Views of Wallbridge

Neil Harapath

Albert Dorrein Cook (but always known as John Cook)  

was born in 1916 at Butterow and lived there throughout his life except for the 6 years in the Army during WWII. He attended Stroud Central School and in 1932 joined the art studio of Stroud Brewery and remained as a brewery artist through the years of Stroud, West Country and Whitbread Breweries. He always carried out a lot of research for the inn signs that he designed and this would have included any images associated with the canal. He died suddenly while giving a talk in Rodborough in March 1985. 

He also undertook heraldic design and painting as a member of the Guild of Gloucestershire Craftsmen (as it began). One important commission was to design the official Coat of Arms for the old Borough of Stroud and to have it registered with the College of Arms. The Arms were displayed at the retrospective exhibition of Mr Cook's work at the Stroud Festival of 1985 (see photo).  He was for a long time a very active member of the committee for the Stroud Festival. 

Among his sketches as a schoolboy, there was the attached watercolour of the wharf at Wallbridge.   

His wife, born Alice Florence Waite, was also born in 1916 at No.18 Wallbridge, a street that was almost entirely swept away in the 1960s. Living there until 1948 she had an intimate knowledge of the canal and the wharf.  

In Addition 

Editor: The Museum in the Park have added two images from their collection.  Wallbridge has changed its appearance over the years and many details are long forgotten.  The restoration of the canals will change it once again.  So, if you happen to have a photograph or painting that can add to the pictures shown here do send them to me iris.c@virgin.net  and I will add them to the page.