Who would have thought that a simple postcard could ignite so much passion?
Last week, Sir Phil Redmond, the creator Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks, and chairperson of the UK Town of Culture, invited the bidding towns to create a postcard to be displayed in a Digital Museum.
The brief was deceptively simple: create an image “that captures your town, a piece of design that highlights your cultural offering or something else entirely”
In Slough, that simple request triggered something remarkable.
We had three days to create and send the postcard: creatives, designers, photographers, community leaders and residents sprang into action. More than ten different postcard concepts were produced, each offering a different vision of our town and what makes it special. The designs were shared widely, debated vigorously and eventually put before both our steering group and the public for a vote.
The result was one of the closest votes we have seen.
What made the process fascinating was not simply the creativity on display, but the conversation it sparked about who we are and how we want to present ourselves to the rest of the country.
One camp argued passionately that the postcard should celebrate the Slough of today. A youthful, multicultural town full of creativity, innovation, music, dance, technology and energy. They wanted colour, movement and people. They wanted to show the richness of modern Slough and challenge outdated perceptions head on.
The other camp believed the postcard should tell a broader story. They wanted to highlight the extraordinary legacy of a town that helped shape modern Britain through industry, science, innovation and pioneering achievement. Their view was that our future becomes even more powerful when it is connected to our past.
Neither side was wrong.
In many ways, the debate reflected exactly what our Town of Culture bid is about. Slough is both. A town with an impressive legacy and a town constantly reinventing itself for the future.
Then came another debate that seems impossible to avoid in 2026: AI
Should AI-generated images be used? Some argued that AI images are essential to show the vision of the future. Others felt strongly that a postcard representing Slough should feature real people, real places and genuine moments from our community. Rob Deeks the chair of the Slough Steering Group felt AI is like marmite.
In the end, authenticity won.
The winning design features real residents, real creativity and real life. It captures a town that is not standing still but moving forward with confidence.
Perhaps the most encouraging part of the whole exercise was not which design won. It was the speed with which people came together. A national competition asked for a postcard, and Slough responded with imagination, debate, collaboration and pride.
Soon, our postcard will be displayed alongside entries from towns on social media and on a Digital display in the Liverpool Museum.
When ours appears, look closely.
It is more than a postcard.
It is a snapshot of a town discovering its voice and becoming increasingly confident about sharing it with the nation.
