My uncle, Thomas Maassen, was a long time resident of Wickford. His address was ‘Trece’, Brock Hill. I have several water colours painted by his friend, Vic Cobourne (Ed. since corrected as Vernon Cobourn by his granddaughter). The first print, dated 1974, is of Hall’s Corner, at the junction of High Street and London Road. The second one is dated 4 July 1972 and has a notation ‘Part of Wickford High Street, near Railway Station and part of old building due for demolition’. The third one is also of part of the High Street.
(Warwick Osborne now lives in Aukland, New Zealand.)
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As I said before, I remember during the War 39/45 my Mum used to take your sister and me in for lunch, as it was the British Restaurant then.
These are beautiful paintings and capture something photos cannot.
His name was Vernon Cobourne and he was my grandfather. I have been trying to track down more of his pictures. Where in NZ do you live?
I am flabbergasted about how they got down under as I was there when he painted some of them.
A good likeness, I remember those well. Going under the railway bridge up the High Street going south, first was the Midland Bank, then Egans the music shop, then Coxheads the plumbers shop, then tucked back was Stanleys the greengrocers, then the Saddlers. The Congregational church as shown was during the War, a British restaurant as I have mentioned before on this site, next door was Hancocks, the watch repairers and jewelers.
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