Preserving and celebrating Jim
A beloved stuffed dog at Slough Railway Station has been celebrated through music and drama.
Actors and singers performed to crowds outside the station, in Brunel Way, to commemorate the life of Station Jim.
Jim, who now rests in a glass cabinet on platform five, was a familiar and friendly face to travellers in the late 1800s.
Anna Jones, programme manager at Museums Partnership Reading – the group who organised the event said: “It was fantastic.
“The sun was shining and the choirs were singing – the perfect occasion for Jim to be brought to life.”
Jim came to Slough station as a three-month-old puppy in 1894.
Station staff arranged for him to wear a harness with a collections tin for widows and orphans so travellers could donate.
The pup was so popular that commuters and staff raised £40 – nearly £4,500 today – to have Jim preserved and displayed at the station when he died in 1896.
And more than 100 years later there is still plenty of affection for him.
“He’s the only dog that is a sort of resident, if you like, across the GWR network so he’s really special and unique,” said Anna.
Performances held at the train station on Monday, April 29 included specially written songs and music from Slough Writers and Slough Music Service.
Actors from Rabble Theatre in Reading also helped bring Jim’s story to life.
“We wanted to make something celebrating cultural heritage in Slough, thinking about the history we’ve got in the area and particularly around Jim,” said Anna.
“[There was] an actor playing Queen Victoria who – you might be aware – made her first train journey from
Slough. So there was something around Jim meets Victoria and her being impressed by Slough’s history and the welcoming nature of Jim.
“Jim was a puppy that collected for charity, so we also wanted to celebrate that idea of charity and support that the Slough community still offers to each other.”
Later this year, Jim is expected to temporarily leave his long-term home at the station as conservation work gets underway to preserve him for future generations.
Anna said: “We [the museums partnership] are working with GWR on the conservation of Jim: making sure his fur, his claws, his nose are all looked after so he’s there on the platform for another 100 years.
“At some point this year, he will go away for some TLC that’s much needed and wanted.
“He’s a bit of a local hero – a local icon – so we want to make sure he’s properly looked after.”