Service
of Celebration
17
June 2008
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This Sunday 22 June at 10.30am there will
be an Ecumenical Service of Celebration to celebrate our community and
to thank all those who have helped with the Kedida Project. The service
will take place on Cookham Moor in a marquee. This is not the first time
that there have been such services in a Marquee on the Moor, the first
one was in 2000 for the Millennium Celebrations and the second one was
during the Queen's Golden Jubilee Celebrations.
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Congratulations
David Pinnegar MBE
14
June 2008
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The
Queen's Birthday Honours list that was announced today included a
Cookham resident David Pinniger who lives in Westwood Green. David
received the honour for his work as an entomologist and his
services to Pest Control and to Museum Conservation. Earlier this
year David also received the Royal Warrant Holders' Plowden Medal
for Conservation, so David has truly been recognised this year.
Congratulations David.
Click on photos for larger
image |
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David being
presented with the Plowden Medal
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David
training staff on insect identification at the V & A museum
last week.
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What
NO Phone, NO Internet?
11
June 2008
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Many homes in Cookham woke up this morning
to find that their phones had stopped working. People were even more
horrified when BT told them that the fault would not be repaired until
30 June 2008. It seems that during the night the copper cable from near
the Bourne End exchange was stolen which cut the connection to people's
houses. It is affecting some homes in Cookham Rise and Cookham
Village. BT do offer compensation for any extra costs incurred
during the time the lines are down.
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On
the Passing of an Old Friend
9
June 2008
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James Hatch from Canada sent this
memory of Eddie Smyth who died recently
It was very sad to read the
passing of a very dear old friend in Eddie Smythe. A man in all his
years that he lived in Cookham never lost his Devonshire accent with
its heavy burr. I got to know Eddie during the war years when he was
working for Courtalds at Islet the former home of a Mr. Wagg a London
vintner.
I remember during the flood of
1947 ferrying Eddie and others across Widbrook Common so that they
could reach The Islet to see what they could do with the damage
that the flood had caused. Again in 1942 he was lopping the lime trees
on the ground opposite the entrance and was willing to let me
cart the branches away to use as pea sticks in the Top School
allotment where we grew all our vegetables for the school kitchen. Yes
we boys under the instruction of the "Gaffer" G.H. Wood, and
the girls were taught how to cook by a Mrs. Isherwood and Mrs. Deacon.
After the war, we were allowed to ring
once more at Holy Trinity we used to see quite a lot of Eddie as
besides his devoted "Tubby" who we knew as "Bob",
which we assumed was short for Roberta, and his two sisters-in-law
Jessie and Joan Tubb were the core of the church Bell Ringers, not
forgetting of course other stalwarts of the band with Cora Tuck, Phil
& Morris Tocock who had been in the Army during the war. Led of
course by the infamous T.J.F. "Thomas John Fowler as ringing
master. Not forgetting Walter "Simmy" Ing the vicar's
gardener.
August Bank Holiday was always "The
Ringer's Annual Outing" The Smythe family with many others would
join in a trip to the seaside and a call at various towers on the way
down and back. Making sure the last stop was at a nice friendly pub.
Of course Eddie and the whole Smythe
family were part of the Cookham Pantomime Season. Here Eddie would
come into his own building elaborate sets to fit the stage at the
Pinder Hall. Of course we were guests of the Wilson family at Melmott
Lodge on New Year's Eve for an evening of fun and games. Then a little
after eleven p.m. we would walk across the Moor to the church to ring
the Old Year out and the New Year in then dash to the Royal Exchange
before last orders for a drink with the landlord and landlady
"Jimmy and Mrs. Maise.
The last time I spent an evening with
Eddie was as his guest at the Masonic Lodge in Cookham Dean in 1998.
He was a great Mason with Provincial Grand Lodge Honours and will I am
sure be missed by his Masonic brethren.
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Website
Launch for PPG
6
June 2008
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 The
Patients Participation Group is very excited as they have just launched
their new website which is part of the Cookham Surgery's web. Patients
can keep up to date with what is going and one of the first events that
is planned is an evening entitled How to Avoid Seeing Your Doctor which
is taking place on Tuesday 24 June at the Parish Centre. So if you want
to ensure you keep your sparkle come along. Click
here to see their new website.
