Leaflet drop explains significance of Thatcham road name Langford Way

Informative leaflets have been dropped through letterboxes in Thatcham explaining the significance of one of the town’s road names.

Langford Way, just off Station Road, was named after the late Thatcham resident Malcom Langford.

The road was named, and a sign unveiled, early last year.

Mr Langford was an electrician, historian and metal detectorist who died in December 2020.

He died at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, aged 76, leaving behind a wife and four children.

The idea was proposed by one of Mr Langford’s friends Bob Dewey. He, Malcom’s family, and the Thatcham mayor Mark Lillycrop distributed the leaflets on May 27.

One of Mr Langford’s sons Eddie Langford thanked those involved with the project for their efforts in producing the "Langford Way" information leaflets.

He said: “I would like to thank Dr Nick Young, Bob Dewey and Thatcham Town Council for producing the Langford Way information leaflets.

“Thank you Mr Mayor for attending and supporting our family with this.”

He added: “It's such an honour and privilege that Langford Way was named after my late father Malcolm Langford.

“He would have been overwhelmed and very proud that a road has been named after him.

“He is very much missed by all his family and friends, and by having Langford Way in our town his legacy continues to live on."

Town councillor and mayor at the time of the unveiling John Boyd (Lib Dem, Colthrop and Crookham) said: “He would do anything for anybody in the town.

“After retirement he took up metal detecting and found the oldest coin in the UK. It supported his theory that Thatcham was the oldest continuously inhabited location in Britain.”

He added: “He would go to schools and read to the children. He had grandchildren in school. He took puppets and things to educate them.

“You just had to meet him. It was well deserved. It was a shame he could not have been there to see it.”

Dr Nick Young said: “I have known Malcolm for a long time. His local knowledge, willingness to share, and enthusiasm was unwavering and he would do anything for anyone.

“It has been a pleasure to be involved with this project to keep his memory alive.

“I would like to think that the story of Malcolm and Langford Way inspires a new tradition, where new roads are accompanied by an informational leaflet, shedding light on its name and other pertinent details for new residents."

The leaflet will be made available for people to read at various locations and websites including the Thatcham Historical Societies site.