Remember When: Rain failed to deter entrants for annual Boxing Day Games

Welcome to Remember When, our weekly delve into the Advertiser archives to see what was making headlines 25, 30, 35, 45 and 50 years ago this week. You can also take a look into the past by visiting our online archives at baylismediaarchive.co.uk

1970: The Advertiser visited schools across the area as they wrapped up for Christmas ahead of a two-week holiday.

Children enjoyed a host of festive treats before they finished, including Christmas lunches and even a visit from Punch and Judy at St Mary’s School.

1975: The villagers of Fifield sang carols outside the Hare and Hounds pub to raise money for the autism unit at Holyport Manor School.

The event was organised by Fifield Social Committee, made up of villagers and members of the hall committee.

1985: Pickpockets, car thieves and burglars roamed Maidenhead High Street – but it was all in good fun.

A group of ‘strolling players’ from Windsor Arts Centre acted out a series of sketches aimed at preventing crime in the town.

Mums, dads and children booed and hissed as the evil Sir Jasper drugged Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and stole Santa’s Christmas presents before being brought to justice in a pantomime-style sketch.

1990: Appalling weather conditions didn’t deter the Kaffirs of Cookham Dean from staging its annual It’s a Knockout-style contest on the village cricket green (main picture).

A dozen teams kicked off the selection of zany capers, including the blindfolded piggy back race, which saw the teams make their way around a slalom course.

The overall winners were the Half Pint Pots.

1995: The weather was somewhat better when the Boxing Day Games took place five years later.

Hundreds of people stood on Cookham Dean’s cricket green to watch the annual event in the winter sun.

This time, 10 teams took part, with the Gervais All Stars emerging victorious.

1995: Marilyn Monroe and Thunderbirds characters were on hand to tress locks at the Total Image salon in Maidenhead.

Staff at the hairdressers in Queen Street dressed up as famous people to get clients in a festive party mood.