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Author
Peter Ackroyd Films at the Gallery
31
May 2008
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 It
was a busy day in the Spencer Gallery on Thursday 29th May because as
well as visitors there was filming in the afternoon.
Author Peter Ackroyd is making a four
part documentary for ITV and Sky Arts about his recent book about the
Thames
– and of course a visit to the Gallery is a must! He spoke to
the Gallery'd curator Carolyn Leder, who can both be seen in the
photo.
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Save
Our Lock Service
26
May 2008
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 FROM:
SAVE OUR SERVICE
We have now started a fighting fund to Save Our Service.
We are accepting money and cheques for our campaign and hope that
everyone might be able to get the word out.
Please make donations payable to Save Our Service, c/o
101 Cranbrook Drive
,
Maidenhead.
SL6 6SR.
We will be using the money for all aspects of the campaign from banners to
legal advice, every penny will be accounted for.
For more information please see: www.saveourservice.org
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Spencer
Impresses Nathaniel
22
May 2008
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 Seventeen
year old Nathaniel Gliksman of Oswestry school, Shropshire, recently
visited the Stanley Spencer Gallery to see some of Stanley Spencer's
work. With the Head of Art and Design at Oswestry School, Anne
Marie Stonehill, he also visited the Tate Gallery, Liverpool to see Spencer's
Resurrection in the exhibition there. He was so impressed he decided to
paint his own version for his recent A2 exam. The photo shows him
working on it and depicts the local church with his friends and
himself. (click on photo for larger
image)
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LizzyK
at Buckingham Palace
17
May 2008
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 Liz
Kwantes went to Buckingham Palace yesterday to receive her MBE from
Prince Charles.
She says she had a wonderful day and all the staff at
the Palace made her feel very special. She also said it was rather nice
being waved in through the main gates and driving through to the inner
quadrangle. Her guests were taken off to the ballroom so they could
watch the ceremony while Liz was taken to
another room packed with
paintings by famous
artists such as Rembrandt and Caneletto. There Liz
had the opportunity of talking to some of the others who were also
receiving awards including
Jenny Uglow who wrote a little History of
English Gardening, a subject
close to Liz's heart, Christine Gilbert,
head of OfSTED, Dr Romy Frasier who set up Neal's Yard, whose products
Liz loves and several others. Prince Charles presented Liz with her
medal which was then taken from her to be put in a box.
Liz said it was
a really exciting day and very different from what she would normally be
doing on a Friday.
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Sad
Death of Roger Parkes
12
May 2008
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 It
is with great sadness that cookham.com heard of the death of Roger
Parkes. Roger was a well known script writer, having been behind such
70's classics as the Onedin Line and he was the writer of Alice Ray Morton's
Cookham which was serialised on Cookham Summer FM being read by Jean
Hedger with a fantastic Berkshire accent. Roger and his wife Tess lived
in Cookham Dean where they had a B&B which people returned to year
after year. Roger thought he had recovered from throat cancer, but
recently had recurring pains which he ignored for a while. Sadly the
cancer had taken a hold. Roger will be sorely missed by many people. His
funeral will be held on Wednesday 21st May.
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Paul
& Jess at The Old Swan Uppers
6
May 2008
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Welcome to Paul and Jess who have come to
Cookham from Gloucestershire and have taken over the Old Swan Uppers in
the Pound. Paul and Jess invite everyone to a welcome Cheese and Wine
night on the 10th May 2008. There will be samples of their new spring
menu and a variety of cheeses plus a free glass of wine, so come and
join them.
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Lock
Keeper Cottage Disposal on TV
4
May 2008
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To see the BBC programme on the lock
keeper's cottage and an interview with Kim Benge click
here. Then click the 'latest
programme' button top right. This will only be available for a short
time.
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Cookham
on the ONE SHOW
24
April 2008
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After the filming earlier this year,
Cookham appeared on the ONE SHOW this Thursday 24th
April. The piece was introduced by ex MP Giles Brandrith who
visited Herries and also talked to David Ricardo whose great uncle
Colonel Ricardo was said to be the person that Toad of Toad Hall was
based upon. Giles was talking about a favourite read, the Wind in the
Willows.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/theoneshow/article/2008/04/gb_placeinabook.shtml
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Do
You Recognise This Man?
16
April 2008
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click
on photo for larger image
It
is Curly Carver our local National Trust man on the ground (or horse)
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