The Great War of 1914-18 had unforeseen influence on the
future development of Slough. The perk of war was to be lorries or at least the
wrecks of lorries.
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1914-1918 war lorries vehicle repair Image courtesy of SEGRO |
There are those that profit by war and those that loose out by war, Slough definitely belonged to the former. Location played a very major role in taking Slough into the industrial world of the 20th century. The use of mechanised transport on the field of battle proved costly, In this case Lorries.
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Damaged lorries Image courtesy of SEGRO |
The rusting broken vehicles that began to pile up on the depot soon
locally earned it the name of 'The Dump'. Like many government ideas, the cost
escalated, and no doubt after the usual official excuses to cover the
extravagance the whole place was turned over to the Government Surplus Disposal
Board for sale. In the April of 1920, the Disposal Board sold the Depot with
all its contents including surplus British military transport throughout the
world for just over £7,000,000 to 'the Slough Trading Company'. The idea of the
trading company had come from Sir Percival Perry, chairman of the Ford Motor
Company, with Mr Noel Mobbs, later Knighted in 1948, in charge of the trading
company.
The sale by auction in 1920 of repaired surplus army vehicles brought in
much needed returns to the 'Slough Trading Company', one of the first sales day
realising over £30,000. Future sales saw Daimler charabancs sold for £805 and
Peerless lorries for £350 every vehicle having a six month guarantee, in fact
the vehicle sales from Slough exceeded the total output of UK commercial motor
manufacturers for 1921. The vehicle repair business became the Four Wheel Drive
Company' and American company which had grown out of the depot vehicle repair
business. Later known as Modern Wheel Drive.
Who were these early companies that gave Slough its growth in population
and international fame?
Early tenants on the estate in the 1920's included Crossley Motors,
repairing ex-army motor cycles, the Perfection enamelling painting Co. ,
Gillette razor company, the Mentholatum Co. maker of healing cream, John &
Johnson the American surgical dressing manufacturer, and the Hygienic Ice Co.
suppliers of ice to hospitals and hotels etc. O'cedar Mop Company Also
remembered, St. Helens Cable and Rubber Company. Makers of insulating tapes,
hot water bottles and inner tubes for tyres. To make the employees feel at home
many of whom had moved South with the firm from Warrington, Slough Estates
named one of its housing estate streets `Warrington Avenue'.
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Gillette Razor courtesy of Modern Mechanix |
Having repaired the saleable vehicles by 1925, on which a workforce of
up to 8000 persons had been employed, it was decided to continue to develop
buildings and services on the site and rent out sheds and workshops to
expanding and aspiring new companies. From this beginning sprang the Slough
Trading Estate we know today. The Slough Trading Company received the Royal
Assent 7th August 1925. Changing their name to Slough Estates Limited in June
1926. The management of Slough Estates set a new pattern in Landlord and Tenant
agreements, making the estate a more industrial community than a collection of
factory sheds.
From 1925 to 1929 Slough Estates expanded the premises and facilities available to new and established tenants. During this period the government opened a training centre for a number of trades on the Estate, this trained 18 to 32 aged men (up to 35 years for ex-service men) for a six months course to acquire basic skills to fill the vacancies in building, engineering, woodworking and other operating skills required by the growing number of companies moving onto the Estate. At this period the national unemployment had reached seven figures and rising, but Slough figure was claimed to be the lowest proportion in the country at 1%. The publication of this claim caused at the time such a large influx of job seekers that the available housing and factories could not absorb. Slough Estates had built and were in the process of building 2000 houses on their land and in other parts of the growing town. Slough gained the reputation of the 'Hardest working town in Britain'. The Estate brought rapid growth to Slough from a population of 16,000 in 1920 to 50,000 on becoming a Borough in 1938.
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Sir Noel Mobbs courtesy of Stories of London |
From 1925 to 1929 Slough Estates expanded the premises and facilities available to new and established tenants. During this period the government opened a training centre for a number of trades on the Estate, this trained 18 to 32 aged men (up to 35 years for ex-service men) for a six months course to acquire basic skills to fill the vacancies in building, engineering, woodworking and other operating skills required by the growing number of companies moving onto the Estate. At this period the national unemployment had reached seven figures and rising, but Slough figure was claimed to be the lowest proportion in the country at 1%. The publication of this claim caused at the time such a large influx of job seekers that the available housing and factories could not absorb. Slough Estates had built and were in the process of building 2000 houses on their land and in other parts of the growing town. Slough gained the reputation of the 'Hardest working town in Britain'. The Estate brought rapid growth to Slough from a population of 16,000 in 1920 to 50,000 on becoming a Borough in 1938.
