Wokingham Today June 10, 2021

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Village’s sunflower summer

THE VOICE OF THE BOROUGH

Thursday, June 10, 2021 No. 316

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CHOP CHOP WARRIORS CARRY TOWN’S NAME P3

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today WARGRAVE residents have launched a sunflower planting project to spruce up the village this summer.

Michele Bryan, from Purfield Drive, kickstarted the initiative last month when she asked people on social media to join her in planting some flowers.

Now, she hopes the Sunflowers Of Wargrave programme will help bring the community closer together following the pandemic.

Ms Bryan was inspired to plant the flowers after admiring a neighbour’s garden on her lockdown walks.

“When the pandemic started, I created Wargrave Coronavirus Hub to help people in the village who have to shield,” she said. “As part of that, I decided to give growing sunflowers a go with one of my neighbours and we potted some in April.

“I then thought ‘why not use sunflowers to inspire people to communicate and be open with each other?’”

As part of the project, Ms Bryan and a team of helpers are creating seed packets which can be collected around the village for free, to encourage people to grow their own plants.

So far, nearly 47 residents have taken up the offer on social media — but Ms Bryan said there are more people taking part offline.

“I think even just 40 people planting sunflowers in a village the size of ours would be a triumph,” she said. “My expectations aren’t outrageously high, but it’s something that doesn’t cost people anything to get involved.” � Continued on page 10

Jessica has her first salon cut to donate her locks P7

COVID TESTS FOR 40,000 Two week push as virus rates rise to 220 in Wokingham

MOONWALK GOES FOR MILLION P8

PARTY PLAN FOR JAB HELPERS P13 HAVE YOUR SAY ON MP SEAT SHAKE UP P9

ALL RESIDENTS living, working and studying in Norreys, Wescott, Evendons and Bulmershe and Whitegates have been urged to go for a special covid test as part of a major operation aimed at quelling the spread of the virus.

It comes as the Wokingham town Covid-19 infection rate rose to 220 per 100,000 people. � For the full story, see page 12

FUNDRAISING FOR A DEFIBRILLATOR P24

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2 | NEWS

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Domestic abuse support service launched A NEW domestic abuse support service is being launched in the borough, costing £1.5 million.

Wokingham Borough Council said the rising demand meant funding had been significantly increased.

The contract was awarded to Cranstoun, the national charity that developed the first full perpetrator intervention programme for substance users.

It will take over from Berkshire Women’s Aid. Cllr Bill Soane, executive member with responsibility for domestic abuse at the council, said: “We’re making this significant investment to help protect the extremely vulnerable, both adults and children, in our communities.

“Tackling domestic abuse is a top priority.

“We know it can happen to anyone and anyone can be an abuser. It has wide-ranging effects on both adults and children, including their health and wellbeing, which is why support services are vital.”

Cllr Soane said Cranstoun’s “wealth of experience” will make a huge difference in the borough.

The services include a new helpline for individuals and practitioners, access to specialist independent domestic abuse advocates, outreach support, group-based programmes, refuge support and perpetrator interventions.

Cllr Soane added: “Our immediate priority is to ensure the safe and smooth transition of support services and we’re working hard with Cranstoun to ensure there is no disruption to services.

“I’d like to thank current provider Berkshire Women’s Aid who have worked tirelessly to provide critical victim-focused services locally, especially over the past 18 months throughout the pandemic.”

Wendy Taylor, assistant director of services at Cranstoun, said the charity is delighted to have been awarded the contract.

“This will include support for victims to access confidential advice and support and perpetrator programmes that tackle the root of abusive behaviour,” she said.

“We believe in empowering people to make positive changes that lead to healthier and safer lives.”

The contract starts on Thursday, July 1, and lasts for five years.

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

From The Forest take part in ‘trip EXCLUSIVE

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today WOKINGHAM has been making a name for itself down under, thanks to two former residents.

Adam Giddings (36) and Ryan Eaton (37), who grew up in the town, have been spreading word of Wokingham across The Outback.

Last month, the duo took part in the tersely named Australian car challenge Shitbox Rally, under the team name Wokingham Warriors.

The challenge sees teams drive cars worth £550 (AU$1,000) or less from Alice Springs, in the middle of The Outback, to the eastern Gold Coast – a 2,500 mile journey.

Mr Giddings said it was “the trip of a lifetime” and was glad to represent his hometown on the other side of the world.

The duo, who both attended The Forest School in Winnersh, moved to Perth in Australia approximately 10 years ago.

After applying to take part in the Rally in 2017 and not being selected, Mr Giddings said they were thrilled to be able to enter this year’s event.

“We’ve never done anything like it,” he said. “We were driving for six days and it wasn’t a race but was more about getting to the end.

“We drove around [400 miles] a day. It was fantastic to see the countryside of Australia like that.”

The Wokingham Warriors completed the trip in a 1995 Toyota Camry, costing £275, and according to Mr Giddings, it was the first time in 11 years when all the cars managed to finish the journey.

“The uneven roads were pretty unforgiving,” he said. “We developed a little oil leak but nothing major.

“One of our shock absorbers also took a bit of a battering, but we made it to the end with no dramas.”

The Shitbox Rally is an annual event down under, organised to

RALLY ADVENTURE: The Wokingham Warriors, aka

Forbury memorial marks year on ONE YEAR after the terrorist attack in Forbury Gardens, a memorial service will be held to remember the victims.

On Sunday, June 20, at 4pm, James Furlong, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and David Wails will be honoured in a ceremony.

Family and friends of the trio will be invited, along with those injured, witnesses, members of the emergency services who responded on the day, along with resentatives of Reading's diverse communities and voluntary sector partners. The service

will be led by Cllr David Stevens, mayor of Reading and will include tributes to the victims and readings, followed by the laying of floral tributes at the Forbury Bandstand.

Residents in the borough have been invited to join the memorial service online via a live stream on the Reading Borough Council's Facebook page.

Some physical places are open to the public, and the borough council is asking anyone wishing to attend to reserve a place online, due to covid regulations.

As a mark of respect, Reading

Borough Council’s flag will fly at half-mast on the day, and the Maiwand Lion will be lit from dusk throughout the night.

Three white beams of light will shine up into the sky, a commemorative symbol visible for miles around.

The pathway leading to the Maiwand Lion will feature 365 lights – one to mark every day since the tragic evening one year ago.

Anyone wishing to lay a floral tribute at the bandstand can visit from 6am until noon that day.

The gardens will close at noon to allow

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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to the Outback – Warriors of a lifetime’ Down Under

NEWS | 3 PEDAL POWER: Cyclocross events are being held in Dinton this month

‘Parkrun on a bike’ comes to Dinton

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today

RIDERS will be cycling their way through Dinton Pastures this month.

Adam Giddings and Ryan Eaton, enjoyed an epic adventure across the Australian Outback as part of a rally that raises funds for a cancer charity

raise money for national charity Cancer Council.

Mr Giddings said he and Mr Eaton were inspired to enter the Rally after both of their families were affected by the illness.

Over the past decade, the Rally has donated more than £13 million to the organisation.

“We raised [nearly £3,300] in total ourselves, with a few donations coming over from England,” Mr Giddings said.

“Everyone gave us a lot of support, and we know it was hard for people to donate due to covid.” for preparations for the memorial service and open to the public again on Monday, June 21.

Cllr Jason Brock, leader of Reading Borough Council said: “One year on, Reading will come together as a community and, in solidarity with their families and friends, remember James, Joe and David.

“In the days which followed the horrific events of last year, Reading saw

an outpouring of grief and sadness which united the local community, with support from people around the country and across the world.

“I remain extremely proud of the united and determined way in which Reading responded at the time.

“I am also certain it will respond in the same way one year on, whether people are attending the memorial service or choosing to quietly

their car for more than £350, which will also be donated to Cancer Council.

“It was fantastic and we would definitely do it again,” Mr Giddings added.

“We’re still fundraising until the end of June so I hope we can hit the [£4,000] mark.”

To find out more, visit: www.shitboxrally.com.au Mr Giddings and Mr Eaton are still accepting donations.

At the end of the challenge, the Wokingham Warriors auctioned pay their respects at home.

“Our thoughts will always be with those who lost loved ones and with those injured.” � To watch the live stream service, visit: www.facebook.com/ Readingcouncil � To book a place, visit: whatsonreading.com/ reading-together � To contribute to a memorial fundraiser, visit: www.crowdfunder. co.uk/reading-togethermemorial

� To make a contribution to the Wokingham Warriors, log on to: www.autumn2021.shitboxrally.com.au /wokingham-warriors

Wokingham-based Sprockets Cycle Club is hosting four summer racing events.

Cyclocross, a series of short course bicycle races, will take place at the Hurst-based country park every Wednesday, the first was held yesterday.

Participants meet at 5.30pm, and the short cycling event is similar to a Parkrun.

Organisers say that it’s suitable for ages four upwards.

The events are bound to be popular: almost 200 riders have already registered for the events so far.

Supported by My Journey Wokingham and organised in conjunction with Newbury-based Eventrex, there will be separate races for under 10s, under 12s, under 16 boys and girls, adult women and adult men with participation awards for the youngest riders.

Lloyd Watkins, head coach at Sprockets Cycle Club, said he is “very excited” to be running

the cycling events in the area.

He added: “Some of our coaches instruct Bikeability in schools around here, and they are always asking where they can do more riding – this is the answer.”

Club secretary Debbie Watkins added: “I’m looking forward to seeing the colour and feeling the buzz of SummerCross in Dinton Pastures, you really have to see it to understand what a brilliant sport this is.

“After a very difficult year, we want to bring some fun and outside activity to the people of Wokingham and as we always say – success is measured in smiles."

Race entrance is from £3 for under 12s to £12 for adults.

The events are being run along British Cycling covid-safe procedures and all entries have to be booked in advance online. � For more information, log on to sprockets.club

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Enjoying a date with nature at Dinton

GREAT GOOSE: The group took a walk around Dinton Pastures spotting many breeds of bird Picture: Steve Smyth

BIRDS were spotted last weekend during a post-lockdown nature walk, writes Laura Scardarella.

RSPB Wokingham and Bracknell Local Group held its first bird walk of the year on Saturday.

The Date With Nature event was the first since March last year, at Dinton Pastures Country Park.

Throughout the morning, the group saw a range of birds including common terns, reed buntings, reed warblers and little egrets.

They also heard songs of several small warbler species including chiffchaffs singing in the trees making them easy to identify.

The RSPB Wokingham and Bracknell local group will host A Date with Nature walk on the first Saturday of each month starting at 9am.

Alan Moore, secretary of RSPB Wokingham and Bracknell Local Group, said: “Although identifying and watching wildlife around the Dinton Pastures wetlands area is the prime purpose, it was also clear to see the wider health and well-being impact of enjoying the peace of nature again with a friendly group of people.

“We must be doing something right as our first monthly walk at Dinton Pastures was in 1995,

and people have been enjoying ird walks here in a social context ever since and part of the attraction is that new bird species are seen throughout the year as the seasons change.”

With 13 walkers, the group finished in approximately three hours completing their journey at The Wheelwrights Arms, on Davis Way for a drink.

Suitable for all ages, everyone is welcome. A voluntary donation of £2 to RSPB is suggested.

The next walk will take place on Saturday, July 3. � For more information, visit rspb.org.uk/groups/ wokinghamandbracknell

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today

offenders causing the most harm in our communities.

“We’re committed to further developing our understanding of the methods used by organised criminals responsible for County Lines criminality to ensure we can continue to target them, while working closely with our partners to support victims.”

This type of drug dealing exploits children and vulnerable adults who may have been forced into this activity through intimidation.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard List said it was a “hugely successful week” for Thames Valley Police.

“I see the fact that we have safeguarded a number of adults and children from being exploited through violence, fear and intimidation by drug dealers this week as a real success,” he said.

“We will continue to act every single day to stop those who seek to damage our communities through this

extremely harmful criminal activity.”

And the work continued away from drug busting: officers carried out 103 school visits to give young people and teachers information on how to spot the signs of someone being groomed by a crime group.

DCS List added that it is “important” for members of the public to be familiar with the signs that someone might be a victim of this criminal activity.

He said: “If you think someone shows signs of mistreatment, or a child seems to be travelling long distances or is unfamiliar with the area they are in, then you can report your suspicions to Thames Valley Police on 101 or via our website.

“Engagement with the public is vital as well and we will continue to work together with our communities and partners so that we can protect vulnerable people, bring offenders to justice and make the Thames Valley a safer place.”

Police campaign to tackle drug dealing sees 81 arrested

A CAMPAIGN aimed at tackling drug dealing was hugely successful according to police, with 81 arrests made and more than £42,000 was seized.

The force teamed up with local authorities, homelessness charities and schools for the week-long campaign, aimed at clamping down on county lines drug dealing.

Searches were made at 129 addresses, 17 warrants were carried out and 85 phones linked to criminal activity were confiscated.

Thames Valley Police officers also took 626 wraps of illegal drugs off the streets.

Detective Inspector Lee Newman, County Lines regional coordinator for the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “We’ve provided support to forces with a range of specialist skills and coordinated activity to ensure we work together to identify and disrupt serious

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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Make a date for return of town’s Winter Wonderland EXCLUSIVE

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today CHRISTMAS is very much on the minds of a group of Wokingham residents, as plans for the 2021 Winter Carnival are being put in motion.

After changing last year’s event to a smaller charity market due to coronavirus concerns, organisers are hoping this year’s festivities will go ahead — but with a covid-friendly twist.

Dennis Carver, one of the organisers of the hugely popular event, is making arrangements to hold the celebration on its traditional date of the last Sunday in November, which this year is the 28th.

“We’ve already done our usual mail-out to store holders and the response so far has been pretty good,” he said.

“People are very pleased that [the carnival] is coming back again.”

This year’s event will be slightly different to previous carnivals.

To promote social distancing, there will be no procession, no Berkshire Maestros, and the fairground may be smaller than in previous years.

“The biggest difference is that we won’t be having a parade,” Mr Carver explained.

BACK WITH A DIFFERENCE: The Winter Carnival will hopefully return in November

“It’s like parting the Red Sea. The procession is always tight so we’re going to avoid that.

“It might not be the same as normal because we don’t know what will happen [with covid] yet, but we’ll try and make it as normal as possible.”

He said the stalls will also be more spaced out to stop carnivalgoers getting too crowded, but is keeping his fingers crossed that live entertainment can be arranged.

“We need to spread everything out,” he added.

Last year’s carnival cancellation –

just as the country was facing a festive lockdown – spelled “disaster” for charities and businesses, Mr Carver said.

Every year, the event raises much-needed cash for a host of Wokingham organisations. “(But last year) we couldn’t give away the amount we normally give to charities,” he explained.

“We did run a Christmas Market, which was very successful and gave some chance of raising funds.

“I’m very hopeful the country will be in a much better position by November than we were last year, and where we are now.

“This is one of the main fundraising events for Wokingham.”

The committee is currently planning to hold the carnival across Market Place, Peach Place, Peach Street, Denmark Street and Broad Street.

It will make a decision on whether the event will definitely go ahead by the end of next month.

“We will be guided by Government regulations at the time,” Mr Carver added. “We have no choice.”

Organisers are currently accepting pitch bookings, and residents can stay up to date on how plans for the carnival progress online. � For more information, visit: www.wintercarnival.org.uk

NEWS | 5

Time to hit the streets AN ACTIVE game installed across the borough is now ready to play.

Beat the Street challenges residents how far they can walk, run, scoot, wheel or cycle around the game area.

Players hover a free card or fob over the 73 special sensors called Beat Boxes.

These will be on lampposts around Wokingham Town Centre, Finchampstead and Woosehill.

To take part, primary school pupils will be given fobs to log their distance, and parents and teachers will receive a card from the school to accompany youngsters.

All other residents can pick up a contactless card from a distribution point at Emmbrook Convenience Store, Morrisons, Wokingham Library, Aldi and the Co-op on Finchampstead Road, Finchampstead.

Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport at the borough council, said: “Beat the Street is a fantastic, free-to-enter initiative and anyone can get involved.

Remember you’ll need to pick up your fobs and cards before it all starts next week.

“Why not consider starting a workplace team or joining a school team and see if you could walk or cycle to work as well as getting out and about at lunchtime?

“Not only would you be doing great things for your health and to improve air quality, but you could walk your way to supporting a local charity.” � For more information, visit: www.beatthestreet.me/wokingham

6 | NEWS

Have your say on name for new Shinfield centre SHINFIELD residents can help name the new community building in the parish.

Replacing the former Royal British Legion site overlooking School Green, the building will now also be home to Red Kite Children’s Centre, three halls and four meeting rooms, a small library run

by Wokingham Borough Council and a cafe.

Ahead of the grand opening later this year, the parish council has shortlisted six potential names for the building.

These are: Link on the Green, Hub on the Green, The Peg, Shining Fields Centre, The Venue or School Green Centre.

Andrew Grimes, chair of Shinfield Parish Council and project director, said he is thrilled the community will be involved in the decision.

“We hope the building will become a shared asset for the whole parish community to enjoy for many years to come,” he said. � Residents can vote by emailing: clerk@shinfieldparish.gov.uk or calling: 0118 988 8220

Swinging in to action: Golf entertainment centre to open A GOLF entertainment centre is opening in Binfield next month.

GolfPlex will have a Toptracer golf range with interactive games in each bay, and an adventure golf course.

Described as a hybrid between a golf range and a bowling alley, the Topracer game will be an “augmented reality experience” for all ages.

Visitors to the Wood Lane centre can hire clubs, and play on famous courses around the world via the interactive technology.

There are also target games and a Longest Drive competition.

Also at the centre will be a cafe bar, serving drinks and stone-baked pizza — served in the bar or at the range bay.

Adventure golf course, Bear Mountain, will open in August and a nine-hole grass-course is planned for mid-2022.

Bear Mountain features a desert, polar and jungle course. � For more information, visit: www.golfplex.co.uk

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Fly-tipping rises 79% in year but prosecution sits below 1% EXCLUSIVE

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today DUMPED rubbish is on the rise in Wokingham.

Borough residents are being urged to ensure their rubbish is disposed of legally, as the council reports an increase in fly-tipping.

Wokingham Borough Council has seen a 79% increase in fly-tipping incidents over the past year.

During the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, the re3 recycling centres were closed before reopening with a booking system.

