This happened 63 years ago

This was top of the hit parade 62 years ago, and what was known as a 15 minute wonder. It is called “It’s in the book.”

http://youtu.be/poCWRJTgMQU

So turn up your sound and enjoy.

Historical Cookham is Six years old.

 

Six Years Old.

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On the 1st of August, 2014. The Historical Cookham Blog will be celebrating its sixth birthday. It has just passed the 120,000 mark of people checking in to look up historical information. At this time I would like to thank all those good friends that helped me in my research and provided maps and very old photographs.

We have also advanced in posting information in posting still photos, to now using YouTube and audio information. We have not come to the end yet as information and photos with topics still keep arriving.

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The Sign of the Sun.

The Sign of the Sun.

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A great many residents of Cookham pass this sign every day, and yet, I also wonder how many people have ever noticed it. This sign is embedded in the brickwork of a cottage just below the eave of the roof. Back in the 1800's, it was quite common place to have a sign or symbol like this installed on a building. In this case it was to show that building was insured against fire by the then Sun Insurance of London. Before I posted this blog, I made enquiries that it still existed, and I was informed that it is still in place. It can only be seen by either someone walking or riding a bicycle. So put on your walking shoes and look up.

The Pound Field.

The Pound Field.

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There has been quite a lot of conversation as to what is and what is not the area called The Pound. Today that whole area is still called the pound and has nothing to do with The Moor at all. The stream that crosses The Moor is called The Fleet, and the causeway bridge is known as The Fleet Bridge.

 

The map above is circa 1842, way before the GWR railway was laid in 1853 as a branch line from Maidenhead to High Wycombe.

Major Floods of Cookham

Cookham Flood of 1894.

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This photo was taken just outside East Flint looking towards The Moor.

 



Cookham Flood of 1947.

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This aerial photo is one of many at that time of the extent of flooding in the Thames Valley. I wish to thank once again all those of you who have contributed photos to help build the past history of the village.

 

I have also put together a three minute You Tube to let you know the weather pattern that lead up to these two major floods, and if repeated could lead up to the same thing happening again.

 

 

http://youtu.be/-HvaYVg4DjE



Home for Milking

Home for Milking.

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Once again I am using a voice overlay over a still photo taken on what is thought to be a summer Sunday afternoon by William Bailey a local enthusiast of the day living in the village High Street.



The Hatch Family of Oveys Farm.

The Hatch Family of Oveys Farm.

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We now get down to looking at some of my Hatch ancestors who lived and worked the last farm in the village itself. One thing that I did not mention in my recording was the empty beer barrels in the bottom right of the photo. From information handed to me by my father and my aunts, that he was a great one to entertain his friends with a barrel of beer always on tap. From other information I have gained, was the fact my grandmother did not approve of his little parties in the barn!

A Merry Christmas to all.

A Merry Christmas to all.

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Yes it is that time of the year when my wife Deborah and I take off for our annual visit to be with our Maori friends on the Island of Rarotonga. Which happens to be the Capital Island of the Cook Islands in the south pacific. So a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all. We will be back with more history of Cookham towards the end of January. To get full screen click the bottom right of the video.

Annie Slacks High Street.

Annie Slack's High Street.

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We now take a look at the Cookham as it was during the lifetime of the well known lady shopkeeper Annie Slack. As a matter of fact she was a lady who worked her entire life, and as the saying goes, 'She died in harness.' So now we look at her village and compare it with the village today.

The Cookham Flower Show of 1937.

The Cookham Flower Show of 1937.

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For this photograph of the Stewards and Judges of this flower show I wish to thank my old school chum Brian Hatch. I was unable to name all those in this photograph, so if anyone can recognize anyone that I have not mentioned, please let the Webmaster of Cookham.Com know so that it can be forwarded on to me.

The Ballad of Cookham Town.

The Ballad of Cookham Town.

