Jaye Isherwood - Making Modern Britain: Slough Trading Estate

In her documentary-style talk, Making Modern Britain: Slough Industrial Estate, Jaye presents a wealth of knowledge on the industrialisation of Slough at the end of the First World War, as she narrates over a series of atmospheric archival photographs of the people, buildings, and industries that have passed through the estate over the last 100 years.

[@michaelfearon1279]

Really enjoyed watching

[@paulhumphriesz4557]

Thank you for sharing this as a youngster I remember cycling along from the burnham end passing the wagon wheel factory then the shoe factory and finally that sickly smell from Mars a combination of smells as you went from one end of the estate to the other My Late farther worked at Tretol's on Edinburgh Avenue and I remember the little steam engines that run up and down but a great video of happy memories.

[@Boyce1964]

Used to cross the Estate each day on the way to school (Britwell to Cippenham) My first paper round was delivering on the Estate to the likes of High Duty Alloys and taught to swim at Slough Community Centre Pool. Worked at Ian Ross Castings and VitaTex.

[@TheEulerID]

Excellent film, and I'm old enough that it brings back a few memories. As a primary school kid, I learnt to swim (after a fashion) in that pool in the Social Centre and got by 10 yard certification in what must have been around 1964. In 1966 I went to what was then called Slough Technical High School (now Herschel Grammar) on Northampton Avenue behind the community centre. Whilst it followed the practice of using place names, it runs North-South connecting with a junction with Whitby Road which runs East-West. That's opposite to the convention of the estate proper. There are others very nearby (Sheffield Road and Melbourne Avenue) that also buck the system. However, most other roads to the east of Farnham Road, like Belfast Avenue and Gloucester Avenue, Warwick Avenue and many others do respect the system.
I also clearly remember the tank engines on the estate railway still running albeit finally reduced to trundling tankers of oil to the power station before closing down in 1973.
*****
Just an update. Showing this to my mother, who was born in 1931 and worked on Slough Trading Estate after WW II, she suddenly exclaimed "that's me; I've got that photo somewhere". She's standing on the far right of the picture at @18:36.

[@neilstone8764]

First worked at Coopers Mechanical Joints in 1969. At 5pm the streets and roads were full of people, so much so that it looked like a Giant Ants Nest. Thats when it really was a manufacturing Trading Estate. Now all the family firms have gone, replaced by computer technology and minimim staff.

[@ah-sf8kp]

Modern Slough compared to its past is very surprising

[@harveywhittam6444]

Fantastic work by men like Sir Noel Mobbs developing such an awesome industrial estate

[@rickxlcr]

Very good film, I agree it was and is an amazing place.

[@OAK77uk]

Brilliant - I have the Trading Estate Railway book some years ago. If this gets through to Jaye Isherwood are there any more 1960s - 70s photos especially areas near what was Taylor Stainless Metals, who I worked for back in mid 1960s, Franklin Rubber, who my late ex wife worked for after leaving school in office, and does anyone remember Len Gillians (partner/wife Ivy Cox) lived Dedworth Green, who, I believe gave me a copy of the Trading Estate Railway Book and would have had a connection with the Railway System 1950s-70s. Many thanks. I have ReTweeted this on my channel on Twitter /OAK77uk would appreciate any updates as I now live in Somerset and am happy to help if I can from a distance. Michael Dixon

[@douglastimms2256]

i worked at bestobell aviation in the mid seventies till early eighties in the psd dept wonder if anyone i worked with has seen this video