FIRSTFRUITS
CELEBRATIONS
22
July 2013
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Firstfruits Celebrations is all about
'Helping People Celebrate'! Whatever the need is to make their
celebration an enjoyable success, I am there to help. If
it is event planning, catering a lovely meal, providing delicious
desserts, or if it is just helping prepare the home for their special
occasion. It can be a lot of work inviting people over to
one's home and help is essential to make sure the host enjoys
the celebration too.
Since October 2012, I have been
supplying Baked Vanilla Cheesecakes to Countrystores
which have been selling out every week. The cheesecake is
called Mum's Favourite Vanilla Baked Cheesecake because it was my
mum's favourite and becomes the favourite of everyone who tastes it. I
can send photos of cakes and give great references upon request.
My contact details are:
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COOKHAM
DEAN FOOTBALL CLUB
17
July 2013
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The Football club is looking to raise its
profile and encourage more local support ahead of the new season that
gets under way in August, over the past two summers the club has spent
time and money on improving its facilities on the Alfred Major
recreation ground to qualify for a good level of competition and to
achieve certain standards. The club now needs to encourage more locals
to become more actively involved either as players or volunteers who can
help run the club to enable the popular club to develop further.
Cookham Dean Football Club is now 134 years old and is very proud of
it's place at the heart of the local community. The Club provides
football at all ages from Under 9 years in the Youth section through to
the veterans side, and the Season runs from August to May. The
Seniors play on Saturday afternoons while the Youth teams play on
Sundays.
The Senior teams play in the Reading League with the First Team
challenging in the top section of the Senior Division and the Reserves
not that far behind in the Premier Division.
The sprightly veterans side are entered in Cup competitions and are
involved in the clubs many charity events.
All of the clubs sides play on the Alfred Major Recreation Ground
Hillcrest Avenue Cookham Rise Training nights are held on Tuesdays from
Mid - July onwards
The members are always looking to bolster their numbers and are looking
for help in running the club, whether it is someone who could make the
tea at half time or someone who would like to get more actively involved
and join the committee and help with fundraising and moving the club
forward.
Cookham Dean Football Club requires the support of the local community
to continue to thrive.
For more information and contact details visit www.coohamdeanfc.co.uk
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LAUNCH
OF COOKHAM MEDIA HUB
2
July 2013
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LET’S
GET TOGETHER, FELLOW JOURNALISTS!
 Thursday
27th June marked the launch of the Cookham Media Hub – a
monthly gathering for media professionals in the area, some of whom can
be seen in the photo.
The
lively event took place at the King’s Arms pub on Cookham High Street
and those who attended were treated to a complimentary glass of
champagne.
Two
Cookham-based journalists, Sarah
Parfitt and Sarah Rodi, organised the networking event, hoping to bring
together various media types to share information and ideas. And they
did just that, proving there’s a hive of talent in the area, as those
present ranged from film producers, to print journalists, broadcasters,
PRs, graphic designers, actors and marketing consultants.
Mandy
Temple, an award-winning and independent film producer and director,
attended the event and says: ‘I really enjoyed meeting fellow
colleagues in a relaxed and non-pressurised environment. It can be quite
isolating when you are self-employed, working from home – however
successful you might be – so it was wonderful to think we are
developing a fun and supportive group of people who share a passion for
their profession. I loved the venue and the whole experience.’
Business
Editor and Media Relations and Communications Consultant Carla Delaney
says: ‘It was refreshing to discover a wealth of media talent, people
I have not met before, and I hope to get to know them better through
this exciting and interesting new networking club.’
The
next meeting will take place at the beginning of September. “The first
Cookham Media Hub was great fun and proved to be a dynamic forum for
swapping ideas with like-minded people,’ says Ms Parfitt, a
freelance radio producer, media trainer and consultant. ‘Any
media professional is welcome to come along to the next free event.’
Register
by emailing your details to Sarah Parfitt by July 20th: sarah_parfitt@mail.com or
phone 07900 4117 15.
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GET
YOUR SUMMER OFF TO A SIZZLING START
20
June 2013
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Question:
Where can you and the children unwind, make sandcastles and enjoy some
top quality acts this summer without leaving Berkshire? Answer:
At the first ever Maidenhead Festival.