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I have had this poem or ballad sitting on my desk for quite some time. At last I have found a way to bring it out when it was a Market Town. Yes, this I believe to have been written by a Hugh Mytton around some 200 years ago. Back in those days Maidenhead did not exist, it was just part of the parish of Cookham. The pictures I have used, are to try and capture the landscape as it would have been seen all those years ago.

GC.Edward & Mrs. Violet Briggs.

GC. Edward & Mrs. Violet Briggs.

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This is the second half of the Briggs family history, which includes a daring raid he carried out as a world war one pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service. Also of his wife Violet whose wartime and after the war efforts in the village.

Pilot Officer Michael Featherstone Briggs.

Pilot Officer Michael Featherstone Briggs.

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As this blog is going to be published very close to Remembrance Day the 11th of November and that I have found a little history of this very young man and his short life. I will also be running a story on both his father and mother in another blog. As I am sure that little is known of them to this date.

The Old Cookham Police Station.

The Old Cookham Police Station.

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Once again I have used a modern day photo together with a historical voice over. Once again if you click on the bottom right hand corner of the photo you will get an enlarged photo.

 



The Village Chemist Shop.

The Village Chemist Shop.

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This story has been written before in this blog but, this time I have added a voice over so that you can get a feeling for what these chemists were like in dispensing their medicinal talents.

Click the bottom right corner of the photo for a full screen picture. 

Tidleywink the Barber.

Tidleywink the Barber.

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Mr. Loveridge, better known as "Tidleywink." Was the man who gave me my first hair cut and many more after for the grand sum of sixpence. It also follows on later as the village Post Office after Budgen's gave up. Hit the bottom right of the picture to get a full screen view.

Cookham High Street 1935.

Cookham High Street 1935.

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This still clip, to which has been added small white arrows that point to each building as it is being described. Again I have added a verbal accounting of who owned, lived or worked in each place. Once again I am able though modern technology I am able to improve on my accounting of historical village life.

From Vegetables to Pots.

From Vegetables to Pots.

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This little shop I remember back in the 1930’s and right through to the end of the war was a little Greengrocers run by a Mrs. Smythe. Tom, her husband use to work at White Place Farm as a general farm labourer. I remember at harvest time he was very skilled with the use of a scythe, as the workmen use to cut ten foot swath around the field to make room for the horse drawn binder to cut the crop without walking over the standing wheat ,oats or barley.

When Tom retired, Mrs. Smythe also gave up her shop and they moved away. It was then that Reg and Maggie Moon moved into the shop and Reg set up his small pottery business. I remember well that visitors to Cookham used to stand and watch Reg throwing his ware on the potter’s wheel as he sat by the window. He also took orders from people on making that special something for someone as a present. Since Reg and Maggie left for Henley on Arden, the shop has had several owners, mainly in the boutique area of merchandise.



Going back 78 years.

Going back 78 years.

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This is a first time upgrade trial of posting information to this blog. Instead of a written account it is a verbal story. To get a full screen picture, just click on the bottom right hand corner.

Gossip Joan.

Gossip Joan.

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My Thoughts of late have been reflecting once more on my school days at Holy Trinity and later at the Secondary Modern on High Road, better known back then as The Top School. One of the subjects that were on the curriculum was singing. Most of our teachers could play the piano. The songs that we were taught covered most of the well-known English Folk Songs. One of which I have used to give a title to this blog. The opening verse I still remember well:

Good morrow, Gossip Joan,
Where have you been a-walking?
I have for you at home;
I have for you at home
A budget full of talking,
Gossip Joan.

The style of the wording of the lyrics also brought home to us the English of the day when it was first written. Another folk song that I enjoyed because of the descant in it was: “A Keeper did a hunting go.”

Jackie Boy - Master
Sing you well - Very well
Heigh down-ho down, derry derry down
Among the leaves so green-o
To my hey down down- To my ho down down
Heigh down-ho down, derry derry down
Among the leaves so green-o

Also during those singing lessons that the vicar used to attend to recruit choristers for the church choir. Ah! Happy Memories!