THE search was on for a four-legged friend to join the ‘The Wizard of Oz’ cast at the Wycombe Swan in 1996, and the Observer followed a hopeful Yorkshire Terrier, hoping to star as ‘Toto’, Dorothy’s dog.

Five-year-old Terrier, Tolly, from Maidenhead, followed the ‘yellow brick road’ to the auditions with dog loving reporter Clare Brotherwood and gave a ‘first-hand’ account of her experiences.

Tolly was immediately in the thick of it, being ‘challenged’ by a fellow audition dog, and introduced to Kerry Pitt, who was to play Dorothy.

In a master stroke to get on Dorothy’s good side, he rolled over and allowed actress, Kerry, to tickle his tummy- this had the desired result- and Tolly got the part.

Two undercover detectives and a Slough police officer were hurt when their car crashed into a tree in Chalvey 24 years ago, but the spokesperson from Taplow Traffic base was being tight-lipped as to the nature of the accident.

Sgt. Oliphant told the Observer: “We are keen to trace a red van which was near the scene of the accident, the skid marks are being measured by investigators and we have no definite idea of the speed of the vehicle.”

A teenage rock band was making a big noise as an up-and-coming group in Slough, not only had they recently won a music award, but they had also won a £350 council grant. Starting out in a garage, ‘Decibel Increase’ had learnt their instruments from scratch over the previous 18 months, with the help of Langley Manor School youth club.

But the highlight of their career so far was performing alongside Eurovision Song Contest star Gina G, who had visited the youth club to launch a charity event.

Windsor Boys School was hoping its challenge for Henley Regatta’s Fawley Cup would be boosted by their new ‘high-tech’ boat, a Janousek UK craft, making it’s first appearance anywhere in the UK.

The Observer got a sneak preview of the boat, on the Thames near Windsor Castle, as the crew put it through it’s paces, ready for the big race.

Fire crews and paramedics rushed to a freak accident at a power station in Edinburgh Avenue, Slough in 1996, as a worker had been injured at the bottom of a steep-sided structure.

A cage fell on the man who was working inside a 35-metre deep well and had to be sedated during the rescue, as he had sustained multiple injuries and broken ribs.

A national firearms amnesty, which ended in July 1996, had met with little response in Slough with only 13 weapons being handed-in.

The month-long scheme netted 809 firearms across the Thames Valley, with Windsor receiving 58 and Reading 147.