Slough memories
Here are memories of Slough and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Slough or a Slough photo.
Slough Safety Town & The Teds
I remember going to Slough on a Saturday night in 1958. I was fifteen years old. My hair was well greased and combed back at the sides and ending in a D.A. at the back together a quiff at the front. I was dressed in my best jacket, which was far too big for me, but that was the style then, and with very tight drainpipe trousers. This had been done by a woman who charged me a mere five shillings for her work. I not only felt good, I looked sharp too. The effect was brought to perfection thanks to the almost new pair of crepe shoes my uncle gave me in a rare moment of generosity. I took the 81 bus to Slough and was flattered when the bus conductor told me I looked like Terry Dene, who was enjoying success at the time. I met a mate at Crown Corner who was similarly dressed, but without the... Read more
My Ambassador Cinema
The moment this photo was taken I was most probably working in the projection room at the Ambo'.I would love to know what film was being shown. I started at the cinema when I was 12 years old,stoking the boilers and being a general "go fore" after school which was William Penn Senior. The chief Projectionist was the great Arthur Dednum who was much admired by everyone. I was born and lived in Cumberland Avenue, just a few minutes walk to the cinema. I have so many happy memories, I even bought this framed photo to remind me of those wonderful times.
ABC Cafe
I remember going to the ABC cafe every Saturday with my Mum - it was great to eat out even if it was only a snack.
The Munich Disaster
Ouch! Someone mentioned the old Library in William Street. On the way home from Langley Grammar a few of us used to go to the Library to do our homework before travelling on (me on the 460 to Wraysbury). Outside the Library was a newspaper board and I vividly remember that the board showed that the Manchester United team had been involved in an air crash. Having seen the great Duncan Edwards play and, like a lot of youngsters then, been enthralled by the "Busby Babes" (it's not easy to realise nowadays what effect this young team had, it was the beginning of the United legend and the majority of folk loved them - honestly!) I was stunned then and couldn't believe what I heard later. A lot of people (apparently) know where they were when they heard about JFK's death but I remember where I was when I heard about the Munich Air Crash.
Central Hall And The Coop
Methodist Central Hall and Co-op on right, the Co-op were good tailors and barbers. I got a prize as a kid, presented at Central Hall by George Cansdale (an early TV animal presenter) for designing a National Savings poster.
The Foresters on The Left
In front is the Crown PH. Later Slough College was built behind the left hand side, in the 60's when we were at the College we used to eat at The Foresters, a pub on the left, pie mash & beans and a light and lime (sorry!) cost 2/6d! a bit further on there was an arch to the open market, you could walk thru and out onto Wlliam St (?) I remember the army surplus shop in there.
Granada And Cop Shop
The Granada on the left and down the road, the new cop shop. On the right would have been Herschels house, demolished of course!
Library
Old Library and toilets on right, I was introduced to reading there, exit from open market through the arch on left.
William Penn School
Walked past here daily to W Penn Secondary school, rough but the first school to take any interest in me.
Wedding Reception
Langley, We had our wedding reception here in 1968
Memories
I lived in Upton Park throughout my childhood and also attended St Mary's School in Herschel Street. I also recall regular visits to the ABC cafe after school in my teens. The Crown Hotel was just about opposite the ABC, on the corner of the High Street. The Granada Cinema was a favourite haunt, as was the Adelphi where I first saw the Beatles. I had a Saturday job in Timothy Whites the chemist in the High Street and also when it was taken over by Boots. I also recall Wigglesworth and the 'hole in the wall' greengrocers next to it. Also the 'supermarket' David Greigs in the High Street and MacFisheries. Happy days!
Chandos Street
There was a little pet shop in Chandos Street. I bought a kitten there for half a crown and took her home to our house in the Uxbridge Road. My parents were very annoyed and I had to return her. In this picture is Crown Corner, the road to the left is the Windsor Road. Chandos Street would be behind the photographer to the right. I was born in Slough in 1951, we lived first at 27 Lascelles Road, I remember vividly riding my tricycle up and down it, and left there when I was 8. We then moved to a bungalow, 41 Uxbridge Road, now under a roundabout, and then to 8 Wexham Road when I was 14. My parents lived there till their deaths and I lived on in the house after my father died till 2001. I went to St Mary's, Herschel Street, then to Slough High, a building I dreamed about fo r many years, until I finally paid a visit there to find the school... Read more
Salt Hill Park
I sat under this very tree in about 1960 and wrote a counterpoint musical exercise. I remember this park so well, we had a love-in there in 1967 attended by the famous Sid Rawle.
The Odeon
I lived on Lancaster Ave from 1941-58 and spent many happy Saturday afternoons at The Odeon theatre at "the matinees". I also worked at Perks grocery store from the time I was 13 until I left school. Perks would have been in the left hand corner of this picture. We had no money but we were happy nevertheless...didn't realize that we were poor! My maiden name was Bamborough.
Books in Wexham
My grandpa used to deliver books by bicycle from Burnham to the Old Cottage, Wrexham, before the First World War. He ran a booksearch agency.
My Grandparents' Pub
I remember the Shaggy Calf well, my grandparents Maurice and Beryl (Billy) Harris took over as landlords the day that I was born, 11 March 1958. It was always a popular pub, absolutely fantastic for a kid when my brothers and I used to visit, huge rooms, lots of corridors and a wide magnificent stairway, (it was orignally a hotel), what with the distinctive wonderful smell of a pub, playing with the pub's dogs (a Yorkshire Terrier nick-named Tattie, but not with guard dog a Bull-Mastiff called Chopper), it is an image that has stayed with me for all my life.
This is Where I Was Married....
In June of 1988, this is where I was married. It had been the home of my church, until the congregation outgrew the building a few years earlier.
