David was born 1938, left school at 15 and never stopped reading.
He won £7,000 in a ‘Mastermind’ type of quiz show (filmed in Hackney Empire) in 1958, special topic Feudal Japan.
Close friend of poet and songwriter John Mackie (wrote for High Tide and Ronnie Paisley).
I believe he worked for Ford’s at Langley, where he organised a strike that closed down the factory. Never was there a stronger argument for proper financial subsidy of the arts; you want the David Cockertons of this world painting their fantasies, not acting them out!
In ~1976 John called me up and said his friend Dave was looking for a room, and he knew I had one going in the former pub ‘Cobden’s head’ in Poplar that I rented.
Dave turned up with two carrier bags and very worn out clothes. I (the cool student) thought he was a tramp. He said he liked the room, and could he move in at once. The cool student was too well brought up to say no, a decision I cherish as it was the best house share I ever had.
David got a job as a porter/caretaker at Royal Holloway College from 1979 – 1983.
After that he lived in a boat on the canal in Brentford or in Brentford Dock Marina.
Then he moved to Forest Hill, where he died in 2010.
He left an extraordinary collection of books. History, Art, politics, novels and cricket. And his collection of model boats and 50 years worth of paintings. I have not even scratched the surface looking at them yet.
David is having a garrulous conversation with George Chkiantz, the recording engineer and producer. The photo was taken at Clarence House during an exhibition of cartoons by Kevin Westlake, who was better known as a pop star.
Henry Lawrence is researching David Cockertons's life and would like to know more about the time when he lived in Brentford.
Did you know David? Did you meet David? Did you talk to him in the pub?
Contact Henry Lawrence on: Henry.Lawrence@bristol.ac.uk
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