Atari in UK, Slough (Shiuming Lai) from 'way back'

high voltage · April 1, 2021

Atari Europe, Railway Terrace, Slough, SL2 5BZ, UK

Oh I remember this building well. Meeting Daryl Still, walking around the huge warehouse, full of Atari hardware, software, a PAL Atari 5200 and lots more.

The good times, visiting Atari numerous times. I just went there to purchase numerous 32 in 1 Carts. Must have had approx 50 or so.

Atari UK

Shiuming Lai takes a walk down Memory Lane

14 years ago was a good time. Life was simple and I had endless computer fun with my machine of the moment, an 800XL with 1050 disk drive which I still have to this day. Programming techniques were nowhere near as advanced as in current Atari 8-bit software, but the concepts were there and the shock factor of the synthesized speech in Activision's Ghostbusters lingers on, more so than many things I've seen since. Then there was Atari's new ST range, the stuff of dreams for most school kids. Who could forget the jaw-dropping screen-shots of Magnetic Scrolls' The Pawn in the Atari magazines? Les Ellingham's wonderful home-grown Page 6 and Database Publications' Atari User were available at nearly all newsagents, it didn't get better.

I lived in Slough during these years, an industrial town in Berkshire, close to Windsor. Every time I went into the town centre, I passed Railway Terrace, the location of Atari UK since the early '80s. Oops, did I say it didn't get better?! To have any computer was exciting and digital one-upmanship was rife, but none of my classmates could boast having the mother company nearby!

Now, it's 2001 and Atari is a mere brand for Infogrames. The Atari UK building is occupied by Concurrent Computer Corporation - very fitting that it's another technology based company.

The MyAtari team visited Slough to bring you these pictures.

Looking down Railway Terrace from William Street. That dome topped building is part of Slough station.

There it is. On the left is a bus depot.

An ideal candidate for a Lego model. You'll need those 2x2 corner slope bricks.

You could be forgiven for thinking the building is symmetrical, here's the first clue to quash that idea.

Atari employees travelling to work by train and coming out of the station's North exit would see this. Note the adjoining warehouse, 1st floor window: administration areas and demo/meeting rooms.

Main building entrance view from the staff car park. Ground floor: reception/office area and access to the workshops and warehouse, 1st floor: administration/office areas and demo rooms, 2nd floor: Bob Gleadow's office and other top brass.

Thanks to El Fernandes at Atari Workshop for helping us identify the different parts of the building.

Edited April 1, 2021 by high voltage