please empty your brain below
Remember back in the late 1970s, seeing the town's carnival parade while riding a bus to Kingston and pitying the girl who wore the glorious sash proclaiming she was "Miss Staines". Easy jokes, but it is a nice enough town. The ABC cinema used to have tigerskin carpeting and they even got the Queen over from Windsor to open the shopping centre.

Waterhouse | 21.06.15 - 8:44 a.m. | #

I actually found the walk along the raised path between the Staines Resevoirs quite interesting and surreal.

I suppose that Staines has a very decent claim for Thorpe Park being one of its attractions, too.

A | 21.06.15 - 9:16 a.m. | #

Never liked the place since I saw Carshalton Athletic miss a last minute penalty before going on to lose in extra time in the Conference South play off final a few years back.

kev hennessy | 21.06.15 - 10:33 a.m. | #

I try to avoid Staines, although have been there twice in the past month as a specialist radio supply shop I use has recently moved to a trading estate near Staines station. I went via the 117 bus.
I remember the Trident crash and am ashamed to say that I was one of many who drove that afternoon to the Staines-By-Pass to see the crash.
I have never walked on the moor, been meaning to do so for many years.

John | 21.06.15 - 12:29 p.m. | #

I think lots of people assume that Staines is in Greater London. I had to go there a few times for work a while ago and I noticed that South West Trains had discovered it was pretty profitable to put a couple of staff on the gates to issues penalty fares to unsuspecting Londonders trying to use their Oyster cards.

Nick | 21.06.15 - 4:39 p.m. | #

Staines-upon-Thames, not the Staines-on-Thames you still have in the subhead.

The town worthies of course chose the poshest version thus matching Richmond-upon-Thames.

The abandoned railway viaduct & embankment used to go to Staines West station which is maybe on the list of historic sites.

Come to that even the "raised path between the Staines Reservoirs" has historic connections - Nevil Shute Norway and his merry crew tested various devices here.


Mike D (in Walton-on-Thames)

Mike D | 21.06.15 - 4:46 p.m. | #

For what it's worth, I can recommend the circa Victorian Swan Hotel on the riverside. A Fullers pub where you can watch rowers and indeed swans float by without a care. Don't bother with the concrete bits.

dave | 21.06.15 - 4:53 p.m. | #

I'm pretty certain the ciggie smoking fella will not have minded if you struck up a conversation with him whilst getting a proper close view of the plaque. You never have to explain who you are or what you are 'really' doing but it does make visits more productive to speak to people....

B | 21.06.15 - 5:21 p.m. | #

Mike D, Of course Richmond town is still named Richmond, it is the London Borough that is called Richmond upon Thames.
Kingston, the name is Kingston-upon-Thames for the town and the Borough.
Staines however is Staines-upon-Thames for the town only.
Nick, yes the London Travel Cards for trains on that line end at Feltham (Zone 6). You can get tfl buses to Staines.

John | 21.06.15 - 5:27 p.m. | #

Question for you, DG: how does the London Stone at Staines relate to the one near Cannon Street station?

James Webber (@jimweibo) | 21.06.15 - 7:11 p.m. | #

I spent my teenage years in Staines and in particular lived in Stanwell Moor. So many memories, sigh. The thing is, the town centre, shopping wise is much improved, especially since pedestrianisation and the Two Rivers shopping centre was built.

The Market has moved to the high street and is much improved in quality. But at the end of the day its a quiet little suburban town with nothing fancy or unusual about it. Better nights out to be had in Richmond, Windsor or Kingston.

But there are plenty of jobs to be had and a reasonable prosperity. The bits near the Thames are obviously the bits to get excited about though.

Rational Plan | 21.06.15 - 7:14 p.m. | #

Due to traffic on the M25 on my way back from Walton today, I drove through this area. A required diversionary stop was required to let the girl use the potty and to clean something unspeakable off the baby boy, and I ended up parked up here: http://goo.gl/maps/d7kHc

I was outside the derelict gates of somewhere that is long-since demolished but turns out to have some historical significance:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanwell_Place

Adam | 21.06.15 - 7:31 p.m. | #

I remember the Staines air crash well. I was working for a month in Milan and that Monday morning my Italian colleague said he had booked a holiday in Thailand flying British Caledonian. I said 'you'll be ok, all British airlines have good safety records'. It was our custom to leave the office for a few minutes each morning to get a coffee. As we walked outside even my non existent Italian could translate the newspaper placards. A very sad day. When I returned to London several weeks later, a colleague told me he had cycled out to the crash site: ghoul!

Julian | 21.06.15 - 9:53 p.m. | #











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