It is difficult to over-state the perceived Iimportance of Windsor in the Victorian era. Alreadya long-established Royal residence, it was the adoption of Windsor as ‘home’ by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert which really boosted the town's importance.
I recall, as a small child, when taken to Windsor by bus, being told that “we might see the Queen”. I was terrified! To me, the Queen was the Alice in Wonderland character who had peoples’ heads chopped off!
However, there was a cake shop opposite Windsor Castle, which sold frog-shaped iced sponge cakes. Those were worth the risk!
I lived in the Royal Borough of New Windsor from 1973 until 1992. Understanding the geography and history is important to our story and it's not in any sense logical.
The town, known as ‘New’ Windsor, surrounds the Norman castle and includes the oldest buildings. The nearby village of Old Windsor is even more ancient and has a Saxon church. However, it looks ‘new', thanks to its mainly post-Second World War housing.
The town and castle stand on the south side of a bend in the river Thames. To the south and east is protected land- the Great Park and Runnymede. On the north side of the river lies the village of Eton, dominated by its college and a large expanse of college-owned land- the ‘playing fields’. Much of the low-lying land on both sides of the river was subject to