The
(first ever) Maidenhead Festival will be taking place on July 26th
and 27th, and will replace the Carnival which has
traditionally taken place in June. Alongside a beach and children’s
entertainment, such as Sima’s Action Kids in Kidwells Park, the town
is going to be buzzing with live music in local pubs, street markets,
fairground rides and fireworks.
“We
thought it was time for something fresh and different and hope that the
whole town will embrace the Festival. With the range of activities on
offer, there will be something to suit all ages. It’s definitely not
an event to be missed!” said Maidenhead town manager, Steph James.
“Why trek all the way to Brighton when you can enjoy a beach on your
doorstep as well as some of Berkshire’s best entertainers and
musicians?
Having
recently appeared on stage alongside celebrity, Dave Benson Phillips at
Let’s Rock the Moor in Cookham, Sima Stannage, the founder of Sima’s
Action Kids will be providing her high-energy children’s entertainment
at the Maidenhead Festival:
"I am incredibly
excited about being involved in the festival,” said Ms Stannage. “To
play a small part in celebrating our wonderful beautiful town by helping
our children enjoy the beginning of the summer holidays means so much to
me.”
The
Maidenhead Festival will run from 11am -10pm on Friday, 26th
July and from 10am -10.30am on Saturday, 27th July. For
further information, please go to:
http://www.enjoymaidenhead.com/events-and-offers/events.aspx
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HERRIES
AND THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
20
June 2013
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From Sophie
Green – Head Teacher at Herries
Our head pupil, Kate recently said that the highlight of her school year
was taking part in the summer production, and that the best moment of
all was when our music and drama director, Jami Castell announced which
musical it was going to be.
After a dazzling performance of Annie last year, the pupils will be
taking us on a journey to Kansas and performing the Wonderful Wizard of
Oz on July 9th and 10th. The excitement around the school is palpable,
especially as there are five Dorothies!
The musical, which is based on the eponymous children’s novel by L.
Frank Baum, chronicles the adventures of a young orphan called Dorothy
who is swept away from her Kansas farm home in a cyclone along with her
beloved dog, Toto.
Dorothy and her much trusted canine
friend find themselves in Munchkin Country, and that is where their
adventures begin. As they travel along the yellow brick road
to find the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and Toto encounter the
Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Woodman.
“I chose the Wonderful
Wizard of Oz because it’s one of my favourite musicals of all
time,” said Mrs Castell. “I also felt that it would appeal to this
particular year group. There is also no shortage of roles because of the
Munchkins and the other main characters.”
We have a strong tradition of
celebrating the arts at Herries and we are very grateful to Mrs Castell
for everything she contributes to the school. Having grown up in a
musical family, she is passionate about drama and
music and this enthusiasm is infectious and has inspired many Herries
pupils who may not have previously considered drama or music.
Recently, our pupils joined Cookham
Dean and Holy Trinity schools and performed Andrew Carter’s Galloping
Godiva at the Odney Club as part of the Cookham Festival. After
rehearsing collaboratively for just two hours, the pupils from all three
schools combined to create one “village choir”.
The very impressive performance was
conducted by Gillian Dibden, MBE, one of the country’s leading young
people’s musical educators and conductors, and coordinated by Mrs
Castell from Herries.
Several of the pupils from all three
primary schools gave solo performances, including Sam, a Year 6 pupil at
Herries, who sang “Peeping Tom”. This expression refers to a man
named Tom who, according to legend, watched Godiva ride and was struck
blind or dead.
To Sam’s surprise, the audience
asked him to repeat his performance at the end, capping off a memorable
afternoon for him and his friends:
"I enjoyed Galloping Godiva
because the songs were fun and witty. I also liked getting to know
people from other schools.”
We
really benefitted from the expertise of Gillian Dibden and the standard
of the performance was very high. All of the pupils who took part are to
be commended for their commitment, hard work and skill.
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NEW
LANDING STAGE AT COOKHAM LOCK
17
June 2013
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For those anxious we had
lost our landing stage at Cookham - fear not!
A brand new one, shorter
but with new robust handrails, and even any easy access ramp for
wheelchairs, has
arrived in time for the Salters boats this summer!
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THE
POWER OF LOVE
14
June 2013
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We have a new exhibition opening this
Saturday with two artists new to the Gallery at Elizabeth House - Tom
Smith and Helen Thomas. And you are invited to the Opening
Reception on Saturday (tomorrow - 15th June) from 5pm.