With 1,298 cases of dumped rubbish in 2019/20, the council reports there has already been 2,324 incidents for 2020/21, a year-on-year increase.

The council prosecutes just 0.87% of these fly tippers having issued 53

fines this year compared to 47 fines last year.

This 12.77% increase in fines shows that the council have been tracking down the offenders.

Actively investigating approximately 40% of incidents in the borough, the Wokingham Borough Council explained they are addressing the issue.

Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for leisure and environment, said: “We are actively tackling the issue of fly-tipping across our borough and continue to crackdown on this criminal activity.

“Sadly, we have seen an uptick in incidents since the pandemic started and the data indicates that this issue is not unique to our borough, although we remain below the national average.”

The council recently launched a scheme where residents who report incidents that lead to successful

prosecution can receive a gift card reward.

Residents are encouraged to let the council know if they have seen anything to help with their investigations.

Cllr Batth added that the council are “continuing to tackle” the criminal activity with the help of some recent funding they received.

He said: “We have purchased four additional portable CCTV cameras which we rotate around hotspots across the borough, helping us catch offenders red handed.

“In addition, we’ve also launched our Recognise It, Report It scheme, where we are offering a £100 gift card to residents who provide us with information that leads us to a successful prosecution.”

Residents working to keep the borough clean have been praised.

“We are incredibly proud of our

residents having witnessed a huge increase in community support for clearing litter and rubbish through our Adopt a Street programme and this scheme had doubled in size over the past year with our 400 streets signed up,” Cllr Batth said.

“We also know there is further community involvement, more streets and individuals doing similar clean ups either on their own or through their local town or parish council.”

Cllr Batth wants residents to use the re3 waste recycling centres.

He added: “We urge everyone to dispose of their waste responsibly, this includes using registered waste removal companies and making the most of our re3 tips in Bracknell and Reading which have slots available each day.” � To report a fly tipping incident, visit wokingham.gov.uk/roadworks-andoutdoor-maintenance/fly-tipping

‘Don’t dump your glass here’ MORE THAN 13 trolleys full of glass bottles have been left at the Sainsbury’s recycling point, writes Jess Warren.

The Winnersh supermarket has seen numerous residents pile-up their empty bottles and jars, after the bottle banks filled up over the weekend.

Cllr Prue Bray, Liberal Democrat councillor for Winnersh, said the recycling point was a”disaster zone”.

It is one of three spots where Winnersh residents can recycle their used bottles. The others are at Sindlesham Court, and the British Legion, on Woodward Close.

“Sainsbury’s isn’t part of the borough council bottle bank scheme,” Cllr Bray said.

“They have a Sainsbury’s system, but I don’t know why they’ve changed it.”

The recent contract changes mean collections are less frequent, said Cllr Paul Fishwick, Liberal Democrat councillor for Winnersh.

He said because the trolleys are blocking the bin, the removal truck cannot gain access to empty the container.

“They need to clear the surplus glass before they can even get to the bin,” he said.

“Then they can lift the bin up and empty it into the back of the truck. They don’t want to spill glass across the car park – that becomes a health hazard.”

Cllr Fishwick said Sainsbury’s management team are calling on all residents to stop dumping glass in trolleys.

“I suggest people use Sindlesham Court and the

British Legion,” said Cllr Fishwick.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said the recycling service has been in high demand.

“The area around the bins will be cleared very soon and we have introduced additional collections,” they said.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Residents can also recycle their used glass at the two re3 centres. These are on Longshot Lane, Bracknell and Smallmead Road, Reading.

They both have a separate facility for brown, green and clear glass. � For more information, and to book a slot, visit: re3.fccenvironment.co.uk/ recycling-banks

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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That’s a lot to cut! Jessica takes 26 inches off her hair A WOKINGHAM girl has visited the hair salon for the first time in her life, cutting off 26in.

Jessica Widdicombe, 12, went for the big chop on Saturday, at Gilded Hair in Holme Grange Craft Village.

Last month, Wokingham.Today reported that Jessica was going to donate at least 18in of her hair to The Little Princess Trust, which creates wigs for children with cancer to restore their

confidence and identity.

Mum Rachel said her daughter went for an extra 8in on the day, and now loves her new look.

“Jo Gilder, the salon owner, did her hair,” Ms Widdicombe said.

“She said it was the longest she has ever cut.

“It’s still quite long, but she loves her new look, she has tried out about 300 different hairstyles over the weekend.

“She loved the experience, especially the hair wash and head massage.”

FINAL LOOK: Jessica loves her new locks Pictures: Steve Smyth

While the big chop brought a tear to the eye, Ms Widdicombe said her daughter was excited about the experience.

She has raised £688 for the charity, which covers the £550 cost of making a wig.

“We would like to say a big thank you to Gilded Hair, which donated the cost of the haircut, and the day’s tips to The Little Princess Trust.

Jessica’s 26in of hair are tied in plaits, and are waiting to be sent off, to be crafted into a wig.

NEWS | 7

£400,000 to be spent on tackling neighbourhood crime THE THAMES Valley is one of 40 areas in the country to secure a slice of the £18 million safer streets fund.

More than £400,000 will be pumped into the region, with a specific focus on Reading.

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the Thames Valley, said: “This funding will be used to tackle crime such as burglary, robbery and vehicle theft in Reading.

“We will be working closely with Reading Borough Council to ensure this funding goes directly to tackling neighbourhood crime and making our communities safer.”

This will be focused on the Coley and Oxford Road areas of the town.

Part of the funding will be used on crime prevention packs for landlords to make their properties more secure.

There will also be training for frontline officers in crime prevention awareness and CCTV will be installed in “areas of concern”.

The funding was announced on Thursday, June 3, and is the second successful bid for the safer streets fund.

Mr Barber added: “We will also be working with the local community to engage them with crime prevention through advice and education.

“I look forward to seeing positive outcomes for our communities and I hope that we can spread the benefits and learning from these projects across Thames Valley.”

Home secretary Priti Patel said the next round of funding will rightly focus on behaviour change.

This willfocus on women affected harassment in public places, Ms Patel said.

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8 | NEWS

Moonwalks makes a million for cancer

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today

THOUSANDS of walkers accomplished their mission for a fundraising challenge last month.

Participants from across the country completed the Virtual MoonWalk London on Saturday, May 15.

The fundraiser, organised by breast cancer charity Walk The Walk, has raised almost £1 million from the event.

Walkers took part in challenges between six to 52 miles in their own areas throughout the day.

Embracing a space theme, the MoonWalk event raised awareness and money for vital cancer causes.

Everyone decorated their bras for the fundraising challenge to either wear or attach to their bags during the walk.

To mark the space-themed event, a special bra, signed by astronaut Tim Peake, was created by Boadicea

Design, in collaboration with the UK Space Agency and the Association for Science and Discovery Centres Nina Barough CBE, founder and chief executive of Walk the Walk, said: “We had no idea if holding the MoonWalk would work virtually this year, or if it would be successful, we just wanted to promise this special day, without risk of it being cancelled.

“As we could not actually be with all our amazing MoonWalkers, the Walk the Walk Team spent the day phoning as many walkers as possible, to support them, and to share their journey.”

She added: “We heard the most inspirational and heart-warming stories, MoonWalkers meeting fellow MoonWalkers, giving virtual high-fives and uniting with our very special Walk the Walk camaraderie, it has been truly wonderful.” � For more information, visit walkthewalk.org

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Reading Gaol bid makes New York Times headlines EXCLUSIVE

CULTURE: New York Times journalist Stephen Castle interviews MP Matt Rodda in front of the town’s Banksy Picture: Nick Hatton

By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today THE CAMPAIGN to turn Reading Gaol into an arts hub has gained international attention from the US.

Last month, Matt Rodda, MP for Reading East was interviewed by New York Times journalist, Stephen Castle.

The London correspondent visited the gaol site with the MP to discuss its significance as an arts venue in the future.

His particular interest was with one of the jail’s most well-known prisoners — Oscar Wilde.

“He was such a wellknown literary and social figure,” Mr Castle said. “He had a lot of social importance, as his personal story says something about the attitudes to homosexuality at the time.

“He had a transition from triumph to tragedy. [Wilde] was successful, and then brought down. After his release, he became an immortalised gem.”

Mr Castle said the site

proved interesting from an LGBT+ perspective.

In his article, Cllr Karen Rowland, lead member for heritage at Reading Borough Council, said the gaol is a cultural asset for LGBT+ history.

Having previously lived next to Stonewall, the New York city bar deemed the starting place for the gay rights movement, Cllr Rowland said she knows the value and importance of LGBT+ national heritage sites.

“It’s got tremendous potential,” she told Mr Castle.

Mr Rodda said it was a really exciting development for the campaign, and demonstrated the

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international interest in the prison’s heritage.

“New York is one of the major centres for arts and theatre in the world,” he said.

“It shows there is a level of interest here.”

Mr Rodda said he was particularly excited about the prospect of the gaol becoming a tourist destination for foreign travellers.

“It’s so accessible, near to London, Windsor and Oxford,” he said. “We have a large number of US visitors each year, and this would be an obvious addition to any tourist route.”

The MP is also hoping to attract investors from across the pond, who could help spur

on the campaign to establish an arts hub at the site.

“It could have an interest for [American] tourists,” Mr Castle said. “I’m sure if you had some cultural events there, it might make it an attractive venue.”

Mr Castle said the reason for reporting Reading Gaol in the New York Times, was to give a broader picture of life in Britain.

“We try to get out of London and cover some stories that illuminate life outside the capital,” he said.

“Stories that give a broader sense of what’s going on in the country.”

The New York Times first published an article about Reading Gaol in April 1924, titled Oscar Wilde’s prison soon to be torn down.

It reported: “The prison in which the poet spent two years of misery is about to be torn down. The onward march of commerce and industry has doubled Reading’s population in recent years, and the famous old jail is making way for new flat buildings.”

Sweet Tiger celebrates first anniversary

A

CROWTHORNE business owner is fast approaching the first anniversary of her confectionary shop.

Sara Forster launched Sweet Tiger, on Friday, July 17, last year.

She said the business had been brewing in the back of her mind for eight years, before an opportunity presented itself when number 140 on the village’s High Street became vacant.

Launched during the pandemic, Sweet Tiger has championed jobs for young people in Crowthorne, Ms Forster said.

“It’s been a tough but really good first year,’ she said. “It’s been so difficult for youngsters to find work.”

Ella Andrew, 16, said working with a face mask is the only experience she has known at the shop.

“Screens and hand sanitiser have become normality,” Ella said. “Like anything, I have adjusted thanks to an incredibly patient and caring boss who reassured me when rules and regulations changed.

“My job is something I look forward to every week as it’s a chance for me to get out

0134 456 6460

of the house and socialise with my community.

“During the third lockdown in January I remember begging Sara to work. I was bored and had absolutely nothing to do due to schools also being shut – seeing friends went out of the window.

Working was normality for me and once it was taken away, I really missed it.”

Ms Forster said the business aims to support the Crowthorne community, and actively works with Oaklands Junior School PTA, and Edgbarrow School.

It also supports Tigers4ever, a charity that tackles poaching in India.

“They do amazing things for tiger habitats in the wild,” Ms Forster said.

This includes moving watering holes away from villages to reduce the threat of poaching.

With International Tiger Day approaching at the end of July, Ms Forster has a special celebration planned for the store – and is encouraging shoppers to come down and visit.

This month, she is running a Father’s Day promotion, with 10% off online purchases using

TREATS: Sara Forster founded Sweet Tiger last July on Crowthorne High Street code TIGERDAD. Sweet Tiger also has a limited number of wooden boxes full of sweets, with Dad’s Sweet Stash lasered into the top, created by a Crowthorne company.

Not only a confectionery shop, Ms Forster also makes fresh milkshakes, slushies and sells ice cream.

“We like to stock things you couldn’t find in a supermarket,” Ms Forster said. “We have a range of Belgium chocolates, and we try to do things that are a little bit different.

140 High St, Crowthorne, RG45 7AY

“We can do bespoke gift boxes, jars, bags and pouches of sweets, and personalised labels.”

The shop also has a range of US sweet treats.

Sweet Tiger can be found at 140 High St Crowthorne. It also has a stall at Crowthrone Market, held on Fridays and Sundays at Morgan Recreation Ground on Lower Broadmoor Road.

The company offers free delivery for online orders more than £15 to Wokingham postcodes. � For more information, visit: www.sweetiger.co.uk

www.sweettiger.co.uk

Constituency proposals mean borough loses MP

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today BERKSHIRE is to face a massive parliamentary constituency shake-up if recommendations from the Boundary Commission are adopted.

Across the south east, there will be an increase from 84 to 91 MPs. The changes include creating a new Wokingham County Constituency seat that almost maps the borough’s make-up. This folds parts of Theresa May’s Maidenhead constituency, including Hurst, Hare Hatch and parts of Wargrave, into the seat’s boundaries. This will be 70,235 voters.

However, a new Earley and Woodley seat will see parts of Sonning and Woodley lumped in with Whitley in Reading and Shinfield, Grazeley and Earley.

And the Bracknell Borough seat will be divided by the Nine Mile Ride, heading into Crowthorne as it does currently. Its electorate will be 70,247.

Much of Reading, including Caversham, Newtown and Emmer Green, will be in its own seat, merging parts of Reading East and West constituencies. This will be called Reading Borough Constituency and have an electorate of 71,283.

However, Tilehurst, Theale, Norcot and Bucklebury will become part of a Mid Berkshire County Constituency, with an electorate of 69,999.

The changes are part of a review commission in January this year and increases the number of parliamentary constituencies in England from 533 to 543.

The aim is to make the number of voters in each constituency roughly the same.

The overall number of

Protecng the Consumer Since 2015

Is Going Green Being Misrepresented to us?

Weall know that climat e changeis happening, certa inly science seems topro ve this point, but weare being pushed towards a “Green” futurethat is being misrepresented tous all?

I am sureI do not need to re mind you of the Solar panel fiasco, wherehomeow nerswe re assured byunscrupulous, overzealous salespeople thatthe go vernmentfe ed-in-tariff would morethan co ver the cost of their finance agreements, but for thousands it didn’t, and innocent consumerswe re conned into making purchases because financial informa on was misrepresented tothem.

CHANGES: A map from the Boundary Commission showcasing what the new parliamentary constituencies could look like

constituencies remains the same across the UK – 650.

Now, the proposals are out for consultation until August 2. Comments are welcomed on everything from the new boundary lines to the names of the constituencies.

Two more rounds of public consultation will take place next year, and the final recommendations are to be presented to parliament by July 2023.

Tim Bowden, secretary to the Boundary Commission for England, said: “The proposals mark the first time people get to see what the new map of Parliamentary constituencies might look like. But they are just the Commission’s initial thoughts.

“Help us draw the line to make the number of electors in each Parliamentary constituency more equal.

“Each constituency we recommend is required by law to contain between 69,724 and 77,062 electors, meaning there will be significant change to current boundaries.

“We want to hear the views of the public to ensure that we get the new boundaries for Parliamentary constituencies right.”

He added that local

How do communities fare?

PROPOSED changes to parliamentary boundaries better reflect the community.

That’s the opinion of Cllr Clive Jones, Liberal Democrat vice chair of the South East region, and leader of Earley Town Council.

Cllr Jones said one of the new seats, which groups Earley and Woodley with parts of Sonning, Shinfield, Grazeley and Whitley, is very exciting.

“On initial inspection, it looks

NEWS | 9

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Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

good,” he said.

“It seems to be much more based on local communities that before.”

But Matt Rodda, Labour MP for Reading East thinks otherwise.

He is concerned that the changes split up Reading populations, and lump them with West Berkshire, and Wokingham residents.

“I’m concerned there are people living in Reading that won’t be included in Reading seats,” he told

knowledge helps shape constituencies that best reflect a local area.

“It is easy to get involved – view our proposals and have your say on our online consultation portal – www.bcereviews.org.uk,” he said.

Wokingham County Constituency wards Arborfield Barkham Charvil Emmbrook Evendons Finchampstead North Finchampstead South Hurst Norreys Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe Twyford Wescott Winnersh Wokingham Without

Shinfield North Shinfield South Sonning South Lake Whitley

Bracknell Borough Constituency wards Bullbrook Central Sandhurst College Town Crown Wood Crowthorne Great Hollands North Great Hollands South Hanworth Harmans Water Little Sandhurst and Wellington Old Bracknell Owlsmoor Priestwood and Garth Warfield Harvest Ride Wildridings and Central

Reading County Constituency wards

Earley and Woodley Constituency Wards Bulmershe and Whitegates Church Coronation Hawkedon Hillside Loddon Maiden Erlegh

Wokingham.Today.

“I have genuine concerns about how this divides communities.”

The changes reflect Boundary Commission objectives to better

align parliamentary seat boundaries with Local Authority boundaries.

There is also a goal to even voter counts to roughly 70,000 people per seat.

Abbey Battle Caversham Katesgrove Mapledurham Minster Park Peppard Redlands Southcote Thames Cllr Jones said the Boundary Commission has “done very well” and sees the new seat as a battleground between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

Move forward to2021 and the UK Gov ernmenthav e set very ambi ous targets for the UK tobeco me Carbon Zero by2050 and they hav e setanother “G reen” target thatwe mustinst all 600,000 air source heatpumps each ye ar up to 2028 tohelp re ach thatCabon Ze ro target.

This means thatwe as co nsumersand homeow nersneed tobe on the looko ut for those unscrupulous, overzealous salespeople.

Hereat HLS, we are alre ady seeing an increase in mis-sold and misrepresented air source heatpumps . Homeowners arealre ady being told thatthe sy stems will payfo r themselves via the Governmentre newable heatincen ve scheme, theyare being sold heat pumps without any heat loss survey or upgrade totheir curre nt heatand hot wa ter systems or without ensuring the home has an EPC ra ng of “C”or abov e and then theyare le wo ndering whytheir heatpump doesn’t do what the salespers on told them.

A mis-sold air source heatpump co uld cost you more moneythan yo u ever imagined, your electricity bill could goup dra macally, yo ur home maynot heat up pro perly and you maynot qualify fo r the renewable heatincen ve because your property doesn’t meetthe energ y performance standards setby the Gov ernment.

