A Cook's view

What a welcome addition to the web. Congratulations to all who have put this wonderful site together. It will take me quite a while to read it all but that's the kind of challenge I enjoy. So, I'm Brian Cook, born and partly bred in Foxearth some 57 and a bit years ago. My dad, Henry to locals and family, and Sam to his wife and in-laws, is still going strong at 90 in his adopted home of Balloch, Scotland. My mother, May (McLellan), alas passed away in March 2004. My father was the seventh child of Herbert (Teddy)and and Elizabeth Cook who lived at what's now known as Cook's Cottage across from the brewery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ted Heathcote's blog on the village and recognized many of the names he mentioned. Dare I say, I can almost put faces to most of them. My wife Susan and I visited the village a few years ago and ran into Kenneth Colby in the lane. That was a treat! I remember the Ham's and used to hang out with Stuart when I visited the grandparents from my new home in Scotland. What truly struck me when we visited - I now live near Boston, Massaachusetts, by the way - was just how unchanged it all seemed. Yes, the brewery was gone, but the old feel of the place and the tranquility just stood out. My wife, who grew up in New Hampshire, USA which has a similar small town, small village appeal, as does neighbouring Vermont, was especially impressed by the area. That's all for now. I shall return to these pages with more updates soon .