Jim Donahue’s Thames Valley tales

Round & About

Jim Donahue moved from the USA to the Thames Valley with his family in 1999 and fell in love with the landscape, history & quirks which he shares in his new book, The Thames Valley: Past, Present, and Future – A Snapshot of English Life

Having moved from America, I knew very little about the Thames Valley other than what some said about beautiful places to live such as Marlow and Henley and that it was the main corridor for the UK’s high technology industry. 

In the next 25 years, I have lived and worked in Cookham, Slough, Windsor, Newbury, Pangbourne and finally settled in Whitchurch-on-Thames. In that time, I came to know the area well but still wondered what the Thames Valley was all about. Most people know what you mean by the term, but as there are no formal boundaries or official Thames Valley local government. It is only recently, since I finished my book, that talks have been initiated to consider making it a more formal regional authority, most likely around the boundaries of the three counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire – similar to the area covered now by Thames Valley Police. 

The beauty of the Chilterns and the English countryside in this area is what inspired me to take up photography about 15 years ago. I then started publishing my own books about towns and villages in the area featuring my photos of both the countryside and many of the vibrant community activities that I saw as unique to English country life such as village fetes, the Royal Swan Upping, Oxford rowing and so much more. I relished village community life and the quality of life that can be found here, becoming a member of the local parish council, and acting as chairman for several years now.  

I gradually learned more and more about the area’s rich history. As an American, I found it fascinating compared to America’s more limited background. And as I dug deeper, I learned about the layers of history that oozed through the area – and not just any history, but events that were crucial to the development of England as a whole. From some of the oldest settlements and evidence of life on the British isles; to major battles between King Alfred and the Vikings at Reading; to William the Conqueror’s role is establishing castles at Windsor, Wallingford and Oxford; to the Royalist Civil War headquarters at Oxford University and the centre for many important WWII D-Day flights and photo reconnaissance activities, right through to today’s modern high tech corridor, Science Vale near Oxford, and booming creative industries. 

When I began the 3-4 year process of writing this book, I quickly learned that there are very few books about the region, partly because of its informal nature and partly because local historians tend to focus on their particular towns and villages. My book attempts to pull this all together to tell the region’s story for the first time in an accessible manner – visually with my photographs – and in a series of concise and engaging stories, many of which people will not be aware of, regardless of how long they have lived in the area. This is partly because most of the history is not sign-posted with plaques or tour guides – you need to know where to look – and this book will help you to find and appreciate many of its most important stories.  

As the book’s title states, it covers the Thames Valley’s Past, Present and Future – creating a snapshot of English life. Beside the history, Part II of the book documents my observations of life here today, from silly Boxing Day games in Cookham to the traditions of the Henley Royal Regatta; to the Royal Crown Estate at Windsor, the diversity of life along Reading’s Oxford Road to understanding the complexities of traffic issues in Oxford. As for the future, you will also learn about the great tension between those who want to conserve the precious landscapes and beautiful villages against pressures to find space for at least 100,000 new homes in the next 10 years. It includes case studies of how Goring and Streatley preserve their heritage, places like Marlow aren’t interested in having a new film studio that threatens part of its greenbelt and how town planners need to think very carefully before allowing Maidenhead’s sprawl to get too close to Cookham. 

After reading this book, I think most people will come away with a new appreciation of the importance of the area, not just from a historical perspective, but also as a beautiful place to live, work and raise a family.  

Although, like other areas, there is no shortage of local tensions and issues, I personally welcome the proposals to make the Thames Valley a formal regional authority as an important way to ensure it gets the resources it needs to address these issues and to ensure that important decisions will be made to support this region as a whole.