Royals star Tom shares footie tips

families, all of which often feeds in to the funding of organised crime.”

Cigarettes in the UK are subject to duties and require a range of safety information on the packaging.

Counterfeit cigarettes often imitate genuine brands but are manufactured illegally and against copyright, undermining taxation and efforts to reduce smoking in the UK population.

Friends to hold online talk

AN ONLINE talk next week will will look at how a museum’s archive can unpack the past.

The History of Reading Society will welcome Kaye Gough and Jenny Knight for the event.

The pair are volunteer archivists at the Museum of English Rural Life, and tour guides of East Thorpe House and the museum.

They also performed in a play about the Swing Riots.

They will tell the stories of six women, using the MERL archives.

The meeting is for the society’s members and will be held on Zoom from 7.30pm on Wednesday, February 15.

n For more details, or to join, log on to: www. historyofreadingsociety.org.uk

Fuse box fire

Tobacco products which are manufactured abroad for international smuggling also reduce prices, further undermining efforts to tax, discourage, and collect data on smokers.

Sources of illegal tobacco can be reported by contacting the Illegal Tobacco Hotline on 0300 999 6 999, where information can be left anonymously.

A FUSE box caused a house fire in a Whitley home.

The incident took place around 7.33am on Tuesday, January 31, at a home in Windermere Road.

Crews from Caversham Road and Wokingham Road fire stations were sent to the scene, and used a CO2 extinguisher to put the fire out.

They were on the scene for an hour and 22 minutes.

A BERKSHIRE charity was joined by one of the Royals for its first football session of the year.

Reading FC’s Tom Holmes took part in a session with Berkshire Youth, one of the first of its football-focused after school events of 2023.

The charity holds Kicks, a weekly after-school club which sees kids in schools years 7-9 playing football and team games.

Tom Holmes, defender and vice-captain of RFC’s first team squad, came to one of the sessions and fielded questions, talked tactics, and took photos with the attendees.

Youngsters at the club played an hour of football and wished Tom and the team well ahead of their upcoming fixtures.

The session closed with a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner of the session’s match.

Berkshire Youth said: “We were really lucky to have Tom come to one of our sessions.

“He stayed for the whole session and young people loved speaking to and having photos taken with him.

“They talked through some tactics and wished Tom and Reading Football Club good luck in upcoming games.” n To apply for a place, or for a full run-down of all of the services that Berkshire Youth offers, visit: berkshireyouth.co.uk

Berkshire Youth organises the Kicks sessions for the Reading Football Club Community Trust, which take place every Thursday during term-time, between 4pm5pm.

Sessions take place at the Cotswold Sports Centre in Tilehurst, with spaces still available.

Those attending do not require kit, but PE-style clothing is recommended, as well as a required water bottle.

Win tickets to Reading Festival with Wrigley’s Gum

MARS WRIGLEY has partnered with Reading Festival to offer tickets to the popular event.

To take part, shoppers scan a QR code on the pack and enter the last four digits of the barcode.

The competition runs on packs of Strawberry, Apple, Blueberry, Cool Breeze, Peppermint and Spearmint Extra.

Hannah Lee, senior brand manager at Wrigley’s Extra, said: “We have partnered with Reading Festival to offer shoppers the chance to win festival tickets and experiences.

“Our research shows that when out-ofhome and chewing gum, 42% of consumers are working, studying or emailing, followed by listening to a podcast or music (22%).

“Up to 98% of Gen Z and students say music plays a great role in their overall happiness, and 70% say going to live music events is part of their mental wellness plan.”

She continued: “Extra gum is there for when consumers want to work hard and when they want to play hard – it’s all about balance.

“Reading Festival attracts an array of fans including those looking to relax post-exams, and what better way to follow all the months of revision, but with three days of the very best music? All for just the price of a packet of gum.”

Sam Fender will headline the main stage east on Friday, The Killers on Saturday, and Billie Eilish on Sunday. The West stage will see Foals headline on Friday, Lewis Capaldi on Saturday, and Imagine Dragons on Sunday.

Loyle Carner, Wet Leg, You Me At Six, Declan McKenna, Becky Hill, and Yung Lean will also be performing.

The competition runs until Sunday, March 26.