Our Archive of the Windsor, Slough & Eton Express is held at the Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) at Hall Place, Burchetts Green, Maidenhead, SL6 6QR. It has been located there since pre-COVID.
The whole Archive covering from 1815 to 2020 (except the WW2 period which is currently on a long-term loan) is held within a secure shipping container adapted to the Archive’s needs with lining, shelving, heating and lighting. It is located close to the BCA Main Reception (and toilets) and is covered by security. Unfortunately, there are no seats or a table, and viewing of Volumes within the Archive is limited.
Visiting the Archive
To visit the Archive, you must:
- Call the BCA Main Reception on 01628 824444 and ask for Janet Robertson on ext. 472.
- Tell her what you would like to access in the WSEE Newspaper Archive.
- She will get one of her staff to contact you (usually Wioletta Durlik).
- Agree on a date and time to visit the Archive (usually around lunchtime is best).
- When arriving, you will drive up from the entrance and follow signs for “Main Reception“.
- Please adhere to the speed limit, as there can be a lot of students and farm vehicles.
- Park at the “Top Farm Drive” car park near the four containers in a line.
- Go to the “Main Reception” and sign in (a photo ID, car reg, and phone number).
- Your photo will be taken and a pass will be produced; you must wear this at all times.
- A staff member will collect you (usually with a trolley) and take you to the Archive.
- Enjoy!
Inside the container, the two sides have sturdy wooden shelving that contains the volumes. Shelves are deep and sturdy to take the weight of the Volumes. The Volumes fill most of the container. They are grouped together but, due to the various sizes, are not in full-year order.
The best way to view the Volumes is to agree with the BCA staff to take them offsite and return them at a mutually convenient date/time. You can always extend it if you run out of time. However, please note that the Volumes, especially the older broadsheet ones, are extremely heavy and can be fragile. Assistance maybe required. Also you will need appropriate coverings to protect the Volumes, especially during transportation. We do recommend leaving the Volumes for a few days to allow them to acclimatize.
Index for the Archive
Here is the index of the Archive. You will see it has the year and the shelf number it can be found on. This was indexed by a student over a recent summer. Unfortunately, there is a sheet missing with the later years, we will add that shortly.
History of the Archive
There are two very interesting articles by Brigitte Mitchell about the Archive. The first one in Windlesora 23 was written in 2007 when things were, to say the least, fluid.
The second brings the story up to 2025, nearly 18 years later. We have had a pandemic, so many prime ministers it is difficult to actually count, and some local wars that nearly went global. This is our first published article that is in advance of the Windlesora it will appear in!
History of the Windsor, Slough & Eton Express
Within this website, you will also be able to find articles about the publisher and other aspects of the WSEE.
Windsor Local History Group 