Let's see how much history we can dig up? :----------------------

[Cookham Webmaster]

This e-mail was received from James Hatch in Canada

I have been thinking a lot lately about Cookham history of 60 & 70 years ago. I would like to hear from those memory is still vivid of those years. My memory gets a refresh everytime I see the video "Good Night Mr. Tom."
 
I mean there must be a few like myself who are computer literate who lived in the village during that era, an era when the village pulled together as one, with some very interesting stories to be told, those who remember and I quote nom-de-plumes of several characters:
 
"Big Ben", "Agnes Halfpenny", "The Gaffer", "Toots Wooten", "Mrs. Cheeseman", "YaYa Hughes", "Dad Sexton", "Dolly Drew", "Snotty Graham", "Sally Salberg" and "Gandhi Wheeler" That is just a few that went to make up the village colour.
 
Anyone with these memories and would like to tell me their stories they can reach me via e-mail at: ve7cij@rac.ca As I am needing some more flesh to add to the skeleton of my book based on that period.
 
Regards,
 
Jim Hatch

[Rob]

73 with that Jim!

[James Hatch]

Well I have Rob for one with his coded 73. OK Rob I will CQ you later as I am off out to " The Bard & Banker" for a nosch! I will grab time to send you a note in the next few days.

[James Hatch]

Rob just a quick note to say your e-mail address is not working for some reason. Also I am looking for people who are computer literate and lived in the village in the 1930's-40's & 50's. Even if like myself now live on Canada's West Coast on Vancouver Island in the provincial capital of British Columbia, Victoria. O.K. I am closing up on four score years and yet I still keep at it. As I tell people. "For goverment purposes I am retired on paper but, NOT FROM LIFE!"

[Rob]

Thanks for info re E Mail Jim. Have sent you one.

[James Hatch]

Hi Rob:

I sent you more information on your area with names of fields asw they were once known. Did you receive it?

[monty]

I was born in Cookham in 1941, went to Holy Trinity School, the village had all the shops you needed such as International Stores, greengrocers (Mr Sims) post office, bank, tea shop (Mrs Wilmink) unfortunately it is not like that now. My parents and grandparents have also lived here all their lives, if you came back here you would certainly see a difference with buses up and down the Pound.

[James Hatch]

Ah! Mrs. Wilmink and her greengrocery shop. Her husband ran a taxi business remember. Was Mrs. Vale's sweetshop in exsistance then. But of course you would have remembered Reg & Maggi Moon who ran the Torquill Pottery and The Torquill Restaurant. Remember the Copper Kettle? The International Stores manager was Harold "Tacker" Aplin.

[monty]

I worked for Reg and Mag Moon in the Torquil coffee bar feeding the staff from Caurtaulds Moor Hall when they came for lunch. I remember Mr Aplin. There was Bromley the baker and Mrs Baker ran the Kings Arms pub/hotel, that certainly has changed. Reg and Mag also had the pottery which now houses a dress shop called Plume. Oh how things have changed.

[James Hatch]

After the pubs closed on a friday night we use to gather at The Torquill for one of Reg's famous "Mushroom Omlets" a cup of coffee and play chess. When they closed up I think they moved to Worcester. A sad day when they left the village.

[monty]

If you can get one of your relatives in Cookham to send you a copy of Cookham Voices I think you will find that very interesting.

[James Hatch]

Now I am going to test you all for local knowledge:

Does anybody remember "Ginger Nut?"

Who or what was he? Where was his home in the village? His birth place still stands.

[James Hatch]

Here is another question for all you Spencer buffs:

Name Stanley's two brothers and what were they famous for?

Also, who in the village had White Cockatoo? Which could be readily seen and heard every summer.

What was the name of the village postman, who had a second business in the village?

What was Pryce-Jones favourite trick he played on the village children? Hint he kept it in a box lined with cottonwool.

[James Hatch]

Going back again in history. Can any reader name the person who ran the second school in school lane. To help you it was what one would term a nursery or pre school. Some of the village residents I know attended there, these I am sure will remember!

[James Hatch]

Cookham at one time had 13 pubs and 1 off licence. One pub that has now been demolished was the [b]"GATE HOTEL"[/b] The hotel signboard swung freely from over the door. At the bottom of the board was written a four line message. Is there anyone around that can write up those four lines word for word.