Words and pictures by Chris Forsey

THE cast of ‘Cluedo’ who were treading the boards at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, in 1986 would have been mystified as to the less than flattering Observer review for their first night.

The most positive comment from the reviewer was that the play was “vaguely amusing”, but then the knives came out with criticisms that “nothing really happens” and “a very boring play”.

Perhaps the most stinging remark was left for the last paragraph:” It is neither interesting enough to be called a mystery, nor funny enough to be a hailed a comedy”.

The summer of ’86 would not go down in history as a hot one and when Richings Park tried to play its annual President’s XI cricket match the club were faced with a water-logged pitch.

The game was also due to open Slough’s cricket week and players and officials tried hard to clear the standing water from the outfield with brooms and pitchforks.

Intrepid local photographer, Gary Trotter, got the chance of a lifetime to scale the heights of the Slough Trading Estates cooling towers 32 years ago.

His biggest problem was that to reach the top of the 250-foot structures, Gary would have to climb straight up the side of the chimney.

The firm of steeplejacks or “Jacks” from London had been working on the stacks for the previous 8 months, when they had nearly finished, they gave Gary the chance to get some “jaw-dropping” photos from the summit.

The Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, suffered from almost non-stop rain in ’86, but Mary Price from Farnham Common came away with a bronze medal.

Speaking to the Observer on her return, Burnham Bowls Club member Mary, admitted:” I enjoyed the whole competition- apart from the weather- it’s difficult to bowl on a lake!”

Although her matches with the England ‘fours’ were not hit by a 32-country boycott of the games, Mary was hoping to keep her good form going for the upcoming National Championships.

A familiar losing score line for the England Polo team (losing 8-4 to Mexico) did not dampen the spirits of the crowds of ‘star gazers at the Cartier International.

Most of the onlookers would not have a clue as to difference between a ‘chukka’ and a ‘handicap’ when watching the Sport of Kings, but they did know how to do a Mexican wave.

Amongst the ‘glitterati’ were Ringo Starr, Ian Botham, Billy Connolly and The Bee Gees and some of them paraded for the crowds at the interval, following the age-old tradition of replacing the ‘divots’ made by the horse’s hooves.