SIXTY years ago, Douglas Beaton, who worked in the county architects department in Cambridge, cycled with his wife from their home in Milton to Soham in pursuit of his hobby of painting. He spent the day sketching and working on a picture of the wind pump
SIXTY years ago, Douglas Beaton, who worked in the county architects department in Cambridge, cycled with his wife from their home in Milton to Soham in pursuit of his hobby of painting. He spent the day sketching and working on a picture of the wind pump on the mere. When Douglas died in 1998 his wife and son, Gavin, found the painting when they were going through his things.
Last week, Gavin, now living in Swindon, presented the painting to the town. Town council chairman Chris Palmer, who accepted the picture on our behalf, thanked Mr Beaton for the gift as a reminder of the town's history.
According to Ken Isaacson's excellent book Home Sweet Soham (yes, Soham should actually rhyme with home) the mill, a photograph of which appears in the book, was pulled down in 1948. The painting will now have pride of place on the wall of the Pavilion.
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