Thereis no fro nt end regula on tost op bad or deliberate misspelling,which is unf orgivable. The Governmenthav e setin place re gula ons for fi ers, but not salespeople selling them, which means Consumersare once aga in going tobe the ta rget for high-pressuresales organisa ons.

IF YOU WANT HELP OR ADVICE REGARDING PURCHASES YOU HAVE MADE IN YOUR HOME PLEASE CALL HYDROGARD LEGAL SERVICESON: 08000 74 84 94 Chris Brown & Hydrogard Legal Services are registered with the FCA registration No. 829910 to carry out regulated claims management activities.

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10 | NEWS

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Village comes together for sunflower planting

� Continued from front page

Last month, the Sunflowers Of Wargrave team distributed free seed packs to Robert Piggott COfE Junior School, in an effort to get the village’s youngsters gardening over half-term.

Jo Glasby, a teacher at the school, said the children have been enjoying themselves so far.

“Earlier this week, they were saying their sunflowers had started to grow,” she said. “The pupils are so excited about it.”

Ms Glasby said that the sunflowers will not only decorate Wargrave but Twyford and Charvil too as pupils plant them on their front doorsteps.

“At the moment, the flowers are only just popping up through the soil,” she added. “But in the future, we’re planning to name the students’ flowers and have a race to see which grow the fastest.”

Ms Bryan said businesses have been getting involved, including the St George and Dragon and Dobbies Garden Centres.

Drazen Koros, general manager of the pub on the High Street, said: “We want to be part of the community so whatever Wargrave is getting involved in, we always want to say yes.

“The St George and Dragon is the centre of the village.”

The pub has planted its own

sunflowers in its outdoor area for pubgoers to enjoy later this year, and has also been giving free seeds to those who need them.

Dobbies Hare Hatch has been offering seeds to the project.

Helen Winder, department manager, said: “Wargrave is one of our neighbouring villages with a lovely community who have rallied around each other through the last 15 months.

“One of the residents told us about the Sunflower initiative. The outcome will be that many of the houses will have sunflowers in their front gardens, which will bring wonderful colour to the village and also smiles.

“We thought it would be wonderful to support such an initiative and to help lift spirits in our local community.”

Ms Bryan is now encouraging more villagers to take part and said help is at hand.

“If anybody needs a bit of soil or some seeds, they just need to ask and someone will help,” she said. “It’s a learning curve for a lot of us [and] I’ve never grown a flower in my life.

“I just wrote an idea on social media and there are no firm plans, but it could turn out really good.”

She said villagers have also been getting creative with their planting,

using their old black boxes to grow the flowers.

As people consider ‘staycationing’ this summer, Ms Bryan hopes the project will create points of interest within the village.

“It’s something different,” she said.

“We’ve all come to live in a smaller world with lockdown, and this is a conversation point for all the generations.

“I have no history of doing anything other than killing plants before this, so I’m very fortunate that other people have helped me get this going.”

She said if the project takes off, it would “signify more than people growing sunflowers”.

“It would be an extension of the really lovely village we live in,” Ms Bryan added.

“We have a really nice community here in Wargrave, and I’m so thankful to be here during the pandemic.”

According to the Sunflowers Of Wargrave team, now is the perfect time to plant the flowers outside and it is currently arranging free seed collection points throughout the village for residents.

To find out more, join the ‘Sunflowers Of Wargrave’ group on Facebook or email wargravesunflowers@gmail.com

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Successful succulents show

GROWING NICELY: Hare Hatch Sheeplands Andy Dicks with some giant cacti at the plant nursery – PRICKLY succulents were back on display at Hare Hatch Sheeplands last weekend, writes Laura Scardarella.

RHS gold medal winners, Ottershaw Cacti from Chertsey, visited, presenting a range of rare and unusual succulents to visitors.

They also had smaller succulents available to buy as well as sharing lots of tips and hints on how to grow the plants.

Joanne Jackson said it was “so great” to be back showing and selling plants.

“The weather was glorious and the plants just sparkled in the sunshine,” she said.

“We had a steady flow of customers all day from the moment the garden centre opened until it closed at 4pm, with everyone socially distanced and wearing a mask.

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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New road for Elms Field development

By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A NEW ROAD is opening in Wokingham town centre next week.

– the centre held a succulents show on Sunday Picture: Steve Smyth “It was great to be able to talk about succulents with like-minded people and some had bought in their own plants for identification and potting advice.

“It’s always inspiring to see and hear what others are doing with their succulents.”

Now the plant nursery is making plans for a bonsai show, which takes place on Saturday, July 3. � For more information, visit harehatchsheeplands.co.uk

From Thursday, June 17, Earle Crescent, the new road which runs around Elms Field park and links Wellington Road to the remaining section of Elms Road and the Plaza car park, will fully open to vehicles and pedestrians.

The first owners of the townhouses at Elms Field are due to move in this summer.

On the same day, Biscoe Way, the road connecting from the corner of Earle Crescent to Shute End, will close for a year.

This is to allow David Wilson Homes to safely build the final phase of homes along the road.

“The new homes around Elms Field are progressing really well and it’s exciting to see the first residents getting ready to move in,” Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for housing and finance said.

“The quality of the work done by our partners, David Wilson Homes, is fantastic and you can see why the properties are proving so popular with people looking to live in Wokingham.

“We need to restrict Biscoe Way temporarily to allow the final phases of homes to be built safely over the coming year.

“Once completed, we will be able to reopen the road again and allow people to benefit properly from being able to access the park and The Plaza car park from both Shute End and Wellington Road.”

Access to the council’s Shute End office car park and the surge testing centres will be via the Shute End and Station Road entrances.

There will be no through access to the park.

Any drivers wanting to access Elms Road, Waterford Way, Ellison Way or The Plaza will have to follow diversion signs along Shute End, Station Road, Wellington Road and Earle Crescent.

A DAY of family fun is taking place at Barkham Village Hall next month, to raise money for Wokingham tot Dawson Gosling.

His mother, Nathalie Gosling, has arranged an afternoon of activities to help pay for vital surgery for the two-year-old.

Dawson has a rare form of cerebral palsy, and his family are fundraising for an operation and aftercare which will allow him to walk on his own.

“We hope this will be a

wonderful event for the kids to have fun and raise funds at the same time,” Ms Gosling said.

There will be a bouncy castle, book and toy stalls, and a raffle, and the Sultan Balti Palace takeaway will be there to sell its Dawson Dish too.

The family fun day is taking place on Saturday, July 10 between noon and 2pm.

For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/ DawsonCanDoIT

GOING UP: David Wilson Homes has created houses on Elms FIeld

Bus diversions for Nine Mile Ride closure Save date for Dawson A ROAD closure means Leopard 3 buses will be diverted between Arborfield Green and Barkham from today.

Reading Buses said one of the routes on Nine Mile Ride will be diverted, due to the closure at the Park Lane junction for construction work.

Buses will run along Langley Common Road and up and down Barkham Ride to access as many stops as possible.

However, stops between Hogwood Lane Industrial Estate and California Crossroads Ratepayer’s Hall will not be in use for the duration of the works.

Journeys between Reading and Arborfield Green will not be affected.

Robert Williams, Reading Buses CEO said: “Although at this stage we cannot promise residents of Nine Mile Ride that there will be a shuttle bus, we understand that our services are essential for access to work, education, shopping, healthcare and more.

“It is the second round of road closures in this area within a short period, so we shall certainly be investigating the possibility with Balfour Beatty and Wokingham Borough Council on behalf of our customers.

“We guarantee our customers that we will work as hard as possible to minimise the inconvenience and that should funding be found for a shuttle bus we are able to step in and provide it at a moment’s notice.”

According to Reading Buses, unlike previous closures in the area, funding has not been provided by Balfour Beaty or Wokingham Borough Council for a shuttle bus to maintain links to the closed stops — leaving those areas isolated.

School day service 93 will be diverted along the same route as the leopard 3 using Langley Common Road to and from Bohunt School.

Timetables are now available online for the leopard 3 service.

FATHER’S DAY is on June 20 this year – there’s still time to book something special to treat your Dad. Bears Burgers & Chicken provides some amazing burgers using the finest ingredients.

And they are also planning a special evening this Sunday, to celebrate England’s first game in the Euro 2020 group stages. It takes place from 2pm at Wokingham Cricket Club.

For more details, or to book, log on to www.roastwokingham.co.uk

NEWS | 11

T

HE coronavirus pandemic has shone a spotlight on the care sector like never before. Our CareGivers have worked hard throughout, keeping Clients safe and well-cared for at home.

It’s been very encouraging to see the nation’s response to our sector, as seen by the weekly Clap for Carers last summer. There has never been a greater appreciation for the tremendous work our Carers do.

Delivering homecare is an incredibly rewarding job but it also comes with its challenges. Here at Right at Home, the wellbeing of our CareGivers is an absolute priority. We care for our CareGivers as they care for our Clients, because we passionately believe that having a well-trained, well supported, motivated team is essential if we are to deliver the best care for our clients.

But what about Family Carers?

Unfortunately, many family carers do not have the same support system as paid carers like those at Right at Home, and caring for a loved one full time can be hugely demanding. However, there is help available if you know where to look: This week (Monday 7th – Sunday 13th June) is “Carers Week 2021” which aims to put unpaid carers in touch with the right services to provide them with the advice and support they need to support a loved one.

Check out the Carers Week website (carersweek.org).

This is filled with useful resources, tips and guidance for family carers.

More info is available on the Carers Trust website (carers.org) and the online Carers UK forum for Carers (caresuk.org/forum) There is a bit of financial help available too. If you care for someone for 35 hours a week or more, you may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance, although it depends on whether the person you support receives a benefit such as Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.

Note that you do not have to be related to or live with the person you care for.

You can learn more about Carer’s Allowance and how to claim here: www.gov.uk/carers-allowance. If you are eligible, you can choose to be paid direct to your bank account, and for every week that you receive Carer’s Allowance, you will get National Insurance credits (www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits ). You may also be able to apply for other things like a Council Tax Reduction.

We can help too. For many family carers in Wokingham District our respite homecare services provide them with peace of mind that their loved one is in safe hands whilst they take a well-deserved break. For some clients, we provide an hour or so of home respite care daily, whilst their full-time Carer walks the family dog or pops to the shops. For others we provide a longer period of time, weekly, so family Carers can have longer to rest and recharge their batteries, away from their caring duties. � If you would like more information on how we can support family Carers in Wokingham District with respite care services, please speak to a member of our office team on 0118 207 0600.

Kevin Lancaster Right at Home Reading & Wokingham District

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

CORONAVIRUS LATEST How to get covid support To access the ‘One Front Door’ service, call Citizens Advice on: 0808 278 7958 Those calling from a mobile phone should enter if prompted: 0118 978 7258

40,000 residents to be tested for Covid-19 in surge fortnight EXCLUSIVE

By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today SURGE testing across four wards of the borough began on Monday in a bid to check 30,000 residents for the Delta variant of Covid-19.

Everyone over 12 living, working or studying in

Wescott, Norreys, Evendons and Bulmershe and Whitegates is urged to attend a testing site by Monday, June 21.

Reading Borough Council has also organised surge testing for RG1 3XX, RG1 5XX, RG1 6XX and RG1 7XX postcodes.

This includes all students who go to secondary school in the affected areas.

It comes as the infection rate rose to 73.6 per 100,000 this week. This is up significantly, from 42.6 last week.

In Reading, the infection rate is 98.3 per 100,000, a rise of 70.5 last week.

On the first day of the mass programme, there were residents queuing outside the Shute End council offices, said Cllr Charles Margetts, executive member for health at Wokingham Borough Council.

“We’re encouraging people to also use the test centres at the Microsoft campus, at Thames Valley Park or Sindlesham Court as well,” Cllr Margetts said.

The borough council has capacity for 2,500 PCR tests each day, and is aiming to test between 40,000 and 30,000 residents over the fortnight.

“It’s been a major logistical exercise, and we’ve had a very positive response so far,” Cllr Margetts added. “We are giving out water to people queuing in the heat.”

Schools have been given PCR test kits for pupils, and businesses for their staff, the councillor said.

Each person tested will find out if they were positive for the virus between 24 and

48 hours after their test.

They will only know if they were positive for the Delta variant two weeks later, as the samples are further processed after initially flagging a positive result.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social care said: “Enhanced contact tracing will be used for individuals testing positive with a variant of concern (VOC). This is where contact tracers look back over an extended period to determine the route of transmission.”

Cllr Margetts said: “We are calling all vulnerable people living in these wards, to check if they are able to get to a test site.”

Those that cannot visit a centre may be able to do one at home, after a conversation with the borough council.

As surge testing continues, Cllr Margetts is calling for an increase in vaccines to match.

“We have written to the CCG saying that because we are doing surge testing, it is about time we did surge vaccination,” he said.

“The only way to stop this is by vaccinating enough people.”

Cllr Margetts said the majority of covid cases are in the younger population at the moment, many of which have yet to be offered the jab.

“Vaccination is the only way to really tackle this,” he said.

All residents living and working outside the four wards being surge tested are encouraged to continue taking twice weekly lateral flow tests. � These can be ordered online at: www.gov.uk/ order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

What is surge testing?

A FORTNIGHT of surge testing began across Wokingham borough on Monday, to tackle rising covid rates — but what does it mean for residents?

Wokingham Borough Council revealed last week that Norreys, Evendons, Wescott and Bulmershe and Whitegates wards will be targeted to check for previously untraced cases of Covid-19.

All residents over 12 are being asked to get a PCR test.

It comes as 50 cases of the Delta variant, previously referred to as the Indian variant, were identified in Wokingham borough over the last month.

Residents in these areas can get a Covid-19 test at one of Wokingham Borough Council’s dedicated testing sites: � Shute End Eastern Car Park Test Centre, open noon-6pm, Monday to Sunday � Cantley Park Event Field Mobile Test Centre, open noon6pm, Monday to Sunday � Headley Road Car Park Mobile Test Centre, open noon6pm, Monday to Sunday � Sindlesham Court Test Centre, open 8am-8pm, Monday to Saturday � Microsoft Campus Test Centre, open 8am-8pm, Monday to Saturday � Shute End Test Centre, open 8am-8pm, Monday to Saturday

� Thames Valley Park and Ride

Test Centre, open 7.30am1.30pm and 2.30pm-8.30pm, Monday to Sunday � Reading University Car Park 7 Test Centre, open noon-6pm, Monday to Sunday The borough council is also door-knocking in the four wards to update residents on the surge testing programme.

Reading Borough Council is conducting surge testing in RG1 3XX, RG1 5XX, RG1 6XX and RG1 7XX postcodes.

It has several test centres that may be better suited to residents in Bulmershe and Whitegates. There is no need to book.

Schools and businesses in these areas are also being contacted by the council to arrange delivery of testing kits for pupils and staff.

Any positive tests recorded in Wokingham and Reading

boroughs may be sent to a specialist laboratory to identify any mutations, to prevent them from spreading further.

Wokingham Borough Council is also asking residents to comply with all Government guidance and book their vaccine as soon as they become eligible.

The Government launched its surge testing programme in February to tackle emerging variants of concern (VOR) and mutations of covid.

The current vaccine programme appears to be effective against different variants.

Previously, Hampshire was the only county in the South East undergoing a surge testing programme. � Anyone with coronavirus symptoms should continue to book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or via the NHS Covid-19 app

NEWS | 13

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Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

CORONAVIRUS LATEST

‘Help us say thank you to our town’s vaccine volunteers’ EXCLUSIVE

By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today THANK YOU: Residents vaccinated at the Bradbury Centre can chip in for a party Pictures: courtesy of David Dunham

Case rate rises to 78.9 THE RATE of infections in Wokingham per 100,000 has almost doubled in a week.

The latest figures for the borough showed the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents is 78.9, up from 45.6 last week.

This is higher than the national rate of infection, which is currently 42.1 per 100,000 people.

Wokingham town had an infection rate of 220 per 100,000 in the week up to Thursday, June 3.

Reading borough has a rate of 96.4, up from 70.5 last week.

Bracknell Forest has seen its rate per 100,000 almost triple, from 33.5 to 97.9.

Windsor and Maidenhead has a rate of 13.2, the same as last week.

West Berkshire has a case rate of 23.4, down from 30.3 last week. Slough’s infection rate is 72.2, up from 62.2 cases per 100,000 last week.

WOKINGHAM residents who had their covid jab at the Bradbury Centre are being encouraged to thank the volunteers that made it happen.

Volunteer David Dunham is organising a celebratory barbecue for all those who pitched in and helped with the delivery of Covid-19 vaccinations at the town centre site.

On Thursday, June 3, the centre administered its last vaccinations. Since January, medical staff there have vaccinated 12,500 residents with both doses.

Mr Dunham said he hopes some of the 12,500 will donate to the volunteer party, on Sunday, September 5.

“It’s really important we say thank you,” Mr Dunham said.

“Since January of this year there have been many volunteers and staff that have worked

really hard to help get the people of Wokingham vaccinated.

“Hundreds of hours have been volunteered in every weather condition possible.

“People have all come in, had their two jabs and been well looked after.

“There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes too. Ringing people up, prepping the room, making up the vials.

“As I found myself looking after the volunteers, I was in awe of their commitment to what they were doing and the risk they were willing to take to help others,” Mr Dunham said.

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to volunteer with them.”

He is calling on residents to buy a voucher for either Tesco or Waitrose for any amount, and post it to Wokingham Medical Centre ahead of the event.

These will then be used to buy burgers, sausages, rolls and condiments.

Lucy Zeal, High Steward of Wokingham and both town and borough mayors will also at the event, to thank volunteers for their contribution in the pandemic.

“Every volunteer has enjoyed it – they’ve done it with a smile on their face,” Mr Dunham added.

He said few of the volunteers have ever seen each other without a mask, and hopes the September afternoon will be a chance for volunteers to socialise “face-to-face”.

“It’s an opportunity to take a sigh of relief, talk about it all, have a laugh – we might even be able to hug each other,” he said.

Donations can be posted to: FAO David and Mary c/o Wokingham Medical Centre, Rose Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1XS. The thank you event is exclusively for residents that volunteered their time at the Bradbury Centre, in Wokingham Town Centre. � For more information, email: david.dunham@virgin.net

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14 | BUSINESS

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Got a business story? Email news@ wokingham.today. or write to Wokingham.Today, Crown House, 231 Kings Road, Reading RG1 4LS PRAISE: Matt Durant from BAM construction has been helped by ScaleUp Berkshire

‘Wokingham retail is very well placed to bounce back’ EXCLUSIVE

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today

ScaleUp for success MORE THAN half of new businesses on the ScaleUp Berkshire programme have reported higher turnovers in the last two years, according to Thames Valley Berkshire (TVB).

