Remember When: Memories of Littlewick Show and Timbertown

1980: An estimated 2,000-strong crowd flocked to a sun-soaked Bray to watch the annual cricket match between a Maidenhead and Bray side, led by Michael Parkinson and Vic Lewis’ team.

Among the celebrities present were Ernie Wise, Malcolm Macdonald, Peter Cleall and Peter Davison.

Davison – who was enjoying success playing Tristan in All Creatures Great and Small – was surrounded by autograph hunters.

1985: Both carriageways of the missing link in Maidenhead’s Western Relief Road were due to be carrying traffic by Christmas.

Associated Asphalt was working on the base for a new northbound carriageway to run under the new railway bridge, across Station Approach and into a widened Grenfell Road.

1990: Thousands flocked to the Littlewick Show in Ascot Road to sample the sunshine and take in a stall or two.

The show, which featured horse and dog competitions and myriad horticultural classes, was described as the ‘best one ever’, with a record 16,000 people attending.

1995: Animal lover Elaine Glynn was keeping a careful hold on her runaway pet python Murdoch, who had sparked a five-day police search after slipping away from his home in Bourne End.

The 10ft Murdoch had recently filled up on food so he didn't bother any neighbourhood pets before he was found in a nearby garden.

1995: The oldest bridge across the River Thames was found by archaeologists working on Eton College land at Dorney – which was being prepared for the installation of a 2,270m rowing lake.

A team from Oxford Archaeological Society were excavating the remains of an ancient wooden structure, which may have been prehistoric.

2000: England football manager Kevin Keegan was under pressure as he spoke to the media while his team stayed at the Grovefield Hotel in Burnham.

England had flopped at Euro 2000, but were back training at Bisham Abbey ahead of a friendly with France in Paris.

2000: The Millennium Wheel was reduced to a pile of ashes when it was torched, along with the Angel of the North, a castle and a submarine.

These were not acts of cross-country vandalism, but the return of the construction and destruction of Timbertown.

Each year, children built a wooden ‘town’ before it was ceremoniously razed to the ground at the end of a busy five days of activities.

2000: The glamour and glitz of Hollywood spilled into town for a prestigious Oscar-style ceremony celebrating Maidenhead and the Movies.

Five Saturdays of visually-stunning family entertainment culminated in an illustrious movie parade, marking the imminent opening of the UCI cinema and Norden Farm Centre for the Arts.

The 250-strong parade showed off the talents of youngsters, who were rewarded with ‘Oscar’ prizes and movie memorabilia.