Cookham Flower Show of the 1920's and 30's

The Cookham Flower Shows

of the 1920's & 30's.
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The Cookham Flower Show was the high light event of the year for the village, and with generosity of Col. Ricardo, the pasture off Mill Lane was made available for the event. Not only was it where the cottage gardeners vied for prizes of cash and silverware, but a chance to best the professional gardeners in the open competition.

Ladies of course entered in the baking competitions in the various class, plus flower arrangements from their gardens as well. The children were encouraged to enter in the wild flower and grasses section.

The gateway in the picture above was the entrance to the show. Around the tree on the left was constructed a pen in which was placed a fine pork sized pig. In which for a few pennies you were invited to guess the weight of the said animal. Weight was measured by the score, pounds and ounces. At the end of the day the pig was put in a sack and a balance scale was suspended from a overhanging branch, and the winner was declared to the nearest ounce. They of course got to take the pig home.

I remember well the fairground traction engines with all their trailers stopping at the Widbrook stream to fill up their tanks with water before proceeding on to the Mill Lane site.

Of course there had to be a roundabout with steam organ, Swing boats were always popular, as were the coconut shy.


The chairoplane was very popular in those days and was a great attraction at the fairs winter quarters in Hines Meadow in Maidenhead

Bumping cars or Dodgems was where a young man could demonstrate his driving prowess to his young lady. Of course there were other forms of entertainment that were at the Flower Show. For instance there was Horace the elder brother of Stanley Spencer who was quite a magician and very good slight of hand tricks with playing cards. Not much has been remembered of him as he was regarded as a bit of a Black Sheep of the family. Always enjoyed his John Barleycorn, which was to lead to his untimely death in the river near Boulters Lock.