MEMBERS of the Wargrave Local History Society were recently treated to a glimpse of local history through the life story of Alf Beckford, as shared by his daughter Maureen Prince.
Born in Hare Hatch 1894, as a young boy Alf walked daily along unlit and unmade roads to attend the Piggott School.
Children weren’t allowed to enter via the front door in those days, it being reserved for dignitaries.
A founder member of the Wargrave Scouts, Alf left school at fourteen, to begin a lifelong career as a hairdresser.
He apprenticed at Charlie Lunn’s shop on Wargrave High Street, where he also, rather unusually, mastered the art of crafting umbrellas and parasols.
It meant that he was able to give his fiance a white parasol as a first gift.
His life took a dramatic turn in 1916 when he was called up for military service.
Serving with the Royal Signals Corps of the Royal Engineers during World War One, his role, described as electrician, was to distribute electric cables while on horseback.
Alf’s dedication earned him promotion to Lance Corporal, but at the end of the war, on returning home, he resumed hairdressing in Maidenhead, where he met his future wife Dorothy at a skating rink.
The couple married in 1923 and settled in Wargrave, raising their daughters Phyllis and Maureen, and Alf eventually took over Charlie Lunn’s shop, transforming it into a village institution.
More than just a hairdresser’s, it sold tobacco, fishing tackle, and sweets.
People would generally buy 200 cigarettes at a time, and cash takings on a Saturday would amount to £150.
Maureen remembers that youngsters from large familes nearby would be invited to come and pick fruit from the fruit trees in her garden.
Few people had fridges, so needed to buy food daily.
Opening at 7:30 am to serve London-bound commuters, Alf’s shop attracted an impressive clientele, including RAF founder Lord Trenchard, actors Robert Morley and Wilfred Hyde White, Sir Ernest Cain, and Col Trimmer Thompson of Crazies Hill.
During World War Two, Alf served as both a volunteer firefighter and in the Home Guard.
He was also a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters, which met regularly at local pubs to discuss community welfare.
And an accomplished marksman, he represented the Wargrave Rifle Club in competitions at Bisley, though his mother, worried about tramps travelling along the nearby A4, used to hide his rifles under the bed in case of theft.
His dedication to the community extended to founding the Wargrave Branch of the British Legion, earning him both a silver tankard and a gold badge in recognition of his service.
Even after retiring from his shop in 1966, Alf continued cutting hair at home, often in his garden on sunny days, and later at Elizabeth Court until he was 89.
His connection to the Piggott School came full circle when he served as a school manager, and on his 80th birthday, pupils presented him with a specially signed card and scrapbook.
Alf lived, until the age of 92, at The Mount, within sight of the school that meant so much to him.
For information about the society, visit: wargravehistory.org.uk
