help and guidance has been fantastic," he said, "But it's still a learning curve, I have never run anything like this before."

Despite his relative lack of experience, Bradley says that people are happy with what he's done. 

"Everyone seems to have absolutely fallen in love with the bar, it's very modern and very exciting.

"They are enjoying themselves every night they come in and there's been a steady flow of people each night.

"I wanted to create somewhere new for them go, a very family-orientated place, for people to come and relax.

"It fills the same purpose as a bar or a pub elsewhere, but it's also different. 

"The community needs so badly to get back in touch with itself. We want people to talk to their neighbours and bring the community back."

At the moment it is just Bradley on his own running the bar, but as word spreads and things progress in the coming months he is hoping to get sufficient levels of custom that will allow him to employ some staff to really cement Slapshots Bar as part of the community.