Today we visited two stations but unusually did so by train. The day started in Henley-on-Thames with a walk to the station, then by a GWR train to Twyford and another train to Slough for the first batch of photos. On the return journey we decided to walk back through Eton to Slough and to stop for lunch on the way. It was during luch that I remembered that my great great grandfather had been a railwayman and worked on the original Great Western Railway. I therefore checked his details on my website as it is some years since I last researched him.

Daniel Boucher had worked for the GWR for about 40 years from 1862 to 1902 rising to be a ‘1st Class Engine Driver’. At first he had lived in Worcester but later lived in Paddington and at the 1891 census, having been widowed, he was lodging with a family not far from where we were eating.  In 1901 he was also lodging, with a different family, a few streets away. So, before rerturning to Slough station, I visited the sites, though the original houses are long gone.
What it did mean is that when Slough Station building was replaced with the present one in 1887 (see below) Daniel was a driver on the line. If he was not already living nearby he soon was and apparently based at the main GWR site which was in Slough.

Now to the photos.

This is the main entrance. We had at first visited the almost identical one the other side but upon asking realised we were the wrong side, which was convenient as it was hard to get a good picgture of that.

Still the main entrance which is a major part of why it is in the book.

Somewhere in the background it does say Slough.

The other side.

This uninspiring photo looks over the area where my Great Great Grandfather lived in at least 1891 and 1901. His address in the former was 18 Stoke Gardens, somewhere below about the middle of the photo.  In 1901 he was living at 4 Grays Place. I think I am right in saying that the white buiding on the right is on the site of what were alotments with Grays Place on two sides in 1901. I did have a check on some old maps whilst having lunch but need to look more thoroughly.

There is more about Daniel and his GWR employment records on the family history part of this website. (His grandfather, and great great grandfathers were also Daniels and the latter is as far back as I have one on that particular line.  All the key events were in Elmley Lovett until the third Daniel began to work for the GWR and moved away.