Remember When: Full steam ahead for biggest vehicle rally in the South-east

1978: The two-day Knowl Hill Steam Rally, which took place for the ninth time, attracted even more steam tractors and showmen’s engines than usual (main picture).

The event, the biggest of its kind in the South-east, attracted entries from Norfolk right across to the West Country.

Organisers said that, despite thousands of people attending, the event retained its ‘village fair atmosphere’ with about 70 per cent of local residents getting involved.

1988: Television gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh dropped in to the Barley Mow in Cox Green to congratulate licensees John and Valerie Collis on the colourful floral display outside the pub.

He presented them with  a framed diploma awarded to just 10 of 1,500 Watney Truman pubs competing in the regional section of the brewery’s Floral Display of the Year Award.

1988: Cookham Rise butcher Keith Macey opted to mark the 100th anniversary of the shop in Lower Road by holding a pavement barbecue.

At the turn of the century the butcher’s adjoined a grocer’s, a laundry and a bootmender which stood alone amid open fields.

Keith and his wife Celia moved from London earlier in the year to take the business over.

1993: Just a month on from the release of Jurassic Park, a 4ft dinosaur joined the Twyford and Ruscombe summer playscheme.

The T-Rex lookalike was the culmination of a two-week craft project undertaken by teacher Jackie Harman and the children on the scheme.

Known as Lumpy, the beast was created from papier mache over a wire frame.

1978: A pair of 17-year-old scouts returned from an epic 18-day trek along the Pennine Way.

Gavin Cordon, of Camley Gardens, and Geoff Williams, of Belmont Crescent, suffered blistered feet and sore shoulders, got lost in a swirling mist and were shin-deep in bogs during the 270-mile walk. 

1978: A group of girls – all aged under 10 – took part in gymnastics sessions at one of Maidenhead Leisure Centre’s ‘Justfakids’ summer courses.

Instructor Linda Senior, from Cookham, was pleased with the great strides the group had taken since they came under he tuition.

1983: Five-year-old Angela Gillibrand entered a competition to guess the weight of the Mayor’s regalia and a week later found herself sipping coke in the Mayor’s Parlour.

Angela, of the Fairway, Cox Green, was chauffeured in the Mayor’s car to the Town Hall with her parents and three-year-old brother Michael.

Angela guessed Mayor Brigide Helbronner’s regalia weighed 300oz – closest to the actual weight of 296oz.

1988: The Holiday Activities Programme for Cookham children was in full swing in August 30 years ago.

Over the course of a week children took part in a calligraphy course and learned how to press flowers, decorate cakes and life saving skills such as how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The week, which also included a cycling proficiency course, was masterminded by organisers Penny Bysshe and Annie de Mille.