Back in 1982 or thereabouts, Paul Young of the Autoplayer Company
purchased the surviving Aeolian roll cutters that had been used for
many years by Artona.  He moved the cutters to his nicely fitted-out
shop in -- guess where -- Slough.

The business promised a lot.  It commissioned, at great expense, a
computer interface for the working cutter.  It promised to produce
loads of new rolls and recuts.  There was a Steinway model B 7'6"
Duo-Art Pedal-Electric grand in the shop which was equipped for
recording, and Saturday recording sessions were held where you were
promised to see the performance and take home the roll.  It was all so
hopeful.  But, alas, the software was poor, the recordings and rolls
rough.  The business had terrible cash flow problems and their work was
skimped in order to pay the bank manager.

Paul was very friendly (to people he liked, anyway), and I had many
enjoyable days looking through their secondhand stock and talking
pianolas.  Tragically, he was killed in a car crash eight or so years
ago.  The whole business was wound up and the assets sold.  (Mike Boyd
now possesses the cutters, trading under the original Aeolian name of
The Universal Music Roll Company.)

So, the name Slough has many memories, both happy and sad, for me and
many other UK enthusiasts.  Joe Roesch sparked off something he really
can't have expected!  That's what I like about the MMD.

Incidentally, John Betjeman suggested friendly bombs fell there way
back in 1932.  He'd _really_ dislike it now.

Julian Dyer