Remember When: Books carpeted a library floor and goats were at the baaaah

1968: Only the most dedicated swimmers braved the chilly weather in May as the swimming pool in Cookham Road opened for the season.

It didn’t stop Jean MacDonald and Susan Wyman jumping straight in for a great afternoon.

1978: The owners of a pub in Holyport introduced their new four legged friend to a drink from behind the bar.

Seven-week-old Jezebel the goat was still being bottle fed by her new owners, but with beer not milk.

Mr and Mrs Lamb, who ran the Belgian Arms, said she had quickly endeared herself to customers.

1983: Vandals left two young trees in the town centre so badly damaged that they had to be uprooted.

The slender trunks of the bird cherry tree and a mountain ash had been snapped several feet off the ground.

The damaged trees had not yet reached maturity and as a result had to be replaced in the autumn.

A council officer described the loss as a ‘waste’.

1983: The need for a new carpet meant the town library had to undertake the mammoth task of removing 35,000 books from its shelves.

The daunting task was undertaken with military precision after the old carpet was worn out due to the library’s popularity with bookworms.

The library was divided into three sections as the 10-year-old carpet was replaced to try and minimise disruption to users.

1988: A number of birds of prey were displayed at a meeting of Maidenhead and District Cage Bird Club.

Clive Palmer from the Berkshire Wildlife Rehabilitation Unit brought the animals to help illustrate his talk on how they care for injured birds and release them back into the wild.

1988: An expectant mother from Pinkneys Green delivered her own baby in a car on the way to Wexham Park Hospital.

Christine Palmer was not expecting her baby for another three weeks.

She was on the way to the hospital with her husband, Andy, who had stopped the car at The Horse and Groom pub in Taplow to call an ambulance.

By the time he came back out the baby had already arrived.

Andy described his relief that his wife and new daughter were completely fine.

The ambulance eventually arrived and took the pair to hospital to be checked over.

The family returned home ‘fit and well’ a few days later.

1973: A new opera especially for children was performed as part of Cookham festival.

The Miller’s Secret was composed by Stephen Dodgeson.

1978: A new plaque was donated to the rehabilitation department of St Mark’s Hospital by a grateful patient.

It read ‘Mrs Mac’s department of physioterrorism’.

TV personality Frank Bough opened the new department after a £33,000 extension.

The joke plaque helped mark a difficult few months where builders and staff had to work side by side as patients were still being treated at the department.

Hospital leaders and doctors welcomed the additional space and new facility.

1978: Those who needed convincing that Ernie Wise really has got short fat hairy legs were left in no doubt when he donated blood in Maidenhead (main picture).

The pint-sized, wise-cracking comedian gave blood for the first time at the town hall as part of campaign for more donors to come forward. After his finger was pricked he said: “My God that was painful.”

But after that all went well as he was placed in the care of donor attendant Linda Neave