A report from the TVB’s Business Growth Hub revealed 58% of firms using the initiative have seen more than 20% growth.

It was revealed 43% of businesses grew their staff numbers by at least 20%, too.

Matt Durant, managing director of BAM Construction Training in Wokingham, is one of the firms to praise the programme since signing up.

He said the scheme has helped his company improve its training, invest in new machinery, and expand its team.

“The support and guidance they’ve given us, especially through the pandemic, has been vital to the development of our business,” he said.

ScaleUp Berkshire was created in 2018 to help small businesses in the Thames Valley grow their operations with ease.

Peter Fleming, manager of the Berkshire Growth Hub, said: “With Berkshire having the second highest number of scaling businesses per 100k of population in the UK after London, it is vital that local scaleups have fast and easy access to the specialist support they need to succeed.

“Since its launch in 2018, our ScaleUp Berkshire programme has provided account management support to over 100 scale-ups and received an excellent 94% client satisfaction rating.

“We’ve helped business leaders overcome challenges and realise their growth plans by connecting them to the best private and public sector support available locally, nationally and internationally.”

“THE MOOD in Wokingham is positive”, said a member of Wokingham Business Association (WBA), after a nationwide report suggested companies are in “survival mode” following the third lockdown.

A recent survey of 435 firms by the Association of Practising Accountants (APA) revealed 15% of UK enterprises are struggling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and economic uncertainty.

The Association, which conducted its research between April and May 2021, also reported one in 10 (11%) businesses expect to make redundancies in the coming six months — putting up to 1.85 million jobs at risk across the country.

But Colin George, a member of WBA, said it’s a “mixed bag” in Wokingham and retailers are feeling optimistic about the future.

“Some people are upbeat and think business is picking up,” he said. “But it’s not at the level it was pre-pandemic.”

He continued: “Businesses are still restricted in the number of people they can serve, but

POPULAR: Peach Place has become a popular destination for outdoor dining

a lot of retailers are quite busy.”

APA’s survey also revealed while some businesses remain cautious, 84% of firms reported feeling confident they could survive the next six months.

It said in the longer term, over half (54%) of business owners are feeling positive about their economic prospects outside of the EU, too.

Mr George said restrictions on international travel have left Wokingham retailers feeling hopeful about summer trading, as holiday-makers prepare to spend money closer to home.

WAY FORWARD: An artist’s impression of the new Campus office space

� To find out more, visit: www.berkshirebusinesshub.co.uk

The office of the future A REIMAGINED business space is coming to Wokingham borough next year, and it has been labelled ‘the office of the future’.

In 2022, Tristan Capital Partners and Alchemy Asset Management will launch ‘Campus’, a new office space in the Reading International building — but it comes with a twist.

The study space has been redesigned by architects Buckley Gray Yeoman into a “communityfocussed” area.

It comes with a fitness and wellbeing centre, shower and changing rooms, a yoga studio and an events space.

Construction has started on the site, with work due to be finished early next year.

Paul Pritchard, director of Tristan Capital Partners, said he is excited to launch a ‘Campus’ outside of the M25, the likes of

which “have not been seen before”.

He said the scheme will offer a “market leading office building” to one of the South East’s most active business areas.

“The Reading market has demonstrated robust performance post pandemic … and we look forward to delivering this scheme alongside Alchemy and the rest of the team.”

Guy Bishop, director of Alchemy Asset Management, said ‘Campus’ grew in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Wellness, ESG and occupier amenity are at the very centre of our scheme, together with creating a truly community orientated building,” he said.

“We have tremendous faith in the future of offices, but that will rely on delivering the very best environment and services to the building’s occupants.”

“I think businesses are reasonably confident in this roadmap out of lockdown,” he said.

“While masks might not go and social distancing might stay, the confidence is there because people won’t be spending money abroad.”

He said the pandemic has prompted more people to head into town to enjoy coffee and food with friends, which bodes well for economic recovery.

“Wokingham has placed itself very well to bounce back,” he added.

“That’s what makes it one of the best places to live. We have the right chemistry.”

Mr George warned tough times are yet to come, and he suggested Wokingham might not see the true impact of the pandemic just yet.

“You don’t correct your finances after 14 months, in just a couple of weeks,” he said.

“The pandemic has been a money drain, and people have sunk their businesses with rent, electricity and water.

“These expenses don’t go away, and there has been more than a year of no income.”

The WBA member said some Wokingham borough firms have no savings left after the pandemic.

“The slightest little thing could push them over the edge,” he added.

“They don’t have that buffer anymore.

“It’s been a death by a thousand cuts, so let’s look back again in 16 months time and see what firms are still here.”

Martin Muirhead, chairman of the APA, said businesses nationwide have become more resilient throughout the pandemic.

“Over the coming months it is vital that the Government maintains a flexible and targeted approach to business support, focusing resources on those sectors where there is the greatest need,” he said.

Broadband boost for Berkshire THOUSANDS of Berkshire residents will get a broadband boost, as Openreach announces plans to upgrade its fibre network.

Last month, the internet provider revealed it will improve its network for 4,000 homes in the county, by installing full fibre broadband.

Connie Dixon, regional director for the South East, said: “Building a new ultrafast broadband network across the South East is a massive challenge.”

She said there will “inevitably” be a need for public funding to

connect more remote homes and businesses.

“This is a hugely complex, nationwide engineering project – second only to HS2 in terms of investment,” she added.

“It will help level-up the UK because the impact of full fibre broadband stretches from increased economic prosperity and international competitiveness, to higher employment and environmental benefits.”

Up to 360,000 homes across the South East region will be upgraded.

Franchises clean up in awards WOKINGHAM firm Ovenu is celebrating after winning a whole host of customer satisfaction awards last month.

More than 80 of the oven valeting firm’s franchises won honours awards in the Trustist Awards 2021.

Ovenu offers an oven cleaning service across the UK, and is based in the borough.

At the end of May, 37 of its franchises won a Diamond accolade in the Top Performing Franchisee category at the Trustist award ceremony.

Ten of its firms were awarded

Gold, 17 Silver and 18 Bronze.

Rik Hellewell, the founder and managing director of Ovenu, said it was a testament to the firm’s trustworthiness.

“Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to the success of this business,” he said.

“Individually, the majority of our franchisees attract a maximum five-star customer rating.

“We are proud of the top-class standard of work and excellent customer service that is delivered by our franchisees day in, day out and these awards are confirmation of that.”

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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16 | NEWS

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Tesco shoppers urged to buy into food collection

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today SHOPPERS are being asked to put the Every Little Helps slogan into action next month to help Wokingham’s Foodbank stock up for the summer.

The Tesco store in Finchampstead Road will hold the food collection in aid of The Trussell Trust and FareShare.

As they enter the store, customers will be asked to add a number of long-life store cupboard staples to their shopping lists, which will then be given to the charities. And Tesco will top up customer donations with a 20% cash donation.

The collection will take place from Thursday, July 15 to Saturday, July 17.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK & Northern Ireland CEO, said: “The Trussell Trust and FareShare face extra demands during the summer, when children who would normally enjoy a healthy meal in school may miss out.

"That is why we have decided to hold this extra collection to help ensure that children across the UK can enjoy a happier and healthier summer without missing out on meals.”

FareShare and the Trussell

EVERY LITTLE HELPS: Wokingham shoppers can give to the food collection next month Picture: Tesco

Trust welcomed the extra collection.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “The demand for food from the communities we serve remains very high and, with the combination of the pandemic and many families struggling to afford to eat during the school holidays when free school meals are not available, we anticipate this will continue to be the case for many months.

"We are incredibly grateful to Tesco for running this additional summer food collection, which will ensure that we can continue

supporting the thousands of charities feeding the most vulnerable children and families across the UK.” This was a view shared by Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust.

“No-one should face the indignity of needing emergency food,” she said.

“Yet in the last year, food banks in our network provided record numbers of emergency food parcels to people struggling to afford the essentials.

"This is not right but we know we can build a better future. Thanks to the incredible ongoing generosity

of Tesco, we are thrilled that customers will be able to support food banks during the Summer Food Collection.

“Every donation makes such a difference and helps food banks in our network provide the best possible emergency support while we work together towards building a hunger free future.”

The summer collection is in addition to the annual preChristmas Tesco Food Collection.

Volunteers are needed to support the collection. � To find out more, or get involved, visit: fareshare.org. uk/foodcollection

Trust launches consultation for Winnersh SEND school THE CONSULTATION has opened for a new SEND school in Winnersh.

Maiden Erlegh Trust is hosting two drop-in events, for residents to meet members of the trust, ask questions and share their views.

Oak Tree School has been approved by the

Department for Education and is proposed to open next September.

It would have places for 150 children from Year 1 to Year 13 with complex needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses.

Entry to the school would be via

LOCATION: Entry will be via Woodward Close

Woodward Close.

The consultation period is running for six weeks, ending on Monday, July 19,

at noon. The first dropin event will be on Wednesday, June 30, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm at Maiden

Erlegh School, Silverdale Road, Earley.

The second drop-in event will run on Thursday, July 15, at the same time.

It will be at Maiden Erlegh School in Reading, 81 Crescent Road, Reading.

Residents must book a place in advance.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “Due to the varying covid regulations we need to maintain a register of all stakeholders who would like to attend our events, including drop-ins, in case we need to contact you to move the event to a virtual meeting online.

“It will take you less than a minute to complete and will ensure you receive the most up to date information about our drop-in events, stakeholder consultation and project progress.”

Residents can also complete a -survey via: www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/GKVRBYJ � To book a place at a drop-in, visit: bit.ly/ OakTreeConsultation

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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18 | VIEWPOINTS

WOKINGHAM.TODAY THE VOICE OF THE BOROUGH

We are not out of the woods just yet

SURGE testing across parts of the borough is necessary as covid rates continue to go in the wrong direction.

In Wokingham Town, the rate per 100,000 has reached 220 people. That’s where we were in at the turn of the year and our festive celebrations were mothballed.

Rates continue to rise sharply upwards across Wokingham, Reading and Bracknell Forest boroughs. Clearly we are not out of the woods just yet.

The surge testing programme started on Monday and Wokingham Borough Council report a good start so far. More than 1,300 businesses contacted, 1,000 residents door knocked and 1,600 test kits delivered to affected schools.

That’s on top of the testing sites.

The Borough Council should be applauded for their efforts at this time to try and keep us safe. It is a mammoth job and it is being done well.

It is up to all of us to play our part, not just in protecting ourselves, but each other.

Let’s do it to ensure we stay safe.

CHURCH NOTES

Cherishing time

I

N the Methodist Church as well as others, June is Bible Month. We use the month of June to study, pray and prepare some of our worship based on a book from the Bible.

This year, we are spending 30 days with the Gospel of Mark.

Lots of my observations resonated with the strange year we have all experienced and speak to us about how we can move forward.

I think many of us have realised how the lives we led prior to March 2020 were lacking and how we were perhaps considering the wrong things important and neglecting those that really add value and fulfilment to our lives.

Mark particularly talks about discipleship and following Jesus. Over the last 15 months, we have had to work in different ways to be welcoming and show the love of Christ to people.

Across the town we have been blessed to see an army of volunteers in vaccination centres, delivering food and prescriptions, being a friendly voice at the end of the telephone.

Many of these people are Christian, many not.

The overriding theme is people who step out of their comfort zone to share love, grace and charity to others when life has no doubt been tough for them.

It would be amazing to think that these habits and desire to help others continues as we move out of lockdown and towards a new normal. Putting others first and sharing love and grace with one another whether or not we do so in God’s name or not.

Today as I walked through Peach Place there was a new ‘buzz’ and a real sense of community and fellowship as people enjoyed the long awaited sun. It was a joy to see so many people embracing the outdoors and cherishing time together.

In our churches, many of our activities have been put on hold, Churches Together in Wokingham have been very pleased to be able to support the work of the vaccination centre.

We now look forward to stepping out in faith to support our community and the many groups who use our towns churches as we move forward with a clearer understanding of what people really need… kindness and love Claire Knight is Church & Community Outreach Team Leader for Wokingham Methodist Church, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham

Your letters

We love to hear from you! Send us your views on issues relating to the borough (in 250 words or less) to Wokingham.Today, Crown House, 231 Kings Road, Reading RG1 4LS or email: letters@wokinghampaper.co.uk

Send your thoughts to letters@wokingham.today A misunderstanding I read with interest the letter headed Offences Ignored in last week's paper.

I'm afraid the author misunderstands the purpose of traffic controls.

The 'No Right Turn' rules at various junctions with the Reading Road have nothing to do with road safety.

Indeed, if they did then they would apply to all junctions along the road.

No, they are to prevent traffic congestion that would be caused during busy periods by cars holding up following traffic while waiting to turn right.

This is why they only apply to busier roads that are around Woosehill roundabout, giving a convenient means of performing a U-turn.

For example, Holt Lane can be equally busy but a ban on turning right would mean traffic heading for Reading would have to turn left with no convenient means of turning back.

Although this is very laudable during busy periods it is not necessary at other times.

In fact, the ban on right turns from Oxford Road into Reading Road adds about half-a-mile to the journey to the town centre or anywhere east.

This is an unnecessary inconvenience to local residents and must add to traffic pollution.

Rather than enforcing the rules a more practical solution would be to place time limits on the signs, permitting right turns at all times outside busy periods.

Alan Rouse, Wokingham

Where are the houses?

I would like to ask the councillors representing all the wards besides Hurst and Ruscombe, why they accept the fact that very, very few houses are built in these northern parishes.

My mother lives in Shinfield and I listened in last Monday to the Hurst AGM, where the councillor for

Hurst was practically bragging that he’d dumped 3,500 into another ward while discussing preventing building in Hurst.

I understand Hurst residents don’t want any more houses, but neither did Shinfield or other wards.

I find it concerning how, the man responsible for planning at Wokingham Borough Council can protect his ward Hurst, so well while he can dump huge amounts of houses in other areas and get away with it.

Fiona Talbot, London

Screen test Re: Prostate Cancer that men suffer with.

Men need a screening programme.

PSA blood tests fails many men at times.

Breast, cervical and bowel have screening – alll except Prostate.

Men over 50 are dying . One in four black men who get prostate cancer dies.

The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock should put money into hospitals for a screening programme.

Victor Rones, campaigner for men’s justice, Bracknell

Marking Carers Week This week is Carers Week 2021, a week dedicated to raising awareness of the extraordinary efforts and many challenges facing carers every day around the United Kingdom.

I would like to share with your readers the fantastic work carers do looking after the nation’s most vulnerable people.

There were 9.1m family carers in the UK at the start of lockdown, and it is estimated that a further 4.5 million have taken on caring responsibilities since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many are solely responsible for the wellbeing of a loved one who may rely on them completely, sometimes 24/7, without any form of break.

Recovery is underway

W

We reserve the right to edit letters Views expressed in this section are not necessarily those of the paper While caring can be a hugely rewarding experience, many carers neglect looking after themselves.

Hilary cares for her son, Shaun, who is brain damaged after an accident in Ibiza when he was 19: "There’s no let up, no way forward, no support. It’s just…everything. I really need a break, for my mental health.

“It just feels like hotels and restaurants are opening up, but disabled people are left to the last, at the bottom of the pile.

“I’m never, ever, going to give up on my son. Life is too short you know; you need to keep fighting.”

The nation’s carers perform such a vital role in keeping the country running, saving the NHS millions every year and going far beyond the call of duty to provide for some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

We owe them a debt of gratitude.

I would like the carers of this country to know that the charity I work for, Revitalise, based in Chigwell, Essex, are here to give you a warm welcome at our centre, should you need a break or change of scenery, with 24-hour on-call nurse-led care and discounted rates until Monday, June 28.

So, anyone who feels they could benefit from our support, need only ask.

Devon Prosser, Revitalise www.revitalise.org.uk

Resources available This week is Carers week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring and to recognise the contribution of carers across the UK. At Lymphoma Action, we have a host of resources available to support people who may be caring for someone with a diagnosis of lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

Living with lymphoma can be demanding: physically, practically and

Westminster That was the week Diary Tony Johnson John Redwood

ITH Brexit behind us and Covid calmed by a comprehensive vaccination programme which most people welcomed, the UK economy is set to grow quickly from here.

The UK is forecast by international bodies to grow faster this year than the EU. Sterling has risen against the dollar, the Euro and the yen following our exit from the EU. The UK authorities have provided a much smaller monetary and fiscal stimulus than the US relative to the size of the economy.

Money growth has been running at half the US level.

The Treasury in the UK is planning big cuts in the deficit in future years while the US President is planning two more $2trillion packages of extra spending. The Congress may water that down, as some are becoming alarmed by the scale and duration of the planned debt build up and by the inflationary forces unleashed by the twin stimuli.

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

In the UK, the Bank of England needs to avoid premature tightening before recovery is well set.

The Treasury needs to speed up ending the special expenditures on companies to cushion the blows of anti-pandemic policy, whilst getting us back to work promptly from June 21.

Furlough needs to end.

Many of the jobs will be there again. Where jobs are lost there will be plenty of new job opportunities as the whole economy opens up and employers seek people to get things done and the orders dispatched.

There are already too many shortages needing more recruitment and more investment.

We are short of cement and semiconductors, of HGV drivers and of chefs, of electricity capacity and of home-grown fruit and vegetables.

emotionally – not only for the person who’s been diagnosed, but for family members and friends too.

Readers may be interested in our upcoming webinar, Supporting you – a webinar for families, friends and carers.

Taking place at 6pm on Thursday, June 24.

This free session aims to recognise the physical, practical and emotional impact on supporting a loved one living with lymphoma, share experiences of some of these issues and learn about some self-care strategies that might be useful.

We have a dedicated section for people caring for someone with lymphoma on our website, and our freephone helpline offers information and support to anyone affected by lymphoma.

We have also recently extended our online support groups to provide a dedicated meeting for family, friends and carers to provide an opportunity for people to gain mutual support and connect with others in a similar situation.

Our book When Someone Close to You Has Lymphoma is written to help people take care of themselves as well as the person they may be supporting.

