A 106 year old Postcard.

A 106 year old Postcard.

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The postcard that is shown above has quite a story to tell, not only that it is a hundred and six years old and travelled to London for a one half penny stamp, and yet found its way back to Cookham. It did have a message and address on it which I have removed as it was of a personal nature from one sister to another.

You will see quite clearly that the stamp bears the head of King Edward VII and the date that the card was posted in Cookham at 7.45 p.m. on the 19^th of February, 1907.

More interesting is the card itself, which most likely had a photo of Cookham by William Bailey. That the card itself was published by, W. Shergold & Son of Cookham. Shergold kept the Post Office and little general store on Station Hill. The same store that use to be ironmongers twice and has now reverted to a Stationary Shop. From what I have been told Shergold was quite an ingenious person and it quite possible that had a small printing press where he could make postcards for himself, and for Annie Slack who had a small shop in the High Street. This also points out how resourceful people were then. Even to travel by train to London for most villagers was a major event.

Once again to enlarge the photograph, just click on it.



A quiet summer Sunday afternoon.

A quiet summer Sunday afternoon.

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Another photograph of Cookham high street, this time the photographer chose a quiet summer Sunday afternoon. I think the year was 1949. I also know that this photographer took up the hobby after he had been demobbed from the RAF. It is about this time that I also took up taking photos with a Brownie 127 camera and developing in a tank kit that Boots the Chemist use to sell. It is something to reflect back over those 64 years to now and 2013, the era of digital photography.

To enlarge this photo, just click on the picture.



The Old White Hart Public House.

The Old White Hart Public House.

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For way over a hundred year this building has been known as the White Hart and like so many public houses, the breweries or new free house owners decide without consultation that a name change is in order. The old White Hart has had two such name changes in the last few years. To a lot of old residents, though it has had a name change, still refer to it as the White Hart. The emblem of the White Hart was adopted as a royal emblem by Richard II for his livery, and an albino Hart Stag was a very rare find in Windsor Great Park, which at one time included Cookham.

I can only conclude that the present owner must be a great fan of Mazo de la Roche who wrote the book, “The White Oaks of Jalna.”



The Second Ferry at Cookham Lock.

The Second Ferry at Cookham Lock.

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I have mentioned the Three Ferries in this blog before. Here is another photograph attributed to William Bailey. Summer Sunday afternoons were most popular with the village residents to walk the  three ferries and stop off at the lock keepers garden for a cream tea provided by the lock keepers wife. If my memory is correct a tea for three was 1/6 (one shilling and six pence.) That was around 1936-37.

 

Click on the photo to get the enlarged photo.

Cookham from the Moor.

Cookham from the Moor.

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This is another photograph attributed to the work of William Bailey who lived at East Flint in the High Street and was a painter and decorator by trade. It is about 115 years since this photo was taken, and before Colonel Ricardo and his Rolls Royce came on the scene. It is good to note that most of the buildings in the picture are still standing today. One hopes that this scene will be preserved for a good many years to come.

 

 

To take a closer look at the photo, just click on it.

A Sunday afternoon at Odney.

A Sunday afternoon at Odney.

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Those lazy hazy days of summers gone by, when folks from London would arrive by train early in the morning with their picnic baskets, to spend a quiet day by the Thames backwater. Also to enjoy a tuppenny wafer or a threepenny choc-ice from old Joe, the Walls Ice Cream vendor. Who use to arrive on his "Stop me and buy one, tricycle", which was kept cool by using dry ice.

 

Click on the photo to get an elarged version.



Another Then and now photographs.

Churchgate in 1898.

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Here above is another early photograph attributed to the village painter/decorater William Bailey. Note that it is a gravel road and one can set up a tripod without fear of being run over!

 

 

Churchgate Today.

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Now here is a recent photograph of the changes that have taken place in the past 115 years. Gone is the ivy growth over the building, also the elm trees that suffered from the Dutch Elm discease.

 

Click on the photos to enlarge them.