It was during "The Wings for Victory." Savings Campaign, that the Cookham Secondary Modern School on the Top Road put on a school concert in the Pinder Hall to boost the savings drive. The school choir put on a recital of stirring songs including a new one that had been written for that occasion called "Lords of the Air." in dedication to the air and ground crews of the RAF.
There was however in the middle of this recital a very funny one act play called "The Hole in the Road." Starring: Bill Fisher as the Nightwatchman, and Derek Buckingham as the Sloan Square Toff.
There then ensued a discussion on holes, with Bill relating that all his family were nightwatchmen, so was his father and grandfather before him. This puzzled The Toff and probed a little deeper about holidays. Never take any guvnor! Take my cousin Harry he got married and went off on his Honeymoon, when he came back his hole was gone, that really upset Harry as he look high and low for that hole, but never found it.
The story goes on with other amusing tales, finally the Toff asks what is in the hole. Bill looks at Derek and shrugs his shoulders as says: "Pipes I think Guvnor." "What sort of pipes?" "Dunno!" "Got a match Guvnor and I will take a look." Then there is some banging off stage followed with a big bang and Bill came back on stage with a black face and the famous last line "It were a gas pipe."
Since that time the Pinder Hall stage has seen very many great plays and performances. The brazier onstage was a real watchman's brazier with orange tissue paper and a light bulb to give the right effects.
I do know that Bill Fisher passed away sometime ago. Where Derek Buckingham went I have no idea. Peter Fisher, Bills brother I believe still lives just off the High Road in the Rise.
1 comment:
I doubt that this comment will ever be viewed, let alone answered, but I saw this play when I was a boarder at Truro School in Cornwall in about 1972, performed by some of the teaching staff: I can't find any trace of the script on the internet, but if anybody else is able to track it down, that would be amazing! It was super at the time, but it would be interesting to revisit it from all these years down the line...... Nick Cory, nicknsuecory@hotmail.com
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