St Marys Primary School Herschel st
I was a pupil here 1951 to 1959.Has anyone got any photos, info, shared memories?
SLOUGH HIGH STREET - PARK STREET & CHANDOS ROAD
Hi, I am researching my family tree and am trying to locate Chandos Road and Unity Cottages in Park Street. I believe that Chandos Road was knocked down when the Queensmere Centre was built. I wondered if anyone knew which two roads leading on to the High Street are shown in this picture - I'm hoping they may be the two roads I am looking for - I understand they were nearly opposite each other on the High Street. In the 1911 census, my Grandfather lived at 42 Chandos Road and my Grandmother lived in 4 Unity Cottages, Park Street. I'm also keen to locate Nash's Cottages in Wexham Road (Nan was born there in 1903). My email address is jan.saunders1@virgin.net, if anyone can help I would be very grateful. Thank you, Jan.
Slough Post Office
1958 was the year I passed my motorcycle test and became a boy messenger, or telegram boy, working out of the the GPO head office in the high street, riding the iconic red BSA Bantam motorbikes. It was good at the time, and the experience only gets better with the passing of the years. Golden days.
Slough, Bucks And Denham Middlesex
I was born in Slough in 1938. It was in Buckinghamshire then. I eventually lived in Denham, Buckinghamshire (see my posting for Memories of Denham in the Middlesex listing). Since I left England in 1959, the changes seem to have been significant - my birth city and home village have changed counties, the currency has changed but life has moved on and the whole world has changed it seems. My last visit to Slough was in 1996 and even some of the streets and roadways have been re-routed and changed in my 30 years away. My school, Slough Technical, was once called Tonman Mosely and now that has gone and a new, doubtless better school has replaced it. The face of Slough and its population was so very different that I was in somewhat of a shock to see how the town had changed so much. I think I prefer the old Slough and Farnham Common where I spent my very early... Read more
Maingate
This photograph is of the entrance to the Slough Trading Estate at Cippenham, taken from in front of the Berlei factory.
Taking A Tumble in 1960
Seeing this photo bought back painful memories! The year before this photo was taken I was in my usual rush to get from Slough Technical School to my home in Langley. This meant changing buses in Slough and if you were very lucky you could get off one bus and straight onto another. This day however, I saw a number 81 bus picking up riders at the Crown corner in the centre of town. I leapt off my bus and made a mad dash across the road, no doubt giving some drivers a bit of a scare in the process, and made a wild grab for the handle at the back of the bus as it pulled away. Unfortunately I just didn't have the strength to make that last jump onto the platform and had to let go. That was when my foot caught in a paving stone and I must have made a spectaular sight as I rolled over and over down the pavement. What hurt the most was... Read more
Slough High School For Girls
I went to that school from September 1939 till December 1945. Can anyone remember the awful smelling oil based smoke screens that were the other side of Bath road during the war years. My maiden name was Davies. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers me.
Chemist in High Street 1940/50s
Many many years ago, I can remember large queues outside a "chemist" type shop at the far end of the High Street, especially on a Saturday morning. I believe he sold a patent type product that was supposed to help with ulcers. I think the shop had a couple of steps at the front and was somewhere near Bucks music store. PLEASE, please can anyone remember the name of the shop and the man who ran it? Many many thanks.
PARK STREET/CHAPEL STREET
Hi,
I wanted to try to get in touch with Mick Carpenter who sent me a message via this site, but I can't seem to access the message at all - wondered if you were Mick Carpenter, son of Cissy & James Carpenter - if so, we're related - my Nan, Lou Swadling nee Piggott was one of Cissy's sisters. I've recently been in touch with Tony and his daughter, Tracey. My email address is jan.saunders1@virgin.net - please get in touch if this is you. I'd also love to hear from anyone else who remembers either the Piggotts or Swadlings - my nan, Caroline Louisa (Lou) Piggott (born 1903) married William Charles Swadling (born 1904) and they lived for a long time at 21 Beaumont Road, Slough. Thanks, Jan (daughter of John Anderson and Betty Swadling).
Memories of Berkshire
Herbert's Supply Stores Eton High Street
My Great-Great-Grandfather William John Herbert established the Herbert's Supply Stores seen to the right of this photograph. The stores were made of twenty four departments and held the Royal Warrant for Queen Victoria, the Empresses of Russia and Germany, and many minor royals from across Europe. Following a fire in 1896 the building was rebuilt as seen here. The business became Cullum's Garages during the mid 1920's.
Burning Bush
Dad always called this the burning bush, I assume it was the first public lighting they'd seen.
Granny Trotter
Immediately on the right here was Eton College's Rectors House (?), mum's mum was cook, she was a WWI widow with 5 kids and walked daily from a railway slum in Stoke Gardens Slough. When mum left school in the 30's at 14 and was too young for work the rector's wife said to gran to bring the girls along (Nell, mums older sister), mum was "tweeny" (in-between stairs maid) and hated it. Rector took them all on a "holiday", I think to Littlehampton. The girls were laughing at some joke, sitting on the lawn with their mum when they were told off by the rector's wife and given some sewing to do. Mum swore she'd never go into service and got a job packing razor blades, cutting her fingers. Gran also did a "bagwash", washing packed in a pillow case, mum collected and delivered it in an old pram, gran caught her hand in the mangle. A treat was a rabbit which one of the boys caught whilst caddying... Read more
Bath Road
This is closer to Salt Hill than Cippenham. The road on the left is Twinches Lane, the factory on the right is probably Crane Packing, and the view looks west!
On my Way to School
This post office was called Muttons. It was run by Dorothy Mutton. I used the store to buy crisps and sweets on my way to Westgate school.
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