AFTER weeks of fundraising by Liphook resident David Lambert, a memorial bench for the late cobbler, Don Cook, whose workshop was located in London Road, has finally been unveiled.

There to help cut the ribbon were Don’s niece Debbie Baker and his grand nephew Vinnie and grand niece Ella-Marie Jackson.

The wooden bench has been placed next to Don’s old shop, outside the Lazy Lizard Cafe, featuring a dedication and shoe engravings.

One of Liphook’s much-loved characters Don sadly passed away in May, aged 89, after having been part of the community for 56 years, before finally closing the doors of his shoe repair shop in December 2016.

Mr Lambert managed to raise a total of £1,340 against a cost of £919.65 for the bench, which he called a ‘Rolls-Royce’ version, now overlooking The Square.

The remaining funds were distributed amongst a couple of local charities with Irene Ellis and Barbara Frost receiving £150 towards the running costs of the Community Laundry and Station Road shop manager Mary Hanbook accepting £270.35 for Cancer Research.

The two men first met in 1958 while playing darts and David and Don established a firm friendship from there on.

Don set up his business Tweenways in 1960 in the old converted and unheated air raid shelter, facilitated by Andrew Luff, whose family then owned the land off London Road.

Customers were often treated to reminiscences about the past and long discussions about Don’s time in the services and his views on politics, while getting their shoes repaired, with some even travelling to see him from as far away as Canada.

Although his work was first-class, the somewhat chaotic conditions in the workshop belied his expertise as a trained cobbler.

Tributes to Don have decribed him as lovely, kind, friendly and polite, as well as a real craftsman who was always generous to children and had time for his customers.

He lived with his wife of 62 years, Mable, in Headley.