Book Review by Dr Brigitte Mitchell
Published in Windlesora 32 (2016)
© WLHG
Foreword by HRH Price Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh
The Institute that became an Institution may be a slim volume, but it contains a wealth of fascinating information, and is well illustrated throughout. John Handcock has been the Clerk to the Trustees of the Royal Albert Institute Trust since 1966, an impressive 50 years, but his association goes back much further. His knowledge on the subject is second to none, and its story is told here with John’s usual wit and aplomb, showing his deep affection for nines the institute.
From its inception, the RAI was dedicated to the education, culture, and entertainment of the town. Reading of the many visitors, celebrities, and speakers who passed through the RAI doors, one feels saddened that it lasted just 100 years. Yet what it did for Windsor in those years was quite amazing, providing the town with a cultural centre open to all levels of society. Something Windsor could do with today.
Although it closed it doors some decades ago, the RAI has not in fact disappeared. What grew from it is the Royal Albert Iinstitute Trust, which has gone from strength to strength, and is financially sound. Both young and old have benefited, and local historians and authors have received loans or grants to enable them to publish their research. The Trust supports local initiatives like the Berkshire Young Musicians and Windsor Theatre Guild. It financed the Diamond Jubilee Windows in the Guildhall. This is no dry dusty tome, but a delightful, readable history of an important asset to Windsor’s cultural life.
Copies are available via windsorlhg@gmail.com or from Waterstones Bookshop tn Windsor. Price £5.
Windsor Local History Group 