And if you cannot join us then, the exhibition is open until Friday 19th
July - weekday mornings and Saturdays 10am to 4pm, so do call in.
See more about the Gallery at www.thegalleryatelizabethhouse.org.uk
THE SMITHS
Paintings, Portraits, Posies
Tom Smith is a self-taught painter, specialising in non-traditional
portraits, mostly painted in acrylics.
He was a singer in 80’s/90’s bands ‘Gee Mr Tracy’ and ‘Cas
Carnaby 5’. His subjects range from anonymous models to famous and
infamous celebrities. Tom says he likes to paint “ugly men and
beautiful women but not necessarily in that order.”
Helen Thomas is a passionate walker of this area. Using different
mediums she hopes to express some of the appreciation she has for the
beauty of nature, flowers in particular.
Based in Maidenhead, the recently married couple want to celebrate with
their art not only the power of PAINT but also the power of LOVE.
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TRUNKY
NEWSFLASH
12
June 2013
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 Trunky
the elephant is now in Ethiopia with Africa Turns Green founder, Séverine
Dieudonné. The Herries school mascot was
handmade by a local group of disabled adults
Latest reports have confirmed that they are south of the capital, Addis
Ababa and have seen some hypos and crocodiles.
Ethiopians are really lovely and welcoming and this is a fantastic
country to visit," says Ms Dieudonné.
Trunky will experience travelling by bus for the first time today when
he and Ms Dieudonné head to Tanzania. They are going to stay near
Kilimanjaro and will hopefully see some other wild animals.
"I am looking forward to meeting some more of my brothers and
sisters," says Trunky.
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TRUNKY
THE ELEPHANT COMMUNITY
5
June 2013
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Pupils
from Herries Preparatory School in Cookham Dean (and members of the
public!) are being invited to sponsor a mascot, Trunky the elephant, as
he travels across Africa.
The school is supporting a charity called Africa Turns Green which
raises the profile of green entrepreneurs across Africa:
www.africaturnsgreen.org,uk
Séverine Dieudonné, a freelance BBC journalist and founder of the
charity, Africa Turns Green, is currently making four documentaries
about Climate Change for the European Commission and is travelling to
Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
She has taken Trunky with her, so that families can sponsor his journey.
If you'd like further information, please contact Séverine Dieudonné:
severinedieudonne@yahoo.co.uk
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LOCAL
BERKSHIRE STORES REMAIN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY
27
May 2013
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 Convenience
stores and corner shops are an important part of the local community in
Berkshire, providing a high quality experience that the majority of
residents feel is at least on par with that of large supermarkets. This
is according to an independent survey commissioned by myHermes, the
online delivery service, which launched its myHermes Parcelshop network
last year located in 1,500 local convenience stores nationwide. In
particular, there are 2 myHermes Parcelshops in the Cookham area
including Queens Convenience Store on Queens Street. Mandy Brar at
Hillcrest Stores, Hillcrest Avenue, Cookham also offers a parcel collect
service and the Co-op in Furze Platt has an Amazon parcel service.
Over 90% of the respondents agreed that convenience stores play a vital
role in the community, with the over 45s feeling the most strongly about
the issue. Over 50% of all those questioned stated that they visit their
local shop at least once a week with 11% visiting daily.
With the issue of trust at the forefront of consumers’ minds following
the recent horsemeat crisis, the survey also asked respondents about
levels of trust in their local convenience stores. Almost 75% trusted
their local convenience shops as much or more than the major
supermarkets to provide high quality, relevant products at a competitive
price.
Commenting on the research Rob Edson from myHermes said: “ Our
myHermes Parcelshop service is all about providing a convenient and cost
effective alternative to the Post Office. By teaming up with trusted
local stores in Berkshire, who are typically open early and late, we can
offer businesses and consumers the ability to send parcels and return
online purchases whilst they are picking up a few essentials from their
local shop, often without making an extra trip. This is also good for
the local store as it creates additional footfall and revenue.”
The myHermes ParcelShop network is an extension to the current
myhermes.co.uk service, which offers an affordable delivery solution
that can be quickly ordered online with items collected direct from the
door. By opting to take items to a myHermes ParcelShop, rather than have
a courier collect them, parcels are delivered on a 2 day service (rather
than 3 day), making it a comparable service with Royal Mail (2nd class)
but cheaper (over 1kg) and fully tracked, for no extra cost.
myHermes.co.uk has
been set-up by Hermes, the UK's largest home delivery courier network
handling more than 160 million collections and deliveries each year, and
is based on the hugely successful Parcel Shop model operated by the
company in Germany.