It contains practical tips and ideas to help with emotional support, as well as quotes from others who have experience of caring for someone who has lymphoma.

Readers may also be interested in listening to our Lymphoma Voices podcast episode where sisters Emma and Sarah talk about the emotional challenges of supporting a loved one at a distance following Sarah’s diagnosis of lymphoma in 2020.

We are here for everyone affected by lymphoma, the fifth most common cancer in the UK. For further details readers can visit www.lymphoma-action.org.uk Amanda Harris PR & Communications Officer Lymphoma Action

I have been asking ministers to work with business to tackle these shortages urgently, to cut inflationary pressures and create more better paid jobs.

There are plenty of opportunities for business creation and expansion as the UK embarks on its most rapid and substantial recovery ever recorded. Government needs to make sure the public sector responds by cutting tax rates, granting necessary permissions, negotiating good trade deals and spending its budgets wisely using UK suppliers wherever possible.

Wokingham Town Centre I was pleased to see more people about enjoying the new town centre on Bank Holiday Monday. Cafes and eating places were particularly popular with many sitting out in the sunshine.

I visited some shops to see how they are getting on now we have had some relaxation of pandemic rules.

More of the new units are trading.

Those who have not been recently should go and have a look for themselves.

We need to use our town shops and services, and give them a boost after lockdown.

Sir John Redwood is the MP for Wokingahm

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

55 years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming Spacephiller

Improving our air quality

O YOU ever wish you had a time machine so you could go back to the past and slap yourself around the chops and tell yourself not to be so stupid?

There’s numerous moments – those times when you say no when you mean yes and miss out on some amazing experiences as a result.

It would be nice to say je ne regrette rien but life is not quite like that. There’s always dropped stitches in life’s rich tapestry, and it’s up to us to smooth over that dodgy needlework so that no one else notices.

England play their first game in the Euro 2020 tournament on Sunday and regular as clockwork there’s a re-release of Baddiel and Skinner’s seminal team-up with The Lightning Seeds: Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home).

It is one of those songs that really was lightning in a bottle, and it was 25 years ago this year.

Euro 96 truly was a great moment – for a short while, people really did believe that football was coming home, and the Spice Girls were weeks away from unleashing girl power on the world.

England played a blinder in the tournament that took place on home turf and, if only for a few brief weeks, there was belief that the squad could go on to win its first silverware since 1966.

Sadly, there’s been more chance of Pickles the dog’s great great great grandpup getting their paws on a trophy since then, but hey, didn’t stop me dreaming.

Watching the Euros this year will be a very different experience to 1996.

The tellies I’ll be watching on are wider and thinner, but I’m just fatter and wider. Can’t have everything I suppose.

And due to covid, most of the action will be seen at home. The telly aerial is broken and you can’t cast the ITV Hub, so any England games on the other side will be watched on a phone rather than the idiot’s lantern.

I

thank you for your support, but also want to reassure those people who didn’t vote for us that we will continue to run the Council in the best interests of the whole community.

STADIUM OF DREAMS: The new Wembley will host Euro 2020 games Picture: Chris Schweiger from Pixabay

Just imagine telling that to your 1996 self, let alone a 1966 one… colour? On a phone you can watch anywhere? Tis witchcraft.

Back in 1996, every game was watched down my local.

At the time that was my home city of Canterbury, and a delightful backstreet boozer called The Bat and Ball. It got its name from its proximity to Kent’s cricket ground – yes, the one with that tree.

It was a rather wonderful little place where the weird and wonderful mixed. Winner stayed on at the pool table, the landlord’s dog was rather friendly if you had a packet of crisps and it was one of the first to have tellies on the wall so we could watch the novelty that then was Sky Sports.

Normally, we could get a seat no problem but for the Euros it became rather popular. And as it got to that fateful semi-final, it was a miracle anyone could raise their pint glass to their mouth such was the squeeze.

As this was pre-smoking ban, goodness knows how anyone multi-tasked with fag and a beer glass at the same time.

There is something magical about watching

Wokingham Volunteering Helena Badger

www.volunteer wokinghamborough.org.uk

S

TARTING Point supports young people aged 11-25, through three mentoring programmes: Aspire Mentoring, Advance Mentoring & Aware Mentoring.

Aspire Mentoring: Supports young people aged 16-25 into education, employment, and training.

Advance Mentoring: Supports young people aged 11- 19 who are at risk of exclusion from school, have low or no attendance, or are at risk of becoming NEET. Aware Mentoring: Supports young people aged 11 - 25 who are at risk of exploitation, offending or youth violence.

Mentors are all volunteers, who come from all walks of life and they are keen to journey alongside young people.

They offer practical support – for

From the executive

Cllr John Halsall

Phil Creighton

D

VIEWPOINTS | 19

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example, helping a young person come up with a study timetable, helping identify and apply for appropriate employment, education or training opportunities, or access work experience and voluntary placements.

They support the young person with social-emotional development and wellbeing – for example, helping them grow in areas such as confidence, selfesteem, a positive mental attitude, and aspiration.

Mentoring at Starting Point takes a relational, tailored, and holistic approach.

By taking time to get to know

a game collectively. The oohhs and ahhs as the team takes you on a roller coaster of emotions – winning one moment to seeing the hand of god take it away the next, there is nothing that can beat the shared experience.

And so it was here. England knocked out on penalties, 30 years of hurt to hurt a bit longer.

It’s not coming home anymore.

Three years later, the same last gasp heartache at Wembley Stadium as my beloved Gillingham lose a play-off final to Man City well after injury time should have ended.

I’m still bitter about that.

But here we are, 55 years of hurt never stops me dreaming.

So what of that time machine?

Well, 1996 was a wonderful moment.

That summer, I was young, carefree and weeks away from starting university. But idiot that I was I wasn’t dreaming.

Of anything.

Now I’ve got those oh-so-nears, wearing me down through the years.

Ah well. There’s always Fat Les’ Vindaloo.

What do you mean you’ve never heard of it?

Well, that’s another story…

mentees and taking a genuine interest in them, the young person is treated as an individual and supported accordingly.

It is through this approach that we see the biggest impact upon the lives of the young people we support. Given this, and to ensure young people are consistently supported, it is important that mentors can commit to a minimum of 12 months of volunteering for around one hour a week.

Starting Point needs passionate volunteers who are enthusiastic about investing in the young people of Reading and the surrounding areas.

easing The Link has now resumed this, and would like to recruit and train new volunteers to help as it also starts to resume some of its additional activities.

The Link asks that volunteers give one or two hours per week or per fortnight to visit and offer friendship and support.

Regular visits are a minimum requirement for at least six months.

The Link will provide training before volunteers start visiting and on-going training if needed.

The Link has a support structure in place so volunteers can always call on someone if there are any questions or concerns.

It says it stays in touch regularly and � The Link Visiting Scheme aims put on events so you can meet other to reduce isolation and loneliness volunteers too. by providing connections and Its existing volunteer team have just friendships. been awarded the Queens Award for It relies on our volunteer Befrienders Voluntary Service 2021. to improve and enhance the lives of Anyone interested in joining this team older people. is invited to get in touch.

It does this through quality time and focused attention; a chance to hear � These are just a few of the stories of days gone by and build a opportunities on our books. Call: 0118 connection.

977 0749, email volunteer@wokWith the covid situation over the last vol.org.uk or visit our website www.

18 months, the charity has not been able volunteerwokinghamborough.org.uk to to provide its normal face-to-face find out more and have a look at all the service, however now restrictions are roles we have to offer.

I want to give you a flavour of our plans for the coming year.

Our priority is economic and social recovery for our Borough. Earlier this year, the Executive approved the creation of the Employment Support Hub to help people get back into work.

As with Shinfield Studios, we will work with our partners to attract new job opportunities to the Borough and are confident in our ability to do so.

A key part is the delivery of infrastructure and capital investment needed by our towns and villages. A new draft of the Local Plan will be brought forward, while continuing to bring housing targets down to a level that is reasonable for our Borough.

We were successful in convincing the Government to scrap the proposed substantial increase in our housing numbers, and we will go on making our case to get those figures down further.

At the same time, too many young people simply cannot afford to buy here. We will get the right housing in the right places, which means addressing the urgent need for more affordable and social housing in the Borough.

We will be building on our first steps in doing our part to tackle climate change and make our environment more friendly.

We will begin the work of building solar farms in the Borough, moving towards our target of making 70% of the Borough’s waste recyclable, and planting 300,000 trees.

Securing the best education for our younger generation is vital to ensuring that those from less affluent homes are not left behind as we emerge from the pandemic.

We will continue to provide the best opportunities for children and young people, opening a new special educational needs school in Winnersh, and start laying the groundwork for new primary schools in Matthewsgreen and Arborfield.

We will be taking action to tackle flytipping, noise, bonfires and other environmental issues which affect the quality of life for our residents.

Anti-social behaviour, Low level crime and Domestic Violence is a concern across the Borough.

We will work with Matthew Barber, our excellent and experienced new Police and Crime Commissioner, on creating a coordinated plan for how we can clamp down on these issues – whilst looking to what more we can do to help families going through difficulties and provide activities for younger people.

This year will see the rolling out of our Congestion and Intelligent traffic Schemes coupled with a very high level of maintenance, which should keep the Borough moving while minimising environmental considerations.

This is just the start of what is to come.

There is much work to be done, but I know that my team and I have the energy and resolve to do it.

Cllr John Halsall is the leader of the council and Conservative councillor for Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe at Wokingham Borough Council

20 | NEWS

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That’s why you get burnt bangers on the barbie

WALK ON: Jim Edwards at the finish line of his 100km trek

Jim wasn’t sleepwalking as he strode in the night

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today A WOKINGHAM man has raised more than £1,000 for The Link Visiting Scheme, after walking from London to Brighton.

On Saturday, May 29, Jim Edwards embarked on a 62-mile trek for the Wokingham charity — and completed it in just over 24 hours.

The walk, organised by Action Challenge, sees people travel from Richmond Park, London, on foot to Brighton.

After taking part in the event two years ago, Jim says he signed up again in a bid to beat his previous time of 30 hours.

“I smashed my previous pace but didn’t hit under 24 hours,” Jim says. “But I’m happy with it.

“I wanted to prove to myself I can do it in a sensible time and now I’m done.”

The Wokingham resident completed the walk in 25 hours and 20 minutes, and came 411th out of the 729 competitors who crossed the finish line.

Through sponsorships, he also raised £1,200 for Link Visiting, choosing to support the befriending charity after watching his wife volunteer for it throughout lockdown.

“Thank you to everybody who has sponsored me so far and supported me while I was walking,” Jim says.

“I’m still looking for a firm to double the donation, and am hoping for another £300.”

Marjie Walker, CEO of The Link Visiting Scheme, said the charity is over the moon about Jim’s donation.

“We have been so impressed not only with the amount raised by Jim but by this incredible achievement of walking nonstop, through the night for 25 hours covering 52 miles,” she says.

“It really is truly remarkable and we are absolutely delighted that Jim has chosen to support Link Visiting.

“Every penny will go towards providing friendship and support to those in our community desperate to see a friendly face.

“Our sincere thanks go to Jim and to all those who have encouraged him by way of donations to achieve this incredible challenge.” � Jim is accepting donations until the end of June. To find out more, visit: www.localgiving.org/ fundraising/JimLondon2Brighton � For more information on The Link Visiting Scheme, visit: www.linkvisiting.org

THE SOUTH East has been named the biggest offender when it comes to barbecue etiquette.

New research from Aldi has revealed the country’s worst barbecue fails as residents get ready to grill this summer.

According to the supermarket, four out of 10 cooks in the South East will serve guests undercooked food, while nearly half of Brits (47%) will serve burnt burgers.

Other barbecue blunders include not being able to light the grill (25%), forgetting to clean it (11%), and serving meat to vegetarians (6%).

This summer, Aldi anticipates 273 million barbecues will be lit as

people enjoy the summer.

The survey was commissioned as part of the supermarket’s Raising The Barbecue campaign, to help residents avoid cooking mishaps in 2021.

Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, said: “While it is apparent that barbeque blunders are commonplace in the UK, it is encouraging to see us Brits are keen to brush up on our skills and become more adventurous at the grill.

“We hope that together we can inspire a nation of gourmet grillers that help redefine the British barbecue as one of the world’s best.”

Dale and Alan get on their bikes for Ollie TWO CYCLISTS will be travelling for miles in a special fundraising challenge this month.

Dale Thomas, a past Wokingham resident with family connections to Woosehill, and his long-term friend Alan Francis, will be taking on a cycling challenge to raise money for charity.

Their chosen charity, the Ollie Young Foundation, is a Wokinghambased organisation which funds targeted paediatric brain tumour research and support.

Having set themselves a fundraising target of £5,000, the pair have already raised more than £4,000 and hope to collect more.

Starting on Monday, June 21, the pair will cycle for 950 miles from John O’Groats, Caithness, Scotland, and finish in Land’s End, Cornwall, on July 7.

Dale Thomas explained they are both feeling “really excited” for their adventure.

“Alan is a regular cyclist and is the expert in the team so I will be riding under his gentle care and guidance.

“My responsibility will be to keep up our spirits at the inevitable dark times with a string of excruciating dad jokes.”

Mr Thomas added: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far by donating or by helping the team to prepare, we are very grateful to all of you.

“And we know that supporting

CYCLING: Dale Thomas and Alan Francis

the Ollie Young Foundation to fund its research into finding a cure or prevention of brain tumours in children, is both time and money well spent.”

Sarah Simpson from the Ollie Young Foundation expressed her thanks to the pair for their fundraising efforts.

She said: “We are in absolute awe of Dale and Alan for the journey they have set themselves, 950 miles is not something you take lightly but we know these two gentlemen have what it takes to see it through, and with smiles on their faces.

“We cannot thank them enough for doing all this for the OYF and the money they are raising will go towards our ultimate aim, funding research into children’s brain tumours to find a cure or prevention.” � To donate to their fundraising efforts, visit pow21.org

Sew what? It’s only the favourite lockdown hobby MORE people picked up a needle and thread than ever before last year, as it is revealed sewing became the nation’s favourite lockdown hobby.

According to a survey by Brother Sewing, one in five Brits took up sewing or embroidery during the pandemic.

After speaking to 2,000 people, it also found that more men aged 25-34 took up the hobby (23%) than women of the same age (21%).

The research revealed that

residents chose to get creative to pass the time rather than play games, with one in eight turning to consoles for entertainment.

Stuart Stamp, marketing guru at Brother Sewing, said: “During what has been a challenging time, it appears that sewing has provided a welcome escape for many people.

“The ability to craft and be creative through sewing is not only alleviating lockdown boredom, but passing the time in a productive and enjoyable way.”

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Nation asks ‘W as artist hides

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today WOKINGHAM’S mystery artist has made headline news as the nation asks: Who is Catsy?

In recent weeks, a trail of cats have appeared around Woosehill as the anonymous artist paints a series of feline friends around town.

Now, his work has been featured on national television and in a national newspaper.

Two weeks ago, Catsy’s art appeared on Jeremy Vine On 5 where show host Angellica Bell and columnist Owen Jones asked who the mysterious painter could be.

His work has also been featured on BBC News, CBBC Newsround, and in the i newspaper.

“It’s snowballed quite a bit. It’s insane,” Catsy said. “I still can’t get my head around it, and it’s all thanks to Wokingham.Today’s previous article.

“I didn’t expect it to go much further than the local paper, so this is beyond anything I could have dreamt of.”

Over the past week, Catsy has also been adding extra features to his artwork as he takes his project to the next level.

The mystery artist is hiding 10 canvases around town over the coming week for residents to take home.

“People messaged me saying they absolutely loved [the cats] and they wanted one to take home,” he explains.

“I thought it would be nice for people to walk along the street and find a little canvas to keep.”

Catsy has also brought some new furry friends into the mix, by painting

CANVAS: Catsy is to hide pictures around Woking

Becci walks through win

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today A TEACHER headed for the coast to complete a hiking marathon in memory of her Granddad.

Becci Rees was taking part in last month’s Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge.

The 26-mile hike, from Weymouth to Bridport, saw Becci raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

The charity supports people living with dementia and Becci wanted to show her support for its work through her charity challenge.

Starting her hike at 5.30am in Weymouth, she travelled through Portland, Abbotsbury, Burton Bradstock before ending in Bridport.

The weather proved to be a challenge, with rain and winds up to 50mph, but she completed the hike in 10 hours and 44 minutes.

Having raised more than £800 so far, Beeci has exceeded her initial fundraising target of £395.

She said that it was a “highly emotional” day.

“I’m so pleased I reached the finish line,” she said. “Physically and mentally it was a challenge but doing it surrounded by other people who

MEDAL MOMENT: Becci Rees shows her award f Challenge. She walked in memory of her Grandda

were all doing it for the same reason was lovely.

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

NEWS | 21

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Who is Catsy?’ s his pictures

Wild about nature?

Well, keep an eye out

Honest motherhood Angela Garwood

A hellish ride

I NUTS IN JUNE: What will you see for this year’s mammal survey?

a series of mice alongside some of the cats.

Trails of paw prints have also been spotted around Woosehill.

“It was my goddaughter’s idea to put mice with them,” he says. “The googly eyes often end up looking down, so I thought I’d give them something to look at.

“I’m also planning out a few more designs including different poses, to keep it interesting for people.”

The artist says he plans to continue creating designs around Woosehill following a string of “heartwarming” responses from the community.

“They’re bringing people together,” he says. “People have messaged me saying they were having a rough time and seeing the cat made them smile.

“I believe if you can make someone smile, you’ve had a great day.”

Catsy is still encouraging residents to look him up on Facebook and tag any future cats they spot when out and about.

ngham for people to find Pictures: Catsy

� To find out more, visit: www.facebook.com/catsywokingham

nd and rain for Granddad

for completing the Jurassic Coast Ultra ad

“Every person had their own story to tell and we all ended up working

together and I’m so proud I made it to the end.”

Becci added she was “determined to push through” and complete the challenge.

“I really appreciate all the love and support I’ve had from people that I know and don’t know and that encouragement has made me push myself out of my comfort zone,” she said.

“I am so overwhelmed by all the contributions and lovely messages I’ve received.”

Linda Goddard, area manager at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “I want to say thank you to Becci for taking part in the Jurassic Coast Challenge for us.

