Group of officials (most from Witham Urban District Council or Essex County Council) with Henry Cooper, champion boxer, when Henry opened Bramston Sports Centre, Bridge Street. Back row, left to right, ??? (architect?), Keith Ivory (centre manager), Don Braybrook (Treasurer, UDC), Gordon Sparrow (Clerk, UDC), Fred Bowker (Engineer, UDC), ??? (ECC further education), David Sutherland (head of Bramston school). Front row, left to right, John Keeling (UD councillor), Elizabeth Coker (ECC), Bill Marsh (UD councillor), Henry Cooper, Ted Smith (chairman, UDC), Bill Dixon Smith (EC councillor), John Gyford (UD and EC councillor), Paul Ryland (UD councillor). Pauline Edmunds worked at the Centre then, and later became its manager; in 1999 she recalled that ‘Henry Cooper was a delightful V.I.P only charging us one case of red and one case of red wine ! He spent quite a few hours with us that day and of course our bar here at the Centre is called ‘Coopers’ bar in his honour. See also photo M405.

Ref	M1225
Date taken	23 March 1974
Source	Gyford, John