Cooper family from Linda Clarke (Cooper

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Cooper family from Linda Clarke (Cooper)

The poem featured on the right is about my father Derek Cooper who lived in Melbourn all his life. He was the eldest of seven children born to Bert and Mabel Cooper. All seven children settled in the village, and three still here. (Four, including dad, have passed away).

Dad was in the Royal Navy during the WWII and was stationed at Lowestoft some of the time. He served on the ‘Javelin’ and the ‘Northern Foam’ and was in the Battle of the Atlantic, sailing as far as Hong Kong and Greenland. He worked for the Atlas Stone Company, now Eternit, for nearly 51 years, rising from shift worker to production supervisor over the years.

As the poem suggests he did love the countryside and animals. As a child he had dogs, cats and ferrets amongst his pets. He also had two owls which used to fly in his bedroom window and sit on the bottom of his bed.

Granddad was a gamekeeper, and also a poacher. The large family being sometimes fed on pigeon pie and jugged hare. He was the pest control man for the village. I remember him killing wasp’s nests on the ground with a long stick with white powder on the end. Later I found out that it was cyanide. The poem is from the book, ‘Lab’s Pal’ (a labrador) by J.H. Burn-Murdoch 3rd August 1938

Derek Cooper

Mabel and Bert Cooper Poem written on the fly leaf. From Lab to Derick A wee bit kiddie owns this book His father daily wanders round a-hunting pests from stoat to rook at home it’s seldom he’ll be found.

A braw fine lad Bert Cooper’s son though Derek is his name from father, son, the poachers run, full sorry that they ever came. He goes to school to learn from books, And there he’s taught to read and write, But countryside is where he looks, And there sees God in all his might. Och aye Och aye, the keepers boy, I would not have him lose his youth, But when he’s old, he’ll find it joy, To know that dogs have souls is truth. And when that boy with dog to heel, Doth wander round the land, It won’t be long before he’ll feel Things mighty hard to understand. And long before he’s gotten old A lying neath the sod, These natures talks will have him told Both dog and man be parts of God. There’s many a man of high degree, With pockets filled with gold, Who never, never, lives to see Dog’s souls cannot be bought or sold. Which of these is the more up-lifting Derek or Derick? Quem sabe? After all what’s in a name?

Melbourn Girls

The photograph shows Rhona Bunting, Helen Taylor and Joyce Reed and was taken by me (Cyril) at the Pool in Royston. I knew all the girls very well. Rhona’s older brother was Reg Bunting, he and I were great friends just prior to the Second World War. We both went into the armed services at the same time. Reg joined the RAF and was sent to Tuscaloosa Alabama, USA for his training as a bomber pilot. I went into the Royal Navy and was sent overseas.

Rhona married an RAF lad, and Joyce Reed married an American Serviceman, and went to live in the States. I think that Joyce would now be about 82 years of age, and I understand from one her relatives, who is the sister of Joyce’s mother’s, (and is now aged 99 and living in Royston), that Joyce is still alive. Joyce had a brother Eric who I also knew very well. The Buntings and the Reeds both lived in Orchard Way.

I have no knowledge since WWII about either of the two other girls, or of Reg Bunting, I believe that Reg survived the conflict. I wvould be interested if anyone has any further knowledge about any of them. From Cyril and Audrey Rayment cyril.rayment@btinternet.com

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