“The money raised from Becci’s fundraising will help Alzheimer’s Society reach and support more people affected by dementia.”

She added: “We are in awe of the resilience of supporters like Becci whose dedication to raising vital funds for Alzheimer’s Society ensures that we are able to support those who need it most during this difficult period.” � To donate, log on to justgiving.com/ fundraising/Becci-Rees2020

WOKINGHAM residents are being encouraged to support nature over the coming year, by keeping an eye out for wild animals.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is asking people to support its annual Living with Mammals survey, by spotting and recording sightings of creatures in their gardens and green spaces.

It is also urging residents to spot signs of wild mammals, including footprints and droppings, and record them online.

The survey, which has been running for 18 years, launched last month.

David Wembridge, mammals survey coordinator at PTES, said: “Despite the challenges of 2020, one positive was the number of people seeing wild mammals more frequently, some for the first time.

POETRY CORNER What on earth is heaven like?

My friend and I went walking through spring woods, where early bluebells caught the blue of sky through light green leaves.

We found our favourite place – an old log seat, our backs against the trunks of beech and alder.

We talked of this, and that, shared news of friends and family, when suddenly she said: ‘What’s heaven really like?’

Old memories of Sunday School came flooding in: ‘All singing hymns,’ I said, ‘and playing harps while sitting on a cloud.’

‘Sitting on a cloud?’she said, ‘I shan’t like that, too damp around the bot!’ We laughed and laughed, and then she said: ‘I’ll tell you – when I get there!’ And we went back to my place for tea and cake.

But as spring melted into summer, my friend grew pale and ill, until at summer’s end she died.

And so I walked alone through autumn woods, the leaves in shades of gold and brown and drifting on the wind.

I sat

“Connections with nature are so important – not only do we gain a unique insight into the lives of our wild neighbours, which is hugely beneficial for conservation, but wildlife watching and being close to nature is known to have a positive impact on our mental health too, which is needed now perhaps more than ever.”

More than 2,000 people took part in last year’s Living with Mammals survey. The top five species recorded were grey squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes, mice and bats.

Mr Wembridge said the data helps PTES understand how mammals are faring across the country and where conservation support is needed. � To take part, visit: www.livingwithmammals.ptes.org

in our old place, leaning against a beech.

And in my head I heard her laughter.

‘It’s fun out here,’ she said.

‘No hymns, no harps and not a cloud in sight.

But there’s music, and meetings with old friends and loved ones, sharing memories and stories.

There’s joy, and hope, and oh! Such beauty!

And overall – a sense of wonder.

What’s heaven like? Like all the best bits of earth you've ever known.

I’ll show you, when you get here.’

Rosi MorganBarry

Books I’m someone who likes reading From Kindle or from books To get lost in a good story One that, you know, really “hooks”.

One that grips me from the opening So I cannot put it down.

If someone interrupts me They get my darkest frown.

Some authors become special Their books for me are good I watch out for their next one For, like a meal, they give me food For thought and inspiration Make me ask, “Could I write one?”

But I think I’ll stick to poems Finding words that rhyme is fun.

Jim Horsnell

We love receiving reader’s poetry. Email your submissions to letters@wokingham.today

T was a gorgeous sunny Saturday morning. The four of us were on our way to visit friends for lunch, about an hour’s drive away.

We hadn’t been on the motorway in a while and the change of scenery itself was a novelty. Music, snacks, and the luxury of a whole weekend ahead.

Life was good.

Or at least it appeared good from the outside – where one couldn’t hear the deafening cries of our baby in the back seat, who was overtired and struggling to drift off.

His bawling was relentless. No amount of singing, distraction or calm soothing tones were enough to ease his distress.

After about 20 minutes of torment my partner Joel swiftly pulled over on to the hard shoulder. This is never a great start to an outing. But the relief. I fed the exhausted baby and for a brief few minutes we could hear our own thoughts. Silence, with only the slightly unsettling hum of cars shooting past at 70mph, inches away. And lorries that made our tiny car sway.

I put him back in his seat and the bawling resumed.

This time with greater intensity. The poor baby was misled. He thought he was out and free, good to go, only to be imprisoned once more.

It went on and on and on. There was no way of pacifying him.

I went from excited for the day to pure rage.

“Why were we even ON the motorway? Why were we seeing friends again? What was the need? It’s not a necessary journey. No more unnecessary journeys.”

I began Googling. Some parents choose to avoid long car journeys because their babies detest their car seats. This made sense. They were prioritising the needs of the child.

I voiced my thoughts. A bad idea.

“Those people are idiots,” Joel replied.

“HOW ARE THEY IDIOTS?” “We can’t just avoid long car journeys. He’s alright most of the time.”

“Well we’re not going anywhere unnecessary.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“How is it ridiculous? CAN YOU NOT HEAR HIM?” (Still crying, loudly, about half-an-hour total tears now.)

My own waterworks began, silently because I didn’t want my daughter to see. I find the sounds of any baby crying difficult, but not being able to pick up and comfort my own little boy, I found immensely distressing. I wiped away tears and attempted to distract myself, which only made me feel worse because I then felt as though I was deliberately ignoring him. I was losing my mind. This was hell.

Joel, to my horror, seemed absolutely fine.

There was the occasional sigh and “It’s okay Leo we’re here., but no panic, no obvious anxiety of any kind and most definitely no tears. Where were his emotions? It didn’t occur to me he was probably just focused on the road. But then many of my more levelheaded thoughts failed to make an appearance.

“How is he so okay with this? This is NOT OKAY.” I thought to myself.

Of course I took his mostly-silence to mean he didn’t care as much as I did. Why was he not losing his mind like I was? I erupted: “You’re so heartless”.

“He’s safe, he’s not in any pain, he’ll be fine...” he reasonably protested.

This only angered me more. How could he be so sure? Why is he being so annoyingly rational?

“WHAT IF HE PASSES OUT?” A dramatic response from my end.

“Why would he pass out?”

I went quiet at this one, with no logical theories.

Hysterical adults faint? Could a baby get into such a state they pass out?

I can’t recall exactly when Leo finally fell asleep, but it was around 50 minutes in. Thanks to both the traffic and bad planning, we were over two hours late.

Happily, the journey home was a dream.

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WorcesterObserver

Readertravel BEAUTIFUL BATH

Cheddar & West Somerset Railway

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

CROWTHORNE&FINCHAMPSTEADNEWS

Crowthorne is cleaner, thanks to group’s litter picking work

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today LITTER pickers across Crowthorne contributed to a national cleaning initiative last month.

Departing Mon 28 Jun ‘21 We explore the best of Somerset on this delightful short break. We blend the charms of the Victorian seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare with the heritage of the West Somerset Railway, and the beauty of Regency Bath with the awe-inspiring Cheddar Gorge.

Your break includes Return coach travel from Wokingham 4 nights at the Wessex Hotel, Street with dinner & breakfast Entertainmentsome evenings Cheddar Gorge scenicdrive Heritage train journey on the West Somerset Railway Excursionsto Cheddar, Weston-super-Mare, Minehead & Bath

5 Days by Coach

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© Skywall Photography

Departing Fri 3 Sep ‘21 If you are yet to experience the charm of the Flying Scotsman, then now is your chance! Travel behind this magnificent, 1923-built locomotive as we take an unforgettable trip back to the heyday of the golden age of steam through the picturesque Irwell Valley.

Your break includes Return coach travel from Wokingham 2 nights at a selected 3 or 4-star hotel in the North West area with dinner & breakfast Train journeybehind the Flying Scotsman on the heritage East Lancashire Railway Fr e e t i m e i n B u r y En-routevisit to Liverpool

3 Days by Coach Single Supplement £70

Operated by Just GoHolidays Ltd. Coachpackage holidays and short breaks are subject to Just Go!Holidays terms and conditions. Your booking is protected by BondedCoach Holidays (BCH)and the Association of BondedTravel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT); this is a government approved consumer protection scheme.Tours ofered subject to availabilty andgovernment guidelines. Errorsandomissionsexcepted. Pricesper person, basedon two people sharing a double/twin room. Cals to 033 numbers are free within inclusive minutes packages otherwisestandardratesapply.

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PICK UP: 1st Crowthorne Scouts took part in CROW’s litter pick

and supporting individuals and businesses to reduce waste at source.

Challenges were also set for the longest distance picked, the heaviest haul, and the strangest item found.

In total, participants collected 21 bags of litter weighing 56kg overall.

Chairs, a piece of a bench, traffic cones, wires, a debit card and an animal’s jawbone were all found.

Sponsored by the local Co-op, the shop donated

prizes of reusable water bottles.

Kit Kats and water were given to the residents as refreshments throughout the day.

The 1st Crowthorne Scout group also attended to help people weigh their bags of rubbish.

Georgie Morris, lead member for Crowthorne Reduce Our Waste, said: “It was fantastic to have the Scouts involved in our litter pick this year, their enthusiasm and commitment was a wonderful example to all young people.

WINNERS: Jonah and Ada with their water bottle prize

“We are looking to set up a youth section and hope we can encourage more young people to be part of our work.”

She added: “We would like to thank everyone who attended and helped to make the event a success.” � For more information, log on to C-r-o-w.org.uk

All aboard to help at Pinewood railway

Steam Train & Liverpool

TheFlyingScotsman&Liverpool_D.pdf

only £ 229

Crowthorne Reduce Our Waste, a group aiming to reduce the communities use of plastic waste, invited residents to get involved in the #MillionMileClean on Sunday, May 23.

Residents worked together in family groups to do their bit in making the village a cleaner place.

With 18 adults and 18 children in total, they collected equipment at Crowthorne Market and then picked up the litter lying around the area.

The event supported Surfers Against Sewage, an environmental charity tackling plastic pollution, who were totting up miles around the country as part of the #MillionMileClean initiative.

Through the residents’ efforts, their steps while litter picking added approximately 38 miles to the national total.

This litter pick was also part of Crowthorne’s commitment to looking after its environment

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ALL ABOARD the miniature train as it calls for more volunteers this summer.

Pinewood Miniature Railway, based at Pinewood Leisure Centre in Wokingham Without, is welcoming new members to help maintain and operate its services this year.

The passenger-carrying miniature railway runs for nearly half-a-mile through woodland between Wokingham and Crowthorne.

Formed nearly 40 years ago, the Pinewood Miniature Railway Society is a non-profit organisation that provides family fun for the community.

In 2019, it had nearly 5,000 passengers during its regular open days and Christmas Santa Specials.

Opening this year on Sunday, July 4, the railway will operate between 1.30pm and 4pm.

It will run every first and third Sunday in the months of July and August, and the third

Sunday in September and October.

With around 30 members at present, the society is seeking more volunteers to come on board.

The society already has a mix of ages and is welcoming anyone from 16 upwards to join the team.

Paul Konig, from Pinewood Miniature Railway, said being a member of the society is a “nice way to give something back”.

“We couldn’t run the railway last year because of Covid so we’re really enjoying being able to reopen to the public again,” he said.

“We are a small, friendly group of people who come down here to volunteer because we want to and enjoy it, there’s no pressure so come down and see what you think.”

Anyone interested can visit the group for a taster morning and a chat about how it all works.

Training is provided with roles ranging from drivers, guards, signalling staff to non-running day jobs such as electrical work, mechanical work, digging and painting. � For more information, search Pinewood Miniature Railway on Facebook or visit pinewoodrailway.co.uk

Take time for afternoon tea

RETIREES have been invited to a special afternoon tea event this weekend.

Birch Place, a McCarthy Stone retirement living development on Duke’s Ride, Crowthorne, is welcoming local retirees to its Taste The Lifestyle tour and afternoon tea event on Friday and Saturday.

The event, running from 10.30am until 5pm, will include a tour of Birch Places’ social spaces, a chance to meet the team and view the show apartments.

After a tour, visitors will be given an afternoon tea box which can be enjoyed in the development’s outdoor garden area.

Nicki Beswarick, divisional

marketing manager for McCarthy Stone Southern, said: “As restrictions begin to ease, we are incredibly excited to welcome back local retirees and offer them an exclusive opportunity to truly taste the lifestyle of a McCarthy Stone homeowner.

“Interest in Birch Place has been high among retirees who are keen to explore the many benefits of downsizing, as well as becoming part of a connected community.”

Ms Beswarick added their aim for

the event is to give local retirees a chance to see what it’s like to live at Birch Place.

She said: “That’s why we are hosting a special Taste the Lifestyle event because as well as joining us for a slice of cake and a hot drink, local retirees can also have a tour of the development and ask the friendly team any questions they may have.”

Attendees are required to book in advance to secure a place. � For details, call 0800 310 0383, or log on to mccarthystone.co.uk/ crowthorne

Gin will be a tonic GIN WILL be poured to celebrate a special evening at Crowthorne’s British Legion Club this weekend.

The Royal British Legion Club Crowthorne, on Wellington Road, is hosting it’s next Gin Night to mark World Gin Day on Saturday, from 7pm.

The club is welcoming both members and non-members to the event with premium gins available to try at £10 for three gins and one tonic.

Numbers will be limited so booking is advised.

Social distancing will be followed in line with the current government guidelines. � For details or to book a table, call Jod on 07812 350 281.

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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| 23

24 | NEWS

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WOODLEY&EARLEYNEWS

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

To advertise in this section, call Claire on 0118 327 2662

Taking action for Dementia RESIDENTS at a Lower Earley care home marked Dementia Action Week last month.

During the week of action, residents learnt about how to support others and looked at the way dementia affects thoughts and perceptions.

Staff carried out a memory walk to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

General manager at Austen House, Natsayi Dunira, said dementia affects many of the home residents.

“We are proud to provide an environment that helps residents to find their way around independently as much as possible, and that residents are proud to call home,” she said.

HAPPY DAY: Faye Mountford (5) and Miley Phillips (6) happy with their painted faces at the Lilly-May Page defib day at the Shepherd’s House Inn Picture: Steve Smyth

Plenty of smiles to help Lilly-May fund

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today

By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today

A FAMILY fun day helped raise funds for a charity that works to install defibrillators in schools.

The event took place on Saturday, May 22 at The Shepherds House Inn on Woodley’s London Road.

Lilly-May Page was just five when she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died while at school on May 15, 2014.

Since then her mother Claire Page has been raising money for the Arrhythmia Alliance, an organisation that seeks to improve the treatment for those affected by heart rhythm disorders.

The event raised £1,000m and will be used to place a defibrillator into a school.

Two events ran on the day, the first running from noon to 5pm, followed by an evening of entertainment from 7pm until 10pm.

Families enjoyed an afternoon of activities including a barbecue, garden games, stalls, face painting, a cake stall and a raffle.

Maurice’s ice cream van was also present.

Lilly-May’s mother Claire Page said the ice cream van was an “amazing touch” for both the kids and adults throughout the afternoon.

New Mayor of Woodley, Cllr Janet Sartorel, was among those visiting to show her support.

In the evening, cover band Solace played music from the 50s to present day.

Ms Page said she was

Support for residents soars due to pandemic CITIZENS Advice Wokingham supported 48% more Woodley residents last year in the face of the pandemic.

“overwhelmed” after the first postlockdown event for Lilly-May. She said: “It surpassed my expectations and we can now keep another heart safe by donating a defibrillator to another school.

“We look forward to many more life saving events and awareness being made.”

Ozzy Cetinkaya, landlord at The Shepherds House Inn, said: “We are privileged to have honoured LillyMay in the first event after lockdown.

“We are proud to have helped raise money and awareness for this amazing cause and I’d like to thank all the staff and customers for helping achieve this, with more exciting events in the pipeline.”

For more information, visit the Arrhythmia Alliance – Lilly-May Page Facebook page.

On Tuesday, May 25, chief executive of the charity, Jake Morrison, (pictured) spoke at the Woodley Town Elector’s meeting, highlighting the help given to the community.

Last year the charity assisted 750 people.

These included a resident struggling with water and energy debt.

A Woodley couple were also helped get a specialised bed due to illness, and food support.

Peter Absolon, from Readibus said many residents found the door-to-door service “a lifeline” in the pandemic.

One women, whose husband died during the pandemic, relied on the

service as her only means to get out.

She thanked Woodley Town Council for supporting the Readibus service.

Marjie Walker, from The Link Visiting Scheme said throughout the pandemic, the charity grew from supporting 350 people to more than 700 – 78 from Woodley.

Each week, residents could tune into a two-hour virtual cafe hosted by the Friendship Alliance.

Jayne Streak, from the organisation, said after covid restrictions began to ease the group meet twice in Woodford Park for a walk and coffee.

The project is now growing to set up in-person Friendship Tables.

Support from the community helped keep the pandemic response rolling at Woodley Foodbank.

Richard Davies, said the community support during the pandemic had been outstanding, with a tremendous team effort of the community supplying the food and volunteers packing and delivering.

Tracy Ward, volunteer in the Woodley Covid-19 Facebook group, said there are now around 1,500 people in the community helping others.

She said the group helped provide gifts for those struggling financially, and distributed bottled water and snack bars to key workers.

They also arranged an out of hours collection point for the Foodbank, linking residents to organisations and volunteers who could help.

Councillor explains independent decision A WOODLEY town councillor has resigned the party whip and moved from the Liberal Democrat group to become an independent.

Cllr Martin Doyle, who represents Loddon West alongside Cllr Michael Forrer, made the decision in April.

Cllr Doyle told Wokingham.Today he resigned because his priorities differed from the Liberal Democrats.

He said: “I feel that to abide by the party whip

without question is to behave mindlessly and fail to serve the community effectively.

“In the short period of time I have been a Woodley town councillor, I have concentrated my efforts on equality legislation, where I introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty to Woodley Town Council.”

Cllr Doyle said he also campaigned for facilities for a youth centre in Woodley.

“The youth of Woodley and Wokingham generally have been ill-served by councils over the last 10 years,” he said.

Cllr Doyle said he has also worked to ensure government guidelines have been followed when procuring council contracts.

“This ensures propriety in local government,” he said.

“I will continue, for the remainder of my term as a councillor, to represent the people of Loddon West to

the best of my ability and expose the Tory party’s devastating destruction of our social infrastructure.

“An example of this is the youth facilities and services.

“These have been reduced from £1 million per year to nothing in the last 10 years.

“As for leaving the Liberal Democratic Party in Woodley, I am hopeful that time will improve how the party is represented and how it serves the community.”

Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

SONNING, RUSCOMBE, TWYFORD&HURST, NEWS REMENHAM & WARGRAVE

Freedom celebration is a tale from the river BOAT OWNERS are being called upon to help Wargrave celebrate in ‘Dunkirk spirit’ this summer.

Next month, The Bull Hotel and The St George & Dragon are joining forces for a “summer freedom celebration” after coronavirus restrictions are due to lift on Monday, June 21.

Organised by Geoff Knight, the all-day party will offer free river cruises, face-painting for children, and cabaret entertainment at both sites.

Now, he is appealing to local boat owners to take guests out on the river for an hour, to make sure the event runs smoothly.

“Arrangements for the event are

coming together nicely,” Mr Knight said.

“We have 13 volunteer boatowners so far, but we are looking for about 40 or more for the day.”

The organiser is also arranging a paddle-board race, and is urging residents to sign up.

“We have quite a few competitors signed on in each of the four categories,” he said, “but there’s plenty of room for more.”

There will be races for under 16s, adult men, adult women and anybody over 60.

The Great Wargrave ‘Dunkirk Spirit’ Village Party will take place on Saturday, July 17 from noon. � For more information, contact geoffworksafe@outlook.com

Road race postponed THE WARGRAVE File Mile Road Race has been cancelled over financial concerns.

On Sunday, July 18, residents were due to take to the streets to raise money for local and national charities.

Organised by Wargrave Runners, the annual event was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, 2021’s run has been postponed, over fears it would incur a financial loss.

“In the end, it was quite an easy decision although one taken reluctantly,” organiser Steve Huyton said. “All the preparations for the

race had taken longer than usual, and ultimately we felt we had not left ourselves long enough to promote the race properly.

“We decided it was better to focus on next year’s race instead,” he added.

Before the pandemic, Wargrave Runners would host the event to fundraise for a range of charities, including Thames Valley Air Ambulance and cancer organisations.

In 2019, it raised more than £2,000.

Mr Huyton said the event should return in 2022, with a provisional date of Sunday, June 12.

Party In Park to return STARS are back on stage in Hurst next month, as live festivals return to the village.

The annual Party In The Park, which offers evening entertainment from local bands, is coming back on Saturday, July 10.

Organised by Hurst Football Club, local artists Bottle Kids, Forbury,

NEWS | 25

To advertise email advertising@wokingham.today

and Le Moyne are set to perform.

There will also be a hog roast and bar.

The Party In The Park will take place at Stow Bridge in Hurst from 6pm. Tickets cost £18 per person, for over-18s only.

For more information, visit: www.partyparkhurst.co.uk

To advertise in this section, call Claire on 0118 327 2662

Fill ‘em up: refill service makes a stop in Twyford

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today ECO-FRIENDLY firm Refill Hub is giving Twyford a green boost, after recently launching fortnightly visits to the village.

The plastic-free grocery service on wheels, founded

by Natasha Squire in October last year, wants to bring sustainable products to residents who may not be able to travel elsewhere.

From pasta and grains to nuts and cereals, as well as eco-friendly toiletries, Refill Hub offers a range of palm oil-free, sustainable, and ethically-sourced products — as long as residents bring their own packaging.

“The hub is a bit of a Tardis,” Ms Squire said. “Our products don’t have any ‘nasties’ in and we have everything from coffee to almond flour to sustainable ketchup, that is made from tomatoes and pears that would otherwise be thrown away.

“We also try to buy from as many local suppliers as possible.”

And it’s not only the products that are environmentally friendly — the shop itself is too.

“The van is kitted out with a host of recycled materials including delivery crates, an old wooden door, and a salad bowl which has been repurposed as a kitchen sink.

Refill Hub launched last year in a bid to tackle singleuse plastic and its impact on the environment.

Now, Ms Squire is busy

IN STORE: Natasha Squire in her Refill Hub van, which has just started visiting Twyford

making a whole host of trips around Berkshire and Buckinghamshire in the mobile van, and made her first appearance in Twyford last month.

She said she chose the village to ‘fill a space’ in the local market.

“Twyford doesn’t have a local refill shop, apart from a delivery service, and reducing plastic production is at the forefront of the village ethos,” she explained “Because a lot of people want to physically go to a shop and choose the products themselves,

I thought there was a lovely gap to provide that personal service.”

She said the hub has been well received so far, and was glad to see her idea come to life after 10 years in the making.

“I first had the idea for Refill Hub about a decade ago when I used a similar refill service living overseas in Australia,” she explained.

“I thought it was a wonderful way to shop.”

After spending most of her career in food development, Ms Squire left her job in 2019 to turn the

hub into a reality.

“Over the last few years, I became ever more jaded about the amount of packaging and food waste in my career path, from testing and wasting new foods to throwing away packaging,” she said.

“So, in 2019, I really seriously thought about embarking on this business idea for a mobile refill shop, to take eco-friendly products out to customers.”

Now, she hopes she can encourage other people to start thinking about their plastic habits and consider making a change.

“All you need is a container from around the house to get started, such as tupperware containers, jam jars or even paper bags,” Ms Squire said.

“People can also turn up and buy a container from me, but I try to encourage people to bring their own packaging.

“We’re not going to solve global problems and environmental issues with this business, but everybody doing their bit really helps and I can make a change.

“You don’t need one person doing it perfectly, but you need billions of people doing it partially.”

Refill Hub made its first appearance in Twyford on Thursday, May 20 and will be visiting once a fortnight on Thursdays between 9am and noon.

Its next visit is scheduled for Thursday, June 17. � For more information on Refill Hub, visit: www.refill-hub.co.uk

Marvellous plans for Dinton Pastures A POPULAR music festival is making plans to return this summer, covid restrictions permitting.

Marvellous will once again take over Dinton Pastures in Hurst on Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18, for a weekend of the next best thing.

The line-up includes tributes to Limehouse Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac and ELO. On the Saturday, Uncle Funk’s Disco Inferno will present some disco classics to dance along to, while Marvellous favourites T Rextasy will be recreating Marc Bolan’s greatest hits.

The Fillers – a Killers tribute – also make a return.

Sunday sees a strong mix of old and new, including Flash, a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen.

Karin Bello, who performs as Tina Turner, also returns to the Marvellous stage, celebrating the music of one of rock’s greats.

Legend is the apt name for a band

that perform Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits, and there’s more rock from The Quo Experience.

Sounds of Simon is a tribute to Paul Simon’s songwriting, from Bookends to Graceland.

And bringing Marvellous up to date are The Ed Sheeran Experience and Coldplace, both making welcome returns to Marvellous.

Tickets booked for last year’s event, which was postponed due to covid, have been rolled over, and a limited number of tickets are

on sale for people who want to come along.

As in previous years, guests can camp for the weekend, as well as buying tickets for the day or the weekend. It is also possible to book a pitch to erect a gazebo – perfect to keep out of the sun, or the rain.

Glamping tickets include a dome shaped tent with a stargazing top that allows guests to watch the night sky go by – and maybe see a shooting star.

For more details, or to book, log on to www.marvellousfestivals.com

26 | LEISURE

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

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your group’s reports to INTHECOMMUNITY Sendnews@wokingham.today So, you think you know the tube?

The Arts Society Wokingham The Arts Society Wokingham’s May lecture was ‘one of the best lectures I have attended either live or via Zoom’ according to one of its members. High praise indeed, but well deserved.

Ian Swankie’s enthusiasm for and knowledge of the London Underground kept his audience enthralled as he took them from the early days of railway construction through to the building of the Jubilee line extension and Crossrail.

He drew the audience’s attention to the small details: the reason why Jacob Epstein’s sculpture of Day and Night which adorns the exterior of original headquarters of the Underground Electric Railways Company was so controversial, the construction of beautiful blue glass ceiling which greets you as you travel up the escalators at the new Southwark station.

It was Frank Pick, in the 1930s, who recognised that a transport system could be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.

He engaged the architect,

Charles Holden, to design a series of new Art Deco stations.

He also commissioned Edward Johnston, an artist and calligrapher, to design the distinctive lettering still in use on signage. Harry Beck, an electrical draughtsman, created the format of the current grid map.

The recognition of the importance of incorporating art into the planning and design of the ever growing London Underground system continues to this day. Architects were commissioned to design the 11 new stations on the

Jubilee Line Extension and the 10 stations on the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail).

Norman Foster designed the Canary Wharf tube and Crossrail stations.

Public art has been a theme throughout the life of the Underground.

Eduardo Paolozzi created the stunning mosaic murals at Tottenham Court Road station and Yayoi Kusama has recently been commissioned to create an installation outside the new Crossrail station at Liverpool Street.

Similarly, London Underground also has a long tradition of commissioning

memorable advertising posters. These include First World War propaganda, safety advice (Mind the Gap), suggestions for day trips by rail and adverts for events and exhibitions.

Before the lecture many of the audience thought they knew the Underground but as one member summed it up perfectly: “Having travelled, both as a child and all my adult working life, on the underground system and been fascinated by it, I was amazed at how much I didn't know. I was like a visitor in a new country.”

Guests, especially amateur photographers, are invited to watch our next lecture by the world famous photographer, Charlie Waite.

The talk, entitled The Making of Landscape Photographs, will be livestreamed to the society’s unlisted YouTube channel at 7.45pm on Monday, June 21.

Non-members can email memsectheartssociety wham@gmail.com in advance so that they can be sent the link. There is a guest fee of £5. � More information about the society is available at: www.

TheArtsSocietyWokingham. org.uk SUE BRYANT

Environment day is the bees knees TO celebrate World Environment Day last week, residents at Lord Harris Court in Sindlesham learned about bees and why these insects are vital to help preserve nature’s balance.

The care home’s staff members, who say they are highly committed to protecting the environment, arranged a talk and a quiz for the residents.

Lord Harris Court’s gardener Steve Chandler gave the residents books so they could learn more about how bees pollinate flowers, and Tracey Esteve, one of the Home’s activities coordinators, brought in beebombs and explained how they work. These are small packages containing hundreds of native wildflower seeds, which are sown and left to germinate and grow.

Taking part in the activity, resident Gladys Matthews said: “I’ve always found bees very interesting, especially the queen bee. My daughter used to keep bees on a land owned

by a farmer. I remember when I used to visit her at the beehive, she would be dressed up in a bee suit.”

Then she gave a piece of advice: “Although you have to be extremely careful, move slowly and not to annoy them” .

The activity also gave Lord Harris Court’s residents the opportunity to learn about how environmental organisations are working to save the bees.

Activities Coordinator Tracey Esteve said: “Learning is really important for our residents’ mental health and wellbeing, and these activities help to stimulate their curiosity. Also, both residents and staff at Lord Harris Court are really passionate about nature. We are always keen to look after our local wildlife together.”

Saying it with flowers for anniversary THIS weekend St Catherine’s Church in Sindlesham launches celebrations for its 175th birthday.

Had the world been as usual, the year would have started with a re-dedication service on Friday, April 23 – exactly 175 years since the then Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce, conducted the Consecration of St Catherine’s.

Two days later, the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, was to have preached at the church – and the flower festival would have been the third event.

But it was not to be.

Instead – in what we hoped would be ‘flaming June’ – whatever the weather is like on the day, the inside of the church will contain wonderful floral tributes to the events that have marked the past 175 years in the history of St Catherine’s, the Walter family and Bearwood House.

Outside there will be a stall selling garden-related items, including plants, and also one selling tea/coffee/soft drinks/ biscuits and cakes.

The churchyard is an interesting place to explore and, among others, bears testament to the people of the village who

gave their lives in both First and Second world wars. In 1916, Bearwood House – as it was then – was converted into a convalescent hospital for wounded Canadian soldiers and some who failed to make a recovery are buried there. In their memory, a Canadian flag hangs to one side of the entrance to the nave.

As social distancing rules still apply, the way in which people will be able to move through the church, entering through the main door and exiting through the vestry, will ensure everyone can progress safely along the exhibits according to

safeguarding rules. Masks must be worn inside.

For St Catherine’s, this is a momentous occasion – something completely new to the church and an event for all the family.

We hope for good weather.

We also hope there will be many visitors to this lovely location to enjoy what will be on offer.

And on Friday, June 25, from 7.30pm, historian Oliver Bing will give a talk on the history of Bearwood, the Walter family and the church. Tickets cost £5.

The church is at Bearwood Road, Sindlesham RG41 5DA. ROBERTA TWEEDY

SOCIETY | 27

28 | LEISURE

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

WOKINGHAMLEISURE

Time to get chatting about live music

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POP PICKERS: Andrew Merritt and Chris Hillman Picture: Andrew Merritt Photography

Wokingham Loves Music

T’S NOW easier for music lovers to connect, and it’s all thanks to the Wokingham Loves Music playlist.

To mark the first anniversary of our weekly collection of tracks, curator Chris Hillman has launched a new Facebook group and it’s all about the music.

Chris says he originally came up with the playlist to support Wokingham-based talent showcase their songs.

It brings together musicians, bands, recording studios, venues and festivals in a unique way, as the tunes can be heard as well as read.

Along with photographer Andrew Merritt, Chris compiled a list of 10 songs each week from musicians who were connected to the local scene.

To celebrate the miletsone, Chris has launched two new Facebook groups called Wokingham Loves Music and Wokingham Loves Music Chat.

Chris explains he has found a “wealth of musical talent” since starting the playlist.

He says: “It’s been great to see how

much is going on in Wokingham and I’ve discovered so many things in the music scene that I didn’t know were there.

“At the beginning, I thought I might be committing too much trying to find two new tracks every week but I was amazed to see so many people putting on gigs and shows in the area.”

With two new tracks added each week, the playlist has featured more than 100 tracks so far including artists such as Fish and Steven Wilson.

The playlist gets published both online and in print and all the songs can be listened to through Spotify.

There is a wide range of genres included such as pop, rock, jazz, folk and progressive music.

The playlist feature is also shared by Wokingham Festival and Wokingham Music Club on their social media each week.

Chris’ new Facebook pages are open to both artists and listeners of music who are interested in what’s going on in the Wokingham area.

READY TO ROCK: Reliant return ahead of their gig at The Purple Turtle, where they are supporting Thurd Lung

Chris Hillman

bit.ly/wokingham lovesmusic

A

DOUBLE header of live music heads up this week’s hit parade.

Every week, our Wokingham Loves Music playlist highlights some of the best music around, all of it with a local connection.

Straight in at the top are tracks by Reliant and Third Lung, celebrating their forthcoming live gig at The Purple Turtle in Reading.

The bands are no strangers our playlists, playing quality music. No wonder tickets for their show have been snapped up.

You can get a preview, or find out what you’re missing, when you listen for FREE, via Spotify and our selection this week is another winner.

There’s a special page set-up at bit.ly/wokinghamlovesmusic

Reliant – When She Goes Reliant have members from Wokingham and Reading and have featured in the playlist previously. They are in the playlist this week to celebrate their first live show for ages.

It’s a ‘sold out’ show supporting Third Lung at The Purple Turtle in Reading.

The band have been gaining a reputation for their melodic indie singles such as this one and they appeared in our Top 10 of 2020 as well as being runners up for best band in Radio Wigwam’s Awards 2020 – www.facebook.com/WeAreReliant

Third Lung – Hold the Line Here’s the headliners of that sold out show mentioned above.

It’s Third Lung with their latest single and it’s another uplifting sing-along anthem.

The band, who also have local links, is releasing a series of singles of which this is the latest.

Every one so far has been high quality so if you like well-produced melodic indie with soaring vocals and powerful guitars that feel as if they would fit perfectly in an arena style

venue, this band are well worth checking out – thirdlungband.com

Frost* – Day and Age (edit)

Warmrain – Absent Friends

Frost* was formed by songwriter and musician Jem Godfrey and the band features Reading -based musician and producer John Mitchell on vocals and guitar who co wrote many of the songs on the their new album including this one – frost.life

Beautiful, personal and emotive melodic rock with a Floydian feel by a band that will be visiting the area for the first time to play at Wokingham Festival on August Bank Holiday Monday – warmrainband.com

Rachel Redman – Ready, Waiting for Me Berkshire-based singer songwriter with her country pop style which is going down well with radio shows and music listeners in the US as well as the UK – www.facebook.com/rachelredmanmusic

Aaron Cilia – Infinitum Aaron will be one of the team working on the sound and more on Wokingham Festival’s Wokingham Music Club (WMC) Stage and he is also a talented musician and producer as his new single shows – www.facebook.com/AaronCiliaArtist

It Bites – Cartoon Graveyard It’s John Mitchell again, this time fronting the legendary band that have just re-released two classic albums, The Tall Ships and Map of the Past.

Both were re-mastered by John at his Outhouse Studio in Reading – johnmitchellhq.com/it-bites

Fred’s House – Steal the Night This is a band that will be appearing at Wokingham Festival in August so while we look forward to that, here’s a great track from their Walls and Ceilings EP – fredshousemusic.co.uk

Spriggan Mist – Arborfield Witch

Mississippi Voss – Stranger in Paradise

Here’s a song about a local ghost recorded live at the band’s Ghostly Tales Show at The Acoustic Couch.

There’s a link to Aaron, as his parents are in the band and he mixed the sound – www.sprigganmist.com

They describe themselves as an indie-funk duo from Berkshire and they will be appearing on the WMC Stage at Wokingham Festival in August – www.facebook.com/ mississippi.voss

Members of the groups can post about upcoming gigs, new single releases or simply to share their love of music.

Chris says the aim of the group is for people to “share with each other” what’s going on in the area.

He says: “I’m predominantly a music fan and I love discovering new music, so through the chat group I hope others can share their love of music too.

“I think the groups will benefit people in a number of ways such as musicians promoting their gigs, sharing of advice, people expressing their excitement for new albums they’ve heard and for music fans who want to discover new music.”

Chris adds: “I’m hoping it will become like a community hub for people, helping to share all the amazing gigs and events that are going on in the area.”

To join, search for Wokingham Loves Music and Wokingham Loves Music Chat on Facebook.

LAURA SCARDARELLA

The pictures are better on the radio No Kidding and A Logic Named Joe Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group’s radio plays Until July 20 twyrusdrama.org.uk

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EGENDARY BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke once said: “I prefer radio to TV because the pictures are better”.

The amazing power of the spoken word alone is being demonstrated again by the enterprising Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group.