An overseas firm that gave a boost to the town and to employment on the Estate by setting up of an assembly unit was Citroën Cars. Andre Citroen was a descendant of a family originating in Holland. As a young engineer he had set up a small factory before 1914 to make double v gears whose patent he had bought in Poland. From the tooth design of the gears his Citroen sign is taken—an inverted double V. Citroën cars had been imported and distributed from London prior to 1925 but the imposition of import duties on cars led Andre Citroën to consider producing cars in England. Car bodies had on a small scale, already been stored at Slough since 1923 which gave the English buyer the choice of a French or English car body. To assemble cars in Slough Citroën took over Unit 1 Dundee Road, the largest shed on the estate which called for a large investment. It was good news for Slough as it was announcing that 1000 men were to be taken on immediately with the prospect of up to 5000 more being employed when the plant was in full production. The plant which opened officially in February 1926 closed in 1966 as the factory was considered inefficient for modern production methods. The development of the trading estate since 1925 has brought other internationally known companies to set up manufacturing bases in Slough. Their range of products has covered a very wide spectrum and has created wealth for an ever-increasing town population.
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Andre Citroën at the opening of the factory in Slough courtesy of Britain by Car. |
Citroen
An overseas firm that gave a boost to the town and to employment on the Estate by setting up of an assembly unit was Citroën Cars. Andre Citroen was a descendant of a family originating in Holland. As a young engineer he had set up a small factory before 1914 to make double v gears whose patent he had bought in Poland. From the tooth design of the gears his Citroen sign is taken—an inverted double V. Citroën cars had been imported and distributed from London prior to 1925 but the imposition of import duties on cars led Andre Citroën to consider producing cars in England. Car bodies had on a small scale, already been stored at Slough since 1923 which gave the English buyer the choice of a French or English car body. To assemble cars in Slough Citroën took over Unit 1 Dundee Road, the largest shed on the estate which called for a large investment. It was good news for Slough as it was announcing that 1000 men were to be taken on immediately with the prospect of up to 5000 more being employed when the plant was in full production. The plant which opened officially in February 1926 closed in 1966 as the factory was considered inefficient for modern production methods. The development of the trading estate since 1925 has brought other internationally known companies to set up manufacturing bases in Slough. Their range of products has covered a very wide spectrum and has created wealth for an ever-increasing town population.
Ford Advanced Vehicles brought fame to the town when under the
directorship of John Wyler they produced the GT 40 which raced and won at Le
Mans in 1966, 67 and 68. Seven mark three with seven litre engines were built
and today, if you can find one, expect to pay £375,000 to £400,000 (2001 valuation).
An overseas firm that gave a boost to the town and to employment on the Estate by setting up of an assembly unit was Citroën Cars. Andre Citroen was a descendant of a family originating in Holland. As a young engineer he had set up a small factory before 1914 to make double v gears whose patent he had bought in Poland. From the tooth design of the gears his Citroen sign is taken—an inverted double V. Citroën cars had been imported and distributed from London prior to 1925 but the imposition of import duties on cars led Andre Citroën to consider producing cars in England. Car bodies had on a small scale, already been stored at Slough since 1923 which gave the English buyer the choice of a French or English car body. To assemble cars in Slough Citroën took over Unit 1 Dundee Road, the largest shed on the estate which called for a large investment. It was good news for Slough as it was announcing that 1000 men were to be taken on immediately with the prospect of up to 5000 more being employed when the plant was in full production. The plant which opened officially in February 1926 closed in 1966 as the factory was considered inefficient for modern production methods. The development of the trading estate since 1925 has brought other internationally known companies to set up manufacturing bases in Slough. Their range of products has covered a very wide spectrum and has created wealth for an ever-increasing town population.
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Ford GT40 courtesy of Postcards from Slough |
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Aspro Ltd, Old original Buildings |
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The Aspro-Nicholas was acquired by Sara Lee in 1984 |
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New building of 75 to 79 Buckingham Avenue High Duty Alloys New Building Development |
This McDonald's fast food hut now stands where buildings that housed the
security police and the canteen of High Duty Alloys.
The site is now occupied (2002) by computer software companies, DIY
warehouse, freight company and a postal delivery company.
