Lost soldiers from First World War to be remembered at Cookham Festival

Those who lost their lives during the First World War and the impact it had on the village will be remembered at this year's Cookham Festival.

A series of events will be held to explore the stories behind the fallen soldiers and attempt to portray what life was like for those back home.

More than 100 names are inscribed on the memorials in Cookham Village, Cookham Dean and other smaller sites.

The team of Mike Copland, Pam Campin, Andy Draper, Marta Makowska and Chrissy Rosenthal have been busy digging out the stories behind the names and will create tributes as part of the festival, which runs between May 2 and May 17.

Cookham train station will host an exhibition entitled 'Cookham and the Great War' and Andy is putting a cast together for the play 'From Odney Bridge to Flanders Fields' to depict what life was like at the time.

'Poppy trails' will also be mapped out in each village, stopping at places where the soldiers lived or worked and other points of interest.

Every station will include information about the person the poppy represents, which can be explored at leisure or during organised tours.

Students at Holy Trinity Primary School will also revive their own First World War exhibition, originally held in November.

Mike Copland, who is leading the project, said: "We read out their names every Remembrance Sunday but we know little or nothing about the lives behind the names.

"Most were in their teens or 20s and had never known life beyond Cookham.

"We want to record these lives for posterity and help people today understand a little more about what they did and about the village they left behind."

He added that the research will create a legacy that will last long after the festival comes to a close.

The team is keen to hear from anyone who has family connections with the Cookham men or have any memorabilia related to the villages which could help form part of the project.

Contact Mike at mandlcopland@yahoo.co.uk or on 07739 337105.