Cookham Matters

For those that have been following Tree-Gate in Cookham Dean, the latest update.... Some residents had suggested that when the council come to re-plant in October/November we might try to crowd-fund a larger specimen tree than they would normally provide (approximately 3 meters).  Unfortunately, this seems unlikely for what is an obvious reason now it has been explained to me.  The bigger the tree, the bigger the hole they need to dig to plant it in and the trouble with trying to dig at all in that tiny area, is that it is criss-crossed with services pipes. The plaque from the bottom of the tree truly seems to have disappeared (as has the stump which was removed on the 24 July) and we did wonder if any members of the families who originally planted the tree (the Hebbs and Jordans) were still local, and had rescued it.  Although I would not be surprised if it has been accidentally dug into the ground with all the earth works or cleared up when the tree was felled.  If anyone do

We all lead busy lives, but where I have an opinion (and guess what, I often do!) I think it is important that I am prepared to actually DO something.  Hence there is a hideous photo of me in the Maidenhead Advertiser archives holding a "Save Poundfield" placard.  There are a lot of pressures on Cookham; roads, parking, flooding, housing density and location to name but a few.  And whilst development is a very current issue, with areas of the village under threat again, it is not a new concern.  In 1968 a planning application for Poundfield spawned the birth of The CookhamSociety with its aim to "protect, preserve, improve or create, features of general public amenity".  In other words, they are a group of people who ARE prepared to do something, and as such they get involved in much of village life. Then, back in 2013 something quite unique happened.  The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), alongside the Cookham Parish Council and The Cookham Soci

If you were a Toad in Cookham, you would be very glad to see Barbara Brown.  She’s a bit like International Rescue for Toads.  You’d recognize her easily enough because she’d be carrying a bucket, two children’s fishing nets and several scoopy things, whilst marching up and down Lightlands Lane.  Her mission is to save Cookham's Toads from being squashed on the road, and she has a team of Toad Wranglers that help her. First of all, a few toad basics for any rookie Toad Wranglers: Toads have lumpy skin and frogs have smooth skin. Toads tend to live away from water (until they mate) frogs need to live close to it. Toads prefer to crawl (although they can hop) and frogs prefer to hop. Toad Wranglers really need gloves, because they produce a toxin from glands behind their eyes (meant to deter predators from eating them) that can be irritating to the skin. Toad Spawn is laid in strings, Frog Spawn in dense clumps. You WANT Toads (and Frogs) in your garden because they wi