The HDA sand foundry buildings were taken by Vitatex in the mid 1970's and
became their textile dying and finishing departments
At the close of 1927 there were 65 firms operating within the confines
of the estate and the name of Slough Estates was well known through articles
appearing in the national press. These reports attracted the attention of men
from the depressed areas of South Wales. The year was 1933 and unemployment in
the country was approaching three million. On a bitter night in February 1934,
two hundred and eighty-five Welsh Hunger marchers arrived in the town and were
cared for by a specially formed Slough Reception Committee. They stopped
overnight in the town before going on their way to demand action from the
Government.
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OS Map revised 1938 courtesy of the Nation Library of Scotland |
The downturn in trade had not escape Slough firms and Slough Estate
management arranged deals in rent and loans for Hygienic Ice and St. Martins
Preserving Company who were in serious trouble. One firm sacked workers and
offered reemployment at a penny an hour less. Unemployed Welsh girls and men
offered to work for less than local labour which obviously did no go down well
with local towns people.
At the same time other new firms were opening premises on the trading
estate and bringing in their skilled employees who would train the newly
recruited staff skills to manufacture new products such as Metal Colours that
was mainly staffed by Germans, Flexello wheels and castors started by Marcel
Menko, a Frenchman of Dutch parentage.
Mars

Like many a son, at some time in our early life we think we know better than our parents, History says likewise about Forrest Mars but in this case, son did have more go and vision than Dad.
Mars senior commenced making candy bar in America in 1923 with Forrest joining when he graduated in 1928. The business expanded but Mars senior having gone bankrupt twice was cautious, whilst son Forrest wished to conquer the world. Disagreement followed and Forrest took off for Europe with a wife and baby son and $50,000. Having studied various chocolate methods on the continent he headed for England in 1932 where at least he could speak the language. At 28 years old he arrived and with a burning desire to prove himself by making candy. Having spoken to Philip Wrigley of chewing gum fame and James Horlick who told him to see Nigel Mobbs, Forrest Mars found himself with a large leaky shed in Dorset Avenue. Within four months of arriving he had had his factory ready for production and the first Mars Bars were ready to launch onto the marketplace. From these small beginnings Mars rose to become in fifty years the estate largest production unit and employer.
VitaTex
Other firms followed such as 4711 Cologne, Coopers Mechanical Joints
makers of gaskets for the motor trade and Mr Steven Wessely who started VitaTex,
to make lingerie and textiles. Mr Wessely had come from Czechoslovakia in 1933
to work as a cutter in the north of England. His ambition was to have his own
plant.
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Charmaine work room, Gresham Road |
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Warp Knitting machines at Gresham Road in 1950's. |
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Sewing room staff with Mr Wessely in the centre. |
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Mr Wesseley after 50 years as owner and chairman of VitaTex |
Note — Fun Knickers.
A young lad on joining Charmaine the task of putting printing ink on his
hands and then printing his hand prints on the back panels of ladies
knickers. A fun project.
This article is an extract from at talk that was given by John Denham on Industry’s Influence on Slough given on October 16, 2001.
He worked at Mars on the maintenance team for a few months in the early 1960's and from 1965 to his retirement nearly 30 years later worked for VitaTex. His children remember their summer holiday in 1965 as their Dad was called back to work early as there had been a disastrous fire at 108 Buckingham Avenue. He told his children that dust from the Flock printing was the cause.
This article is an extract from at talk that was given by John Denham on Industry’s Influence on Slough given on October 16, 2001.
He worked at Mars on the maintenance team for a few months in the early 1960's and from 1965 to his retirement nearly 30 years later worked for VitaTex. His children remember their summer holiday in 1965 as their Dad was called back to work early as there had been a disastrous fire at 108 Buckingham Avenue. He told his children that dust from the Flock printing was the cause.
Further reading on the SEGRO:
Mars bars, Ford GT40s and David Brent: The Slough Trading Estate as it nears 100
100 years of the extraordinary
Slough Estates PLC - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Slough Estates PLC
Postcards from Slough
Modern Wheel Drive
Gillette
Winston Churchill knew all about Slough (sign up for a free account):
ReplyDeletehttps://archive.org/details/winstonschurchil0003unse/page/2712/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Slough
Thank you for sharing this from the Churchill archive.
DeleteThanks for posting this. There are so many echos of my former life in Slough in the 1960s. I am trying to find something on the web about Cippenham at the time that my grandfather lived there. He was almost certainly at this event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuxvAKuZBYo
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. Cippenham has a history website, Historical Curiosities of Old Cippenham Village: https://cippenham.org/. The YouTube link you share of the opening of the Commodore Cinema is a delight to view.
DeleteMy first job was at J Payen 136 Edinburgh Ave the aftermarket operation of Coopers Mechanical Joints. Happy times
ReplyDelete