You can find your nearest ParcelShop using the online finder (https://www.myhermes.co.uk/parcelshopfinder).
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STUART
ON SPENCER
24
May 2013
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 Stuart
Conlin, Chairman of Trustees of the Stanley Spencer Gallery, gave a live
interview on BBC Radio Berks, on Thursday 23 May, on Mike Read's
programme just after 3 pm. It is on the IPlayer if anyone is
interested in listening. Mike Read has been walking the Thames
path from Wallingford to Windsor this week and Stuart met him at the
Ferry Inn, an appropriate place to discuss various aspects of Spencer
the artist and his association with the river and Cookham. He was
well briefed on both Spencer and Cookham and was thus able to bring some
intelligent, if at times somewhat tricky, topics to the conversation as
well as some aspects of Cookham history of which Stuart was not aware.
Stuart
showed him round the Gallery exhibition after the programme finished,
which he seemed to enjoy. He's finishing the walk from here to
Windsor today, Friday, in this filthy weather!
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WINNERS
OF COOKHAM ON CANVAS
17
May 2013
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The
stunning setting of the new John Lewis Heritage Centre at the bottom
of Odney Lane was the backdrop for the Cookham on Canvas
exhibition opening night on 16 May. Artists were to be found out and
about Cookham painting furiously all last weekend despite the
very unkind weather and the result is a display of over 30 works
of art ranging from pencil drawings to oil paintings.
 The
judging began in the morning to find one outstanding piece and
the panel of Timmy Mallett, Ann Danks and Chrissy Rosenthall from the
Spencer Gallery, Marie-Ann Leonard from Bovilles art shops and Gail
Dorrington the event organiser had a very difficult task indeed.
She
explains "Our main difficulty was that there were so many
beautifully executed paintings, from experienced artists right through
to complete beginners so we were not looking for the best painting but
the painting that expressed most clearly the "Spirit of Stanley
Spencer" " Chrissy Rosenthall explained this to the artists
and their guests before Timmy took the crowded room through
every single painting pointing out all the good bits and how the
panel felt about the works during the judging process.
 And
so to the winners…
Prizes
of art materials generously donated by Bovilles art shops were
presented by Marie Ann Leonard to:
Junior
prize in the youth category went to 13 year old John Conacher
for his drawing of the war memorial. The detail in the drawing was
fantastic and he had been observed over the weekend out there in the
cold working all day on it.
Junior
prize for our younger artists went to 8 year old Mollie
Thorne for her water colour pencil painting of the Cookham bridge
and toll house. The judges loved her use of colour which shows
real promise for the future.
Over
all winner was Stephanie Gay who miraculously managed to
produce a silk painting over the weekend of the view from
Winter hill capturing the light over the reservoirs.You can see the
weather rolling in across the sky- an outstanding piece of work and a
unanimous decision by the panel.
 Second
place went to Michelle Jackson for a water colour pencil
painting of Cookham bridge.The panel picked this out because of the
way the artists had chosen her viewpoint from an unusual angle. The
details of the wrought iron work and the flower pots in the foreground
were very much in step with the spirit of a Spencer.
Third
prize awarded to Sarah Luton for her acrylic and oil painting
of a view looking directly down Cookham High street. Sarah was to be
found outside both days over the weekend under an umbrella to
produce this painting which included the kinds of details Spencer
would have painted; the bus stop, the cars and people standing
in their garden It is a painting of a moment in the here and
now.
Runners
up prizes went to Nancy Ovstedal, a view for the end of Mill
lane in the gardens of formosa court and to Ruth Daniel for a
water colour of a tree stump with a nest of moor hens.
Honourable
mention also went to Valerie Ann Benham for a view of Holy
Trinity churchyard.
The
exhibition is open to the public as part of the Cookham Festival Open
Studios Trail.
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BREAST
FEEDING IN THE HIGH STREET
9
May 2013
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A Cookham.com reader sent in this photo
of Cookham High Street, with thoughts of Ovey's Farm one hundred
years ago.
