Frank E BOWDLER & other Cinderford old photos (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, December 03, 2017, 21:25 (2549 days ago) @ JaneyH

You're very welcome Janey, apologies for my late reply.

The Way-mark site really is worth browsing, especially for anyone with Cinderford connections. Within the site's Living History section are a large number of colour photos taken in the 1970s, especially the "Goodly Heritage" section,
Start at http://way-mark.co.uk/foresthaven/livnhist/intro001.htm

Similarly the photos within the Living History section include several from Cinderford including most of the shops and shopkeepers, both 19th and 20th Century, plus early ones of the town's main buildings including some particularly rare ones of Double View School for example.
Start at http://way-mark.co.uk/foresthaven/livnhist/photo001.htm#

Cinderford is my home town so I'm clearly biased, but I've particularly enjoyed browsing thro' the "slides" section with dozens of colour shots taken in 1975, when I was just 13 and the town was thriving. Several show the rather random and charmingly old-fashioned origins of many of the town's buildings including your ancestor's fish shop.
http://way-mark.co.uk/foresthaven/livnhist/slide023.htm#

Re Frank Bowdler, I'm afraid I don't remember him, but I do recall his wife was Joyce Bowdler and in much later years there was a Jonathon Bowdler in charge of the town's fire station. I suspect he may be Frank's son, given this extract from Humphrey Phelps' highly-recommended book first published in 1982.

"Still in the High Street, Edwards and Sons, ironmongers. REAL ironmongers, hard to find these days. Mr Edwards is now the Officer in Charge of Cinderford Fire Station. It used to be Mr Bowdler, fishmonger and fryer. When he heard the fire alarm out he rushed, jumped in the butcher's van, back doors open, yards of sausages flying, and the butcher would leave his shop to attend to the fish frying - and so prevent another fire alarm."

I suspect the alarm was the same one still calling-out the Firemen in the 70s. It sounded just like a "Dad's Army" WW2 air-raid siren, and could be heard all across the town. I understand that sirens of this type were considered to be wise precautions for towns for Civil Defence purposes even after WW2. Since the late 1970s even Volunteer Brigades such as CInderford's had switched to using personal radio pagers, and thankfully the siren was never needed again since the end of the Cold War.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Xk-IAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT142&lpg=PT142&dq=Bowd...

Re Edwards and Sons, the son Mr Arthur Edwards was legendary to us boys c1970. Always immaculate in smart brown overall, his shop was just along from our house and handy for window-shopping after getting off the school bus. He supplied our fishing tackle & licences, air gun pellets, Scout (and Girl Guide !) penknives, and such like. He was my dad's first source for all DIY hardware and even rarities from the back storeroom like the delicate mantle for our ancient oil lamp (the 1970s meant regular power cuts !). Yes, and fork handles too of course !. Arthur was a serious, firm but fair gent, deeply respected in the town, but always MR Edwards to me despite my being at school with his daughter, and living almost next-door. Sadly missed.

Thanks Janey for reminding me to revisit this excellent website, so many happy memories of those long summer holidays when the only worry for me was hay fever, it never rained in 70s summers !