Their two fresh “radio plays” are available to listen to online from today until July 20.

The group has been staging radio plays, rehearsed and recorded online, to keep performing during Covid-19.

Sound man David Goddard, who edits the recordings and adds sound effects and other refinements, deserves huge applause for his key contributions.

No Kidding written by Jean Trew and directed by Beth Reynolds sweeps listeners into the comedy and conflicts of a large goat being on the loose.

Tammy Tanqueray and Mike Higgins make fine work of wife and husband Barbara and David bungling round their long-established relationship.

Mike Brooks’s supermarket manager and Hazel Evans’s shop assistant take us vividly into the chaotic scene created for listeners.

Emma Cianchi and Marc Reid, as the animal rescuers, portray measured professionalism when all else is pandemonium.

Sally Castle did well with two contrasting characters, the radio operator and the TV anchor.

Lucy Wright as Charlie is wonderfully involved with her distracting earphones.

Jo Davies as Carol the goat keeper

creates an authentic relationship with her friend Barbara.

The other play is apt for Twyford, inhabited as it is by so many IT workers. A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster is about a logic computer named Joe, and a man, Frank, who saves civilisation.

Written for radio in 1950, it is surprisingly contemporary on how machines could take control.

With Mike Brooks directing and a large cast, the story moves along at a pace. Set in the US, the cast tackles American accents well.

Marilyn McClelland and Beth Reynolds give powerful performances opening the play. Beth returns later to play the bartender.

Frank Kaye takes the lead, as computer serviceman Frank Caldwell, with confidence, drawing the audience through the story.

Ian Mcdonald playing his boss and Richard Rudman as the customer set the story going well. Emma Cianchi is enticing but forboding as the boss’s wife.

Isobel Buck makes an excellent obnoxious little boy.

Hazel Evans as the voice of Logic, the play’s equivalent of today’s virtual assistant Alexa, is convincingly mechanistic and slightly sinister.

David Tanqueray, Mike Higgins and Ian Mcdonald do good work as Frank’s card game friends.

I enjoyed the interaction between David Tanqueray playing a drunk and Lucy Wright, playing his wife. There were good performances by Marc Reid as the Sergeant of Police, Sally Castle as the dizzy southern Belle and Jane Rhodes as Frank’s wife. � For tickets visit this link: www.ticketsource.co.uk/ twyrusdrama. The cost for each person to listen is £3. The group welcomes donations to help them build a scenery storage space at Loddon Hall, Twyford.

SUE CORCORAN

LEISURE | 29

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Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

Wonderful-land

At the theatre Due to coronavirus, performances may change at short notice. Check with box offices before heading out Bracknell – South Hill Park www.southhillpark.org.uk 01344 484123 Crazy Diamond. Fri. Circus of Horrors: Addams Family Friendly Matinee. Sat. The Circus of Horrors. Sat. Comedy Cellar in the Wilde. Wed. Keith James: The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Thurs 17. The Purcell School: Evening of Chamber Music. Fri 18.

Sara Dowling Quartet. Sat 19.

FILMS: Dear Comrades! Thurs. Judas and the Black Messiah. FriSun. The Three Tenors: Voices for Eternity. Sat. Minari. WedThurs. The Dig. Fri 18-Sun 20. Peter Rabbit 2. Fri 18-Sun 20.

Camberley – Theatre

LISTEN UP: Billie Marten is one of the acts booked for this year’s Are You Listening? festival Picture: Katie Silvester

Get ready to give this music festival a listen A MUSIC festival is set to entertain audiences at Reading venues this autumn.

Reading’s multi-venue event Are You Listening? event will be returning after a year off for covid.

Organised by live music promoters Heavy Pop, the day raises money for learning disability charity,Reading Mencap.

It has raised almost £70,000 for the independent charity since 2013.

A variety of acts have already been announced including Billy Nomates, TV Priest, Freestyles, Baba Ali, Roundhouse Rising and Black Helium and more.

Are You Listening? Festival will run from noon until 2am on Saturday, October 9, taking in eight venues in the area.

Acts will perform at Milk, Oakford Social Club, Purple Turtle, Rising Sun Arts Centre, South Street Arts Centre, Sub 89, The Face Bar, Upstage Mini at The Roseate Hotel.

The festival also works with Safe Gigs For Women, an initiative creating a safer environment, to support their work to fight harassment in live music.

Dave Maul, festival booker, said: “The last year has been tough on everyone and extremely challenging for the music industry but we’re incredibly proud of this year’s initial first line-up and it’s good to finally let it out into the world.

“We have many more brilliant bands to announce.” � To purchase tickets, visit areyoulistening.org.uk/ tickets

www.camberleytheatre.biz 01276 707600 Captain Cauliflower. Sat. Phil Wang. Wed. Piano Men: Back 2 Back. Thurs 17. Bye Bye Baby. Fri 18. Mama G’s Storytime Roadshow. Sat 19. Flo and Joan. Sat 19.

TEA PARTY TIME: A musical version of Alice in Wonderland was a family-friendly treat at South Hill Park last week

Guildford – Yvonne Arnaud

Alice in Wonderland June 2-6 South Hill Park 01344 484123 southhillpark.org.uk

www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk 01483 440000 Sara Crowe’s The Hound of the Baskervilles. Until Sat. A Splinter of Ice. Tues-Sat 19.

A

HEARTWARMING adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland did not disappoint.

South Hill Park’s Wilde Theatre was the venue for the show, which had been delayed by covid.

The story needs little introduction and is about Alice Hargreaves, a little girl who has a vivid imagination.

She stumbles across the curious White Rabbit who encourages her to follow him down a rabbit hole to which, of course, she jumps in.

Featuring a host of eccentric characters, Alice meets the Mad Hatter, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat and the Red Queen.

To coincide with her changing in size after eating the cake and

Digital premiere for Watermill World champion poet Harry is back on stage A POET will be returning to a Maidenhead stage this weekend.

Norden Farm Centre is welcoming back Harry Baker for his spoken word gig on Friday.

The World Poetry Slam champion will be returning to the Courtyard Theatre stage to perform his show, I Am 10,000.

Harry's love of language and logic has got him through literal marathons, rap battle in front of Ice Cube, and now has him analysing the technical accuracy of So Solid Crew's 21 Seconds.

Having been awarded Best Spoken Word show of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2015, Harry’s work has also been shared on the TED website and is translated into 15 languages.

Online streaming tickets are also available for audience members to enjoy the show live from the comfort of your home.

Tickets cost £12. � For more information visit norden.farm

A DIGITAL production is set to premiere at The Watermill this autumn.

The Newbury-based venue will present a new comedy, Going The Distance from October 4.

Written by Henry FillouxBennett and Yasmeen Khan, it will be directed by Felicity Montagu, best known for her role in BBC sitcom I’m Alan Partridge.

Going The Distance is a co-

drinking the magic potion, three actors played the role of Alice. The transitions were deftly done, leaving audiences to do a double-take as they realise it wasn’t the same person.

From the moment the curtain went up, the atmosphere burst with energy as the cast bounced off each other.

The ensemble singing was particularly strong with harmonies blending well and in time, perfectly lifted by the powerhouse vocals of Amber Weston (Alice large).

Aaliya Bhatti, who played Dormouse, was outstanding with her beautiful singing in the second half.

Bhatti’s whole presence was breathtaking and was completely in character the whole way through, as was Michael Ayiotis (Tweedle Dee). His quirky mannerisms had

the audience laughing throughout.

The acting was complemented by bright, bold costumes created by Naomi Gibbs and Victoria Spearing’s vibrant set.

A creative touch saw the set go up and down to fit with Alice growing and shrinking – a great addition.

The seamless scene changes made the show run smoothly and the songs were very catchy, providing welcome earworms in the journey home.

South Hill Park has worked hard to ensure the performance was covid safe: a clear one-way system, paperless tickets and a digital programme were some of the touches.

The Bracknell-based arts centre’s next family production will Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Funky Pigs, among others.

production from the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Oxford Playhouse and The Dukes and The Watermill Theatre.

It follows in the footstepos comes after other successful productions, including March’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and, most recently, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Based on theatres closing last year, the story follows Eggborough Community Theatre who fight to save their venue through putting on a fundraising production, Wizard.

Henry Filloux-Bennett said: “I’m so excited to be working with Yasmeen and Felicity on something which feels like a perfect way to celebrate the resilience of our incredible industry over the last year.

“Theatres and arts centres are absolutely at the heart of communities up and down the country, and Going the Distance will, I hope, be a warm-hearted reflection of just how vital they are to us all.”

Felicity Montagu added: “If anything can bring joy and a beacon of hope out of such a terrible year, hopefully this will."

Tickets are £15 including a link to the production as well as a digital programme.

Audience members will receive a screening link allowing access for their booked performance date for a 48-hour period.

Further details and casting to be announced. � To purchase tickets, log on to goingthedistanceplay.com.

LAURA SCARDARELLA

Brighten up summer with live music LIVE music will be brightening up peoples’ summer this year.

South Hill Park Arts Centre, in Bracknell, is bringing back Live Music on the Terrace – and audiences can listen for free.

The weekend concerts run until August, finishing off the season with a Festival of Food and Music on Sunday, August 29 to Monday, August 30.

Live Music on the Terrace is an opportunity to enjoy free music

while either dining at the Atrium Restaurant or relaxing in the grounds.

The Festival is the arts centre’s opportunity to showcase music as well as a range of food and drink from a variety of suppliers.

Performing on Saturday, is American country soul singer Sandy McLelland.

The final act for this month is Bracknell-based artist Mike Tuffery who is

performing on Sunday, June 20.

Throughout July and August, the community will be treated to other artists including Helen the Vintage Singer, Fleece Lined, Vic Bracknell, Gill Love Band and Sneakin’ Suspicion.

Entry is free though stallholders will charge for food, drink or activities. � For more information, visit southhillpark.org.uk LAURA SCARDARELLA

High Wycombe – Wycombe Swan www.wycombeswan.co.uk 01494 512000 REOPENS JULY 4: The Bowie Collective. Sun Jul 4.

Maidenhead – Norden Farm www.nordenfarm.org 01628 788997 Harry Baker: I am 10,000. Fri. Lucy Porter: Be Prepared. Sat.

Newbury – The Corn Exchange www.cornexchangenew.com 0845 5218 218 Comedy Club. Fri. Paradise Lost. Wed 23-Thurs 24.

Newbury – The Watermill www.watermill.org.uk 01635 46044 The Hound of the Baskervilles. Until Sat 19.

Reading – Abbey Ruins, The Forbury www.rabbletheatre.com 07917 673370 Rabble Theatre presents The Last Abbot. Fri-July 3.

Reading – South Street www.whatsonreading.com 0118 960 6060 NEXT SHOW: Kerry Godliman. Fri, Sept 3-Sat, Sept 4.

Reading – The Hexagon www.whatsonreading.com 0118 960 6060 Ivo Graham: The Game of Life. Thurs. Noisy Kids: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert: Heroes and Villains. Sun. Adam Kay: This Is Going To Hurt.

Sat 19.

Reading – Progress Theatre www.progresstheatre.co.uk 0118 384 2195 NEXT SHOW: Rotterdam. Jun 23-25.

Shinfield – Shinfield Players www.shinfieldplayers.org.uk 0118 975 8880 NEXT SHOW: No Naughty Bits. Wed, Sept 22-Sat Sept 25.

Sonning – The Mill www.millatsonning.com 0118 969 8000 Relatively Speaking. Until July 30. Friday Night Is Fright Night. Fri. Voice of the Heart: Karen Carpenter.

Sat. Gimme Gimme Abba. Sat 19. The Definitive Rat Pack. Sun 20.

Windsor – Theatre Royal www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk 01753 853888 NEXT SHOW: Ian McKellen in Hamlet. Jun 21-Sept 4.

Wokingham – Theatre www.wokingham-theatre.org.uk 0118 978 5363 NEXT SHOW: September in the Rain. Jul 7-17

Wokingham – The Whitty Theatre www.thewhittytheatre.org 0118 974 3247 Luckley House School presents How To Spot An Alien.

Jun 23.

To advertise email advertising@wokingham.today

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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, June 10, 2021

Classifieds PUBLIC NOTICES ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (HURST AND FARLEY HILL, WOKINGHAM BOROUGH) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2021 NOTICE IS HEREBY given that on the 3rd June 2021 Wokingham Borough Council as Traffic Authority made an Order under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which is to prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along: 1. Little Hill Road, Hurst between its junctions with Dunt Lane and Green Lane.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Dunt Lane and Green Lane or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place on 18th June 2021.

2. Nelson’s Lane, Hurst between its junctions with Islandstone Lane and Pound Lane.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Islandstone Lane, A321 Wokingham Road and Pound Lane or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place on 21st June 2021.

3. Broadcommon Road, Hurst between its junctions with A321 Wokingham Road and Islandstone Lane.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via A321 Wokingham Road and Islandstone Lane or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 14th June and 16th June 2021.

4. Bunces Shaw Road, Farley Hill between its junctions with Church Lane and Castle Road.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Priest Hill, Bunglers Hill, Church Road, Castle Road and Church Lane or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 15th June 2021.

The reason for these prohibitions is to allow Gigaclear contractors to undertake duct blockage clearance work in safety.

Access for residents and businesses within the boundaries of these restrictions will be maintained at all times.

The restriction imposed by the Order shall only apply during those periods when traffic signs complying with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 are lawfully displayed.

The restrictions contained in the Order shall come into operation on the 14th June 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.

Dated: 10th June 2021 Mark Cupit Assistant Director – Delivery and Infrastructure Wokingham Borough Council Civic Offices Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WL

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (SANDFORD LANE, HURST) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2021

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (A327 EVERSLEY ROAD, ARBORFIELD) (TEMPORARY 40MPH SPEED LIMIT) ORDER 2021

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (STARMEAD DRIVE, WOKINGHAM) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2021

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (BLAKES LANE, WARGRAVE) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2021

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that on the 3rd June 2021 Wokingham Borough Council as Traffic Authority made an Order under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which is to prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along:

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that on the 3rd June 2021 Wokingham Borough Council as Traffic Authority made an Order under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which is to prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along:

Starmead Drive, Wokingham between its junctions with Andrew Close and Easthampstead Road.

Blakes Lane, Wargrave between its junctions with A4 Bath Road and Tag Lane.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Easthampstead Road and Starmead Drive, or by this route in reverse.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via A4 Bath Road and Tag Lane or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 28th June 2021 and 1st July 2021.

Works requiring this restriction will take place on 14th June 2021.

The reason for these prohibitions is to allow The Devil Hours Ltd contractors to undertake filming work in safety.

The reason for these prohibitions is to allow Gigaclear contractors to undertake customer build work in safety.

Access for residents and businesses within the boundaries of these restrictions will be maintained at all times.

Access for residents and businesses within the boundaries of these restrictions will be maintained at all times.

The restriction imposed by the Order shall only apply during those periods when traffic signs complying with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 are lawfully displayed.

The restriction imposed by the Order shall only apply during those periods when traffic signs complying with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 are lawfully displayed.

The restrictions contained in the Order shall come into operation on the 14th June 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier

The restrictions contained in the Order shall come into operation on the 14th June 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.

Dated: 10th June 2021

Dated: 10th June 2021

Mark Cupit Assistant Director – Delivery and Infrastructure Wokingham Borough Council Civic Offices Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WL

Mark Cupit Assistant Director – Delivery and Infrastructure Wokingham Borough Council Civic Offices Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WL

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL PLANNING APPLICATION The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 AND/OR Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990 The following application(s) have been submitted and are advertised for the reasons below: Application Address

Reasons for Advert Description

Land at Winnersh Farm, Woodward Close, Winnersh

Major Application

Full application for the construction of a new 150 place Special Educational Needs school with associated access, parking and landscaping.

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that on the 3rd June 2021 Wokingham Borough Council as Traffic Authority made an Order under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which is to prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along:

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that Wokingham Borough Council as Traffic Authority proposes to make an Order under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which is prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along:

211772

211775

Silk Court, Rose Street, Wokingham

Conservation Area

Full application for the proposed erection of an external WC on the roof of the building.

Sandford Lane, Hurst between its junctions with B3030 Davis Street and Mohawk Way.

At a speed exceeding 40 mph along the section of A327 Eversley Road, Arborfield between its junctions with Nine Mile Ride Extension and Poperinghe Way.

211818

Sonning Mead, Thames Street, Sonning

Conservation Area

Householder application for the proposed erection of a single storey side extension, plus erection of a single storey rear extension with 1 no. rooflight.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 2nd July 2021 and 1st January 2023.

211872

2 Rose Court, Wokingham

Conservation Area

Householder application for the proposed erection of a single storey outbuilding to form a garden office.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Mohawk Way, The Bader Way, A3290 Loddon Bridge and The Bader Way Interchange, A329 Reading Road, B3030 Robinhood Lane and B3030 Davis Street or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 14th June and 28th June 2021.

The reason for these prohibitions is to allow Thames Water contractors to undertake main assessment and excavation work in safety.

Access for residents and businesses within the boundaries of these restrictions will be maintained at all times.

The restriction imposed by the Order shall only apply during those periods when traffic signs complying with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 are lawfully displayed.

The restrictions contained in the Order shall come into operation on the 14th June 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.

Dated: 10th June 2021 Mark Cupit Assistant Director – Delivery and Infrastructure Wokingham Borough Council Civic Offices Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WL

The reason for these prohibitions is to allow Crest contractors to undertake construction of temporary site access road, Installation of signage and bollards and raising of crowns of trees in safety.

The application is available to view online at wokingham.gov.uk � Planning � Search planning applications and typing in the application number above. Comments on the application can be made online from this web page.

The restriction imposed by the Order shall only apply during those periods when traffic signs complying with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 are lawfully displayed.

Any comments must arrive on or before the 24th June 2021. Any comments made are not confidential and can be seen by anyone as they form part of the public record. The comments, unless offensive, discriminatory and/or racist, will appear on the Council’s website within 24 hours and include the submitted name and address. Due to the high volume of comments received we do not provide individual responses.

Date: 10th June 2021

The restrictions contained in the Order shall come into operation on the 2nd July 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.

For up to date news in the borough follow us on

Dated: 10th June 2021 Mark Cupit Assistant Director – Delivery and Infrastructure Wokingham Borough Council Civic Offices Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WL

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Thursday, June 10