Did You Know?

American Forrest Mars Snr chose the town for his factory, and it's still the company's European HQ. Three million MARS® bars are now made daily on Slough Trading Estate. Between 1964 and 1966, Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds was written, produced and filmed in the Supermarionation Studio on Slough Trading Estate.

Ah, I hear you say, but Mars is an American company. You would be right, but the bar that bears the name of its owner and a confectionery empire was actually born in Berkshire. Founder Frank Mars gave his son Forrest the money to set up his own chocolate business in the UK in 1932, and the younger Mars ended up in Slough.

You might already know that the game of snooker was invented by a young officer in the British army posted to India more than 140 years ago.But did you realise the man behind the sport was a native.

The Road Research Laboratory was set up in the Langley area of the town in 1946, and was tasked with creating a pedestrian crossing with road markings that were visible in all conditions.

While the tropical island setting for Thunderbirds, boasting palm trees and blue seas, was clearly not inspired by the Berkshire town, the popular 1960s puppet programme was made on Slough Trading Estate.

The pioneering astronomer Caroline Herschel moved to Slough in 1786, having been born in Germany 36 years previously. In a distinguished career, Herschel discovered eight comets, rediscovered another and assembled a catalogue of 560 previously unrecorded stars.

Famous for winning the Le Mans 24-hour race four times in a row between 1966 and 1969, the Ford GT40 is one of the most iconic racing cars. The GT40 was developed and assembled in humble Slough, on the town's trading estate, on its way to motorsport immortality.

It is home to an impressive 42 parks and open spaces, making it an ideal location for young families or those who want some fresh air away from the city.

The modern plastic wheelie bin was invented by the Slough based company, Frank Rotherham Mouldings, on March 12th, 1968. It was initially used only for the movement of refuse from one area to another inside the factory. However, the novel design was spotted by a sharp-eyed Health and Safety Inspector.

It has been recognised as one of the 20 most competitive locations in the United Kingdom as the service, software and creative services, amongst many others, have significantly increased over recent years.

One piece of it's history that everyone should know about is the stuffed dog which stands proudly in a glass case on Platform 5. The dog was a canine collector for the Great Western Railway Widows and Orphans Fund from 1894 until his death in 1896.