Sir John Betjeman complained of Slough
That there’s no room to graze a cow
And in the same breath:
Bomb Slough to death!
But what town grazes cows anyhow?
D’ye know what, Sir John, I’m gonna dis you now, and big up Slough!
So…Come friendly folk and love your Slough
Fit for humans, both then and now
There are pretty parks to picnic in
Blind, blind blind was Sir John Betjeman!
Come refugees from poverty and war
Come all you city renters, we have flats galore
We have every food for every ethnic group
Fresh and straight off the boat!
Find your community within this town
A home well connected through 5K and the Lizzy line
Yes and beautiful flats to rent or to buy
Compared to London, prices aren’t quite so high
And curse that man with his double chin
Who sullied our town: No not James Swindlehurst,
John Betjeman!
Whose verse our town has much maligned
For what?! Just his corrupted mind!
“Shall we smash his desk of polished oak?
Smash his hands so used to stroke?”
Yes! Stop his boring dirty joke!
And make him yell!
Should we spare him and not stoop so low?
That last verse is all his you know!
So who is to blame for all this woe?
What was his private hell?
What made him want our town destroyed?
Call for fascist bombs to be deployed?
It’s not our fault his mind was sick.
Why should we care what ails this.….guy?
And what of Slough’s achievements great?
Do they not carry any weight?
Creativity that stems from Slough
Has changed the world for good.
In his poem he disparages us all and shows willful blindness
There isn’t a hint of either insight nor human kindness
He doesn’t see the beauty behind the industrial facade
He doesn’t see Slough works so very hard
So, come friendly folk and descend on Slough
You will get such a warm welcome now
Create, work hard and be true
You are free here – to be you!
by Piers Gledhill