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COOKHAM
COMMUNITY BAY CLOSES
8
May 2013
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 After
five years of running Cookham Community Bay, Chris Harris is having to
call it a day. CCB offered to photograph items people wanted to sell and
put them on eBay. A percentage of the sales was kept by CCB and the
profits were shared between Holy Trinity and Elizabeth House. If anyone
wants to run it, Chris Harris would be happy to tell them what to do.
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RAINBOWS
THANK THEIR SPONSORS
2
May 2013
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The Rainbow Pre-school Barn Dance on
Saturday, 27 April was a big success. We'd like to thank our sponsors:
The Handmade Cake Company, Bradburys of Buxton, Countrystore Cookham,
Sanctum on the Green, The Vanity Lounge, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts,
Peaseblossom, The Pretty Pantry, Firstfruits Celebrations and Mucky
Monsters. We raised £450 and a great night was had by all.
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TASTE
OF SUMMER AND VIVI
30
April 2013
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 There's
a lovely event happening at Sanctum on the Green on May 19th
which celebrity chef Luke Thomas is supporting.
It's
in aid of a wonderful little girl called Vivi who has undergone a big
operation recently. She is brave beyond words and a real delight:
http://www.vivisventure.com/
The
Taste of Summer event on the 19th May is going to be a truly
memorable experience. It will include a cooking masterclass
with award-winning chef, Luke Thomas - Britain's youngest head chef, and
Peter Dickson will be hosting an auction.
Tickets
are £10 each and are available from Sanctum on the Green.
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LAMDA
SUCCESS AT HERRIES
28
April 2013
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Once
again, Herries pupils have achieved fantastic results in their
LAMDA
exams
(London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). All of the individual
entries passed and many achieved merit and even distinction! All of
the group entries were also successful, again passing with either merit
or distinction. Head teacher, Sophie Green said:"Much hard work
went into the performances which the pupils gave during their exams and
I remain convinced that this is very much a confidence and self esteem
building experience for the children, as well as being lots of
fun!"
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THE
COOKHAM PHEASANT
22
April 2013
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Penny Bysshe sent this to cookham.com.
(Click on photo for larger image.)
 Here
is a photo of the pheasant I took this morning. It has taken about 10
days for him to peck bird seed from my hand. At first I threw the food
down for him at some distance, squatted down holding out my hand out
with some bird seed on it and watched while he pecked away, keeping a
careful eye on me all the time. I kept very still until he finished
eating. He would not let me get near him. Every day he would come a
little closer. He seemed to like it when I coo-cood at him. He coo-cood
back happily but would not come close. I was putting bird seed on my
bare palm but when I noticed how hard he pecked at the seed on the
ground I put a glove on. It took a couple of days for him to get used to
the glove. Every day he came a little closer and eventually he came
close enough to peck the corn on the ground around my hand but would not
take the corn from my hand. Then the day before yesterday he was very
brave and took a few tentative pecks from my hand before backing off.
Yesterday he was very confident, strutted up to me purposefully,
greeted me with a happy squawk and straight away started to peck the
corn from my gloved hand, his stabbing pecks sending the feed flying
everywhere! I was very glad I was wearing a glove! I know that he “does
the rounds” locally and presumably gets food from several homes
- I can hear his loud squawks echoing round the neighbourhood -
and wondered if anyone else had succeeded in getting him to
peck bird seed from their hand?
Lou wrote
in reply: "I’m in Cookham Rise and we have a pheasant who I
have called Frank (Spencer) because I rather uncharitably decided that
even for a bird with a brain the size of a pea, he must be
particularly silly to try and take up residence here with us and a
road full of cats! Sometimes he roosts on the tree outside my living
room window, which you’d think would be quite charming but he
screams VERY loudly at any one who has the cheek to drive past or
worse still, walk their dog past him!"
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NICE
WEATHER FOR DUCKS
20
April 2013
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John Lloyd-Parry, who is
well known in Cookham for his bird photography, spied some birds at the
famous (or is it infamous?) swimming pool at Cliveden. It looks like the
ducks were taking a rest after their swim.
