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The Trinity Festival Tour 2005 - Page 1

by Linda Dobson

(7 May 2005)

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Linda Dobson and her mother Verna had come from Newcastle to visit Cookham's Trinity Festival. This is Linda's diary of their visit.

Thursday 21 April

We thought what would be the best time to plan our first trip of 2005 to Cookham and both agreed when the Trinity Festival was on.   We got down there in record time (I didn’t speed, honestly!) and who should be the first ‘person’ to greet us as we drove into the Village, but a scarecrow playing the flute! 

We were on the Trinity Festival Tour as we’d called it, now we were on the ‘Hunt the Scarecrow Tour’ too.  A great deal of hard work had clearly gone into the Guys and Dolls Competition, from a green man to a lady shading herself in the School grounds to someone made from plastic cups … and was our imagination running riot, or did we really think we saw Charlie Chaplin queuing up to get into Elizabeth House? 

This afternoon we met up with our dear friend Liz from The Bay Tree, it was so lovely to see her again, just like old times.

Saturday 23 April

Saturday morning arrived bright and breezy, even though it was drizzling, at Station Parade.  Little children and some big children (parents that’s you) were enjoying being pavement artists with their coloured chalks, sheltered by the biggest umbrellas I’ve ever seen.  The weather did not deter them at all. 

It was here where I, at very long last, got to meet up with Liz Kwantes (I call her my Cookham E-Mail Pen-Pal – we’ve corresponded for three years but had never met).  We had a lovely chat then Barbara Walmsley joined her for a photo call – being two of the leading lights in Cookham!!! 

Later on, when the pavements were bare, we went back to photograph the finished chalk drawings and if any of you have ever seen ‘Mary Poppins’, I think you’ll agree they were as good as the ones Bert the Sweep and the children jumped into.

Sunday 24 April

Sunday was a busy day, it was Holy Trinity Church Open Day.  We had a lovely chat with Jean Johnson as we first entered the Church and gained a lot of interesting knowledge on the Church history from her and her husband Michael.  Liz K appeared once again and I did wonder if we’d go for a hattrick and meet up the next day too! 

Lynda Mallett was very busy brass-rubbing and talking to visitors (so sorry Lynda for not getting a chance to say hello to you as promised). 

It was a delight to be entertained by the Cookham Hand-Bell Ringers, their piece de resistance was Pie Jesu.

Then it was off to the Parish Centre for a lovely afternoon tea – it was home from home, great coffee and sumptuous cakes.  A gentleman in the tea room summed it up by saying “two coffees and cakes, you can’t get that anywhere else in Cookham for three quid!”  It’s the first time we’ve been to the Parish Centre and were rather impressed with it – am I allowed to say too that I loved the décor in the ladies loos? 

Next we visited the Odney Club – we marvelled at the beautiful flowers.  Who’s that cheeky little guy on the entrance then?  Surely not Bill Od-ney!  [No offence intended to the great Bill Oddie here]

Being somewhat scared of heights, I bravely crossed the bridge which I could see through and my reward was this lovely view.

Evening soon beckoned and this heralded Evensong at St John the Baptist’s Church in Cookham Dean.  It was our first time there for a Service, although we’ve signed the visitors book a number of times before.  The flowers from the previous day’s wedding really lent themselves to the occasion. 

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