Landlord of Herschel Arms says goodbye to a 'cultural landmark that can never be replaced'

A beloved Irish pub in Park Street is set to close its doors – 160 years after it first opened.

Landlord Tom King announced the closure of the Herschel Arms in a Facebook post that he ‘had been putting off for over a week’.

He told the Express that the first pint was pulled in June 1860 and on Thursday, August 31 the pub would close its doors for good.

The Herschel Arms is the next pub to face closure this year following The Three Tuns in June.

Tom said: “When I first came here in 1995, we had 24 pubs and two nightclubs and now we’ll have four pubs and no nightclub. It’s an absolute desert.

“Pub culture is changing and there’s also serious pressure from brewers with price increases on the beers, and of course the rent. All the top shops in Slough have gone, so footfall has diminished to half.”

Tom said the reason for closure was an ‘inability to agree’ on affordable rent.

He added: “It’s a common reason these days unfortunately. Nobody’s fault really but a sad day.”

Tom has run the Herschel Arms for 27 years and six months.

He said: “There are people, who are ill, who only come in here. One man who’s been coming for years, with Parkinson’s, was in tears the other night because he won’t go anywhere else. We’re here for everyone. It’s a real shame.”

For 23 years, the Herschel Arms has hosted traditional Irish music every Monday night, and a folk night on Thursdays.

Tom said more than 110 people attended ‘Innerverse’ last week – an open mic event for poets, musicians and comedians – which has run for six years.

“We look after them. We give them a drink and food – some say it’s not very lucrative for the business but it’s a community,” he added.

Cllr Robert Stedmond (Con, Cippenham Green), who is Tom’s good friend, told the Express: “I am going to miss the Irish singing sessions that good friends and I take part in every Thursday night.”

He said singers and musicians of all abilities were ‘never made to feel uncomfortable’ and there was ‘never any judging’, as they were actively encouraged by Tom.

He added: “I don’t know where else we could do it. The only other place, as far as the Irish community is concerned, is the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, but it closes early and it’s far.

“Tom is a perfect host. He will be missed by the many customers he has met over the years.”

Mick Kennedy, who with Martin Conroy started the folk sessions, said: “The Herschel is probably one of the last remaining centres in the country preserving the Irish traditions of storytelling, singing and music... the craic.

“We are losing a cultural landmark that can never be replaced.

“Without Tom and his generosity, unwavering support and determination this tradition in Slough would not have made it to 2023. We all thank him for preserving our tradition of for so long.”

Martin added: “Coming to The Herschel with like-minded people has not only been good for the mind and soul with the learning of new songs, but it also gives us something to really look forward to.”

The Herschel Arms has hosted nine weddings, entertained visitors from all over the world and competed in Ceilidh competitions in Ireland.

Tom also self-funded music classes that ran at the pub for ten years.

Patron, Louise Crofts said: "I stumbled across the Herschel Arms a little over 5 years ago and have been a regular ever since. 

"I'm ever thankful to the landlord Tom and to the staff there who helped us keep the traditions alive by creating such a sense of community and belonging.

"I want to stress that it’s rare these days to find a pub you can go in and actually start talking to people."

Tom added: “For middle-aged people and youngsters, it’s an awful thing that they don’t even notice it yet, but they have nowhere to meet. Far too much has gone for real estate.

"It’s us that produce and make people musicians and poets. It’s something that’s been lost to the British people.”

Slough Borough Council leader, Cllr Dexter Smith, echoed the sentiments of the community and said: “The Herschel Arms is a real cultural hub in our town – a centre for folk music and poetry, and walk back in time with hundreds of old pictures and other memorabilia. A way needs to be found to save it from closure.”

Tom reflected on his ‘wall of remembrance’ – a mural dedicated to his partner and friends painted outside the pub and he said: “You won’t find that anywhere else. I want the memories that are in the mural to stay – those people are enshrined in my pub and will stay there.”