The village where The Wind in the Willows was written has become blighted by dense traffic, with locals fearing for their lives as cars try to squeeze down old country lanes.
But unlike Mr Toad, who was famous for his reckless motoring antics, Cookham residents are trying to reclaim the streets from dangerous driving.
Leading the way is a group of local celebrities including a TV comedian, an Olympian and a TV naturalist who have joined forces to turn it into a mini Amsterdam
Eline Van Der Velden, the award-winning filmmaker and comedian, was inspired by her Dutch roots to propose plans similar to the bike-friendly cities in the Netherlands.
With a humorous video where she embodies her famous Miss Holland, she showed the dangers of Cookham’s narrow roads and ask locals to sign her petition, which already has 2,000 signatures,
The former beauty queen has said she wants to build a ten-mile cycle network encircling Cookham, Berks and connecting it to nearby villages and Maidenhead’s Elizabeth Line station.
‘You move to the country for fresh air and a more relaxed way of life – but the traffic in villages here are as bad as the cities – especially during school-runs,’ said the mother-of-one, whose daughter starts school next year.
‘It’s a Catch-22: the heavy traffic and small footpaths make it too dangerous to walk or cycle with your children, so you have no choice but to take your car,’ she said.
‘I love living in England but the traffic and dangerous country lanes are terrible.’
Another famous local Steve Backshall and his Olympic rowing champion wife Helen Glover supported the move to make Britain’s streets safer.
The TV wildlife explorer said he ‘once took a group of kids swimming with sharks and it was safer than walking the streets in the UK. That’s how bad it is.’
Former Hollyoaks star Zoe Lister said ‘as someone who cycles with my kids, I know how important it is to feel safe on the road.
‘This campaign is about creating spaces where families can enjoy cycling without fear.’
‘If this doesn’t work we will have to bring in Ricky Gervais who lives nearby…imagine facing him in a council meeting,’ joked Van Der Velden.
‘Using humour to spark change felt like the perfect approach’ said Van Der Velden about her video.
‘Miss Holland has always been about embracing British culture in her unique way, and this time, she’s tackling something that affects us all – road safety.’
She wants to make cycling the default mode of transport within the village, with cars used only for leaving the area. ‘It will be a bit like Center Parcs, another Dutch invention’ she jokes, ‘but with better food and no screaming kids on zip lines.’
The paths, which will also be suitable for scooters, pushchairs and horse-riders were first proposed by a local landowner five years ago.
They would take in four primary schools, a secondary school, and local cricket and football pitches – and some money is available from Community Infrastructure Levies on two housing developments in the area.
The campaign also has the backing of the Copas family—local landowners – who proposed the route for a Neighbourhood Plan in 2019.
Other landowners on the route – the National Trust’s Cliveden Estate and a quarry business have also looked on it favourably.
Van Der Velden said The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council had been positive and co-operative.
‘We’re just trying to bring it back to how it was before,’ she said.
‘In the 1970s, more than three quarters of kids walked or cycled to school. Now most people drive.’
Van Der Velden hopes the campaign will serve as a blueprint for other commuter villages struggling with congestion.
Cookham was where Kenneth Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows, grew up and later lived while writing the beloved children’s novel.
A link to the petition can be found here.