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LUXURIOUS
BEDROOMS NOW AT BEL & THE DRAGON
19
April 2013
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 Bel
& the Dragon in Cookham Village has been sensitively restored to
provide five superbly luxurious bedrooms for their guests. There
are period features throughout this 15th century building that lend all
rooms their exquisite charm. All
the rooms are individualised, incorporating their own unique features. The
rooms are made comfortable by great
big beds, using White Company linen and towels. The rainfall showers are
the highlight of the magnificent bathrooms, many of which have
underfloor heating installed as well.
http://www.belandthedragon-cookham.co.uk/
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GOODBYE
CHARLES
18
April 2013
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 Cookham
residents who knew Charles Benson who lived in Cookham Dean will be
saddened to hear that he died on Wednesday 17th April 2013. Charles was
well known in the Cookhams and was the titular head for the jazz group
the Fabulous Shirtlifters. He was very active in Cookham Bridge Rotary
and was often to be heard as the MC at the Cookham Regatta and Cookham
Dean Village Fete. Charles had previously lived in Bradcutts Lane with
his family where they had a B&B, although Charles was actually an
engineer and had travelled the world working for multi national
electronic companies.
Thoughts go out to Charles' wife Diana
and his children and grandchildren.
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ANYONE
FOR CRICKET?
16
April 2013
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 Jon
Stewart, a resident of Cookham Dean, has set up a new and exciting
cricket academy for budding young cricketers in and around Cookham.
Jon says "It is
called the Thames Valley Cricket Academy and is based at Cookham Dean
Cricket Club on Monday evenings. We offer specialist cricket coaching
for talented young players from all clubs in the area."
You can find more
information on their website www.tvca.co.uk
There is a free
coaching session / trial on Mon April 29th and the full
academy starts on Mon 13th May.
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SPECIAL
RECOGNITION AWARD FOR BARBARA
13
April 2013
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 On
the 11th April 2013 at the JustGiving awards dinner, Barbara
Walmsley from High Road, Cookham received a Special Recognition Award.
The citation reads ‘This award
recognises your incredible 27 years of tenacious and dedicated
fundraising for Oxfam’
The only complaint Barbara has is that
it is now about 60 years since she first collected for Oxfam!
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RAINBOW
BARN DANCE
8
April 2013
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A diary
note! It’s time to don your dancing shoes and do-si-do your partner
for the annual Rainbow Pre-School barn-dance
at Pinder Hall on Saturday, April 27th. Whether you are seven
or seventy, single or married, an award-winning dancer or have two left
feet, we would love to see you there to help raise much needed funds for
our beautiful pre-school.
For
those Cookhamites who have never ventured to a barn-dance before, they
are tremendously energetic and social affairs and no previous experience
is required because a caller will guide you through the dances. While
most dances are danced in 3/4/5 couple sets, many others are “mixer
dances”, where you and your partner get to dance with lots of
different people.
Mid-way
thought the evening, we will be pausing for a ploughman’s platter,
guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds - a dish recently voted one of
England’s most important cultural icons. There will also be bar, and a
raffle. If you would like to purchase tickets for this very special
evening, which are £12.50 per person including dinner, please phone
Kathy Rickman: 01628 522 797. Be quick to avoid disappointment!
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COOKHAM
ON CANVAS
3
April 2013
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It
is not too late to sign up for the Cookham on Canvas event and take your
place at an exclusive talk in the Stanley Spencer Gallery on April 17th.
The event is part of the Cookham Festival 2013 arts programme.
The talk will give participants an idea of how the event will happen and
link the painting locations to works created by Spencer. Not to be
missed!
More details and for an entry form call in to the Stationery depot or
follow this link to the Festival web site where you can download it on
line.
http://www.cookham.com/cookhamfestival/programme/programme.htm#arts
The event takes place over the weekend of 11th and 12th May. Prizes of
art materials donated by Bovilles with an exhibition in the beautiful
new John Lewis Heritage Centre from 17th to 19th May.
Open to all including youth and children's categories.
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FORMER
INTERNATIONAL RUNNER OFFERS COACHING
3
April 2013
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 A
former international athlete from Cookham is launching a unique coaching
service for runners of all levels. Paddy McGrath of Cookham Dean Bottom
once ran for Ireland and Northern Ireland recording times that placed
him among the UK’s best runners. At the peak of his career, Paddy ran
1500 metres in 3:44 minutes and covered the half marathon distance in 64
minutes. Since his focus switched to coaching he has guided runners of
all levels from complete beginners to those competing internationally.
He holds UK Athletics coaching qualifications and will offer both
bespoke one-to-one or group coaching and workshops for keen runners in
the Cookham area.
