It is with great sadness that I relate the news that Chris Fookes passed away Friday 8 September 2023.

We offer our condolences to his extensive family.

Chris was a great supporter of our history group and was always interested in the people and events of his beloved Milton Abbas. Of course he was also a vital contributor to the village history by writing the guide book, and more especially collecting and holding on to so much memorabilia. He was steeped in the village history at his father’s knee, and the family’s artefacts collected since the early 19th century in Milton Abbas were the core of his museums at Park Farm and the Fookes Brewery for many years.

I well remember going to his ‘shed’ on many occasions with Ellie Payne to sort, catalogue and photograph the hundreds of documents and photographs. That took some doing! Chris later donated his archives to the history group and they now form the basis of our collections.

The funeral service will take place in the illustrious Milton Abbey and will be a grand occasion attended by his many, many friends.

Thank you Chris, for your enthusiasm, inspiration, collecting and sharing your knowledge with us.

You will be sadly missed by many people in Milton Abbas and beyond. I had so many more questions still to ask – now there is no one left who knows the answers.

With love and sadness,

Bryan Phillips