Long Ago And Far Away

A Memory of Cippenham.

I was born in Slough in 1943 and lived in Cippenham until I was fourteen when we moved to Canada. Cippenham was the perfect place to grow up: a short bus ride to town, and a short walk to the open country, Burnham Abbey, and Bluebell Woods. I attended both Cippenham Primary and Cippenham Junior Schools before going to Ragstone Road. The bike ride along Cippenham Lane to school in Chalvey was a pastoral delight. At that time Slough was the "Safety Town," and I was so proud to take the cycling course, pass the cycling test, and attach a yellow pennant to my handlebars. I do have one regret, however, and it involves a failure by the schools to develop a sense of community pride in students. The schools did nothing to teach us about our community, or to make us feel good about where we lived. Imagine living in a place so full of interesting historical sites, but never being taken on a walk to visit them. We could have walked from Cippenham School to Burnham Abbey in less than half an hour, for example, or we could have taken the bus to Windsor Castle. However, we never ventured out of the school grounds. What a missed opportunity. The rest of my education was solid, and served me well through seven years of university, and a rewarding career as a college professor. From six thousand miles away I am saddened by the fact that the only time I hear Slough mentioned in the media, it is portrayed negatively. I had a fantastic childhood in Slough, and am proud to have been raised there. If I had the money I would sponsor prizes for an essay-writing contest in which students would tell why they are proud of Slough.