| Date | 13 January 2012 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0013 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Views of the Past |
Transcript
Benefactor’s gift to town
Views of the past by Elias Kupfermann
MANY people in Slough will remember the Old Drill Hall in Wellington Street – swallowed up by the Queensmere Shopping Centre in the 1960s. The Drill Hall was a gift from local entrepreneur, businessman and benefactor James Elliman, who ran a thriving business which manufactured horse ointment known as Elliman’s Embrocation.
He also presented the Salt Hill Playing Fields (now Salt Hill Park) to the town in 1907. In addition, James Elliman gave the land and money to build Slough’s first Town Hall, known as Slough Public Hall and also a headquarters for the Slough Fire Brigade.
The Drill Hall was built on land next to James Elliman’s Embrocation Factory, Wellington Street, in 1902. It was to be the headquarters for the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Battalion ‘C’ Company. Elliman not only gave the land for the building but he also paid the £9,000 cost of construction.
In covenants on the building, Elliman stipulated that in the event that the Volunteer Corps (or the territorial organisation which took its place) ceased to be voluntary, the property should be used for physical culture and recreation.
In 1955 the Territorial Army, then using the Drill Hall, came under the control of the regular army and it was decided to close the Drill Hall as it was no longer needed. This caused a great deal of objection at the time from the Slough Old Contemptibles Association and other veteran soldier groups. One of the main worries of the old soldiers was what would become of two war memorials, one to the Boer War and the other to the First World War. These were saved and re-sited at St Mary’s Church.
In the later part of 1955, the Drill Hall closed and became the property of Slough Council. It was later sold off as part of the Queensmere Shopping development for £15,000. At the time of the closure of the Drill Hall, there was much discussion on how the money raised from the sale could be utilised for physical culture and recreation as directed in Elliman’s original covenant. This included the development of a cultural centre in Slough.
Sadly, this never materialised, and the money was used for the general running of the council recreational departments.
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