The Local Weather Man

Farmer George Hatch (Weather Man)

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This photograph is over a 100 years old of my grandfather George Hatch who was farming Oveys Farm in the village until his death in 1915. Many visitors to the village who came down to the village at the weekends from London by train, would stop at the farm for a local weather forecast from Farmer Hatch. Also what they could excpect in what the fishing would be like. Farmers in those days were all keen observers of the tell tale signs in the sky. Also watching swallows and where they were flying. For instance swallows flying low was a sign of pending wet weather, and the swallows flying high was a sign of fine dry weather. Of course it was the insects who were the true weather watchers. There are of course many other signs that they used judge the weather.

Two Wheeled Tipping Farm Cart 1905.

A two wheeled tipping farm cart,

Oveys Farmyard 1905.

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This particular style of cart was in regular use on the farm as a general utility form of transport from the farm to the fields and back again. In the 1930's they started to manufacture the same carts but, with pneumatic wheels and it did not rut the fields or farm tracks as bad as the old style of wheel. With the advent of the tractor coming with pneumatic wheels, so did tractor trailers, by the late 1940's this form of cart had all but dissapeared off the farms.

My First Car.

A 1928 Austin Seven in 1948.

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Also known as "The Hatch Orange Box on Wheels." This is when one calculated the horse power of an engine as 90cc equaled one horsepower. The engine was a four cylinder side valve with magneto ignition. The fuel was gravity feed to a float chamber carburetor from the fuel tank fixed to the fire wall. It had a three forward and reverse double de-clutch gearbox.

In the picture are three young lads. Jim Hatch at the wheel. On the right, an old school buddy Geoff Emmett, son of Percy and Kit Emmett of White Place farm. Sad to say he was killed in a motor accident at Flackwell Heath. The other lad on the left was a friend of Geoff, whose mother was caretaker at a youth club in Maidenhead. I can't remember his name.

The paddles belongd to a boat that Geoff had on the Thames at that time. Many the time that car took us over to the Royalty cinema at Bourne End on a Saturday. Even drove it to London and around Piccadilly and down The Mall after a dance at the Maidenhead Rowing Club on Saturday night. Ah those heady days of youth!!

Private Stanley Spencer

Private Stanley Spencer R.A.M.C.

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This photograph was taken sometime in 1915 when he was a new recruit in the Royal Army Medical Corp's Ambulance Unit at the age of 24. After training he with many others were shipped out to Greece and Macedonia. This is the youngest picture that I have of him as a young man.

Sexton's Choirboys Club

Where are they now.

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Arthur Cracknell:

After leaving school he joined the Royal Navy. Saw him once or twice when he was on leave visiting his Mother and Father at their cottage on Odney Common.

Peter Cracknell:

He did live after he married in Dad Sexton’s old house in school lane. Played Cricket for Cookham Dean at one time. Last heard of was that he was living in Cookham Dean.

John Vale:

His mother ran a small sweet shop with a shoe repair shop next door, which is now called “Charles Cottage” No idea where they moved to after the war.

Kenneth Stone:

The eldest boy in the Stone family that lived in Black Butts Cottages. He was in and out of Holy Trinity as he lived in Maidenhead part time according to records. Where he is I have no idea.

Bob Court:

His father also Bob, a local farmer and also a member of the church choir. Was last heard of living in North Devon.

Jim Strachan:

There is no information on his whereabouts.

Brian Hatch:

Son of Arthur Hatch, a local coal merchant. Now retired, and living in Marlow.

Bill Clark:

Nobby Clark, on leaving school became an animator with Gaumont Animations at Moor Hall. Then moved to Canada to work with Crawley Films in Ottawa. Then worked freelance until he retired and is now living in Ottawa.

Just Ten years ago.

The Jolly Farmer.

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The Jolly Farmer is that little bit of Cookhan Dean history that is deserving a mention in this blog. A favourite watering hole of a very good friend of my family the late Jim Ricketts. It was about 10 years ago when my sons David and Neal and my daughter-in-law Sandra had a wonderful lunch here.

This young lady treated us so well, that when we talk about that family gathering at Cookham, lunch at the Jolly Farmer is always mentioned as a highlight. I hope she is not blushing to see her picture posted here.

Westwood Green 1n 1942

Westwood Green in 1942.

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In 1942 Westwood Green did not exist, for it was large field of maincrop potatoes. How do I remember this fact you may ask? Well, I was one of the boys from the Cookham Rise Secondry Modern School recruited to pick potatoes to help with the war effort. We were split up into two shifts of four hours each. The morning shift was from 8.00 a.m. till 12 noon. The afternoon shift was from 1.00 p.m. till 5.00 p.m.

If you were working the morning shift you attended class in the afternoon. If you were in class in the afternoon you attended the morning classes the next day. This way we covered a 14 day working period over a 28 day harvesting period. We received one shilling an hour for our labours. Which turned out to be £5.12.0 (five pound and twelve shillings) for our months efforts.

This money was paid out at the school by the Headmaster Mr. G.H. Wood after we had finish working for each farmer. We did a lot of days for Jack Gardener, who at that time owned The Mount and Lower Mount Farms. Some time was also spent working for Bob Court.

The green shaded area was a small fruit orchard, but I did not know who the owner was. Elizabeth House was of course the Police Station. The Parade did not exist. There was only a small wood frame building at the bottom of Station Approach which was a green grocers.