“I have an expert
back up team of sport psychologists and sport nutritionists who have
worked with Olympians, so I hope to offer people the complete package to
boost their running whether they are starting out or wanting to get
faster,” says Paddy who also coaches the Cookham Dean Under 8 football
team in his spare time. “We’ll be holding a workshop on ‘how to
run a half marathon’ in June.”
For details, email paddymcrun@btinternet.com
or call 07714 950748. Check out Paddy’s website www.paddymcgrathrunning.com,
facebook page paddy.mcgrath.running or follow him on twitter @paddymcgrathrun
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LAND
AND SEA
3
April 2013
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 Local
artist Nick Kennedy is returning to the Gallery at Elizabeth House
with a new set of paintings under the title " Land &
Sea". It's an exhibition bringing together his most recent
paintings from travels abroad to Greece and France. Harbours,
sunsets, fishing boats all feature strongly, with a focus on balancing
light and colour.
Nick
studied Art and Design at Amersham College and Bristol University, then
taught Art at secondary schools before moving on to his current
vocation as Art Lecturer for East Berkshire College.
Past Exhibitions include Wolfson College, Oxford; Windsor and
Norden Farm Arts Centres; Maidenhead Art on the Street; Cookham
Festivals and South Bucks Art Week.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 6th April and continues to Friday 3rd
May. The Gallery - on Station Hill, Cookham Rise, SL6 9BS - is
open weekdays 9.30 to 11.30pm and Saturdays 10am to 4pm. Elizabeth
House benefits from a commission on all works sold. More gallery
details, including past exhibitors, are at www.thegalleryatelizabethhouse.org.uk
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ROTARY
CLUB FUN DAY
1
April 2013
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The Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club
organised a family fun day on Easter Saturday. Sima from Sima's Action
Kids was one of the many performers giving their time for free.
More than 700 local people supported the event.
(Click on photo for larger image)
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COOKHAM
DEAN FOOTBALL CLUB IN CUP FINAL
1
April 2013
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Cookham
Dean Football Club are in the Cup Final of the Norfolkian Senior Cup
Final on Thursday April 11. The Norfolkian is Maidenhead's oldest
Footbal Club competition. On Thursday they will be playing Wraysbury
Village FC at Maidenhead United FC York Road Ground with a kick off at
7.30pm
Cookham
Dean normally wear Red/ Black but for the Cup Final but this time they
will be wearing the change strip of all Green.
Please
come along and cheer your local side on as they try to bring the
Trophy back home to Cookham.
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EU
FUNDS SECURE NEW GRANDSTAND FOR COOKHAM DEAN
1
April 2013
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 Sport
for Europe has confirmed full funding for a spectacular new grandstand
to be built on the old cricket common in Cookham Dean.
The
state-of-the-art structure will be prefabricated in Germany, shipped to
the UK and erected by a crack squad of German workers in less than a
British worker’s lunchtime.
“We
are thrilled with the announcement, and delighted with the size of the
cheque.” said Peter Bartlett, one of the supporters of the scheme. “We
applied for a grant for a temporary structure to cover the Gravity Grand
Prix, but to our surprise they have given us full funding for a
permanent erection.
“We
did point out to them that a mistake may have been made, but nobody in
Brussels wants to know. Apparently, there is no mechanism for returning
overpayments back to Europe because no member country has ever tried to
do it before. They said it would be much cheaper for us just to keep the
Grandstand than it would be to pass the legislation needed to set up a
refund system.”
However,
some in The Dean are outraged. One resident said “Before retirement I
was a very important person and although I fully support the idea, I am
angry that nobody has asked for my opinion. It would seem that because
the structure is prefabricated in Germany, it is governed by German
planning regulations not English ones. What is this country coming to? I
didn’t fight in the war just so these faceless Eurocrats could give us
a well-made, useful structure that will benefit the village for
generations to come, without even giving me a chance to rant about it in
the local pub.”
A
spokesperson for The Kaffers of Cookham Dean said “We welcome any
help, from whatever quarter. The Gravity Grand Prix is becoming a bigger
event every year, and last year some spectators couldn’t see properly.
The Grandstand will come in very handy, and we are currently looking for
volunteers to help turn the thing round for the Boxing Day Games.”
The
Gravity Grand Prix will be held on Sunday 1st September.
Further details including entry packs are available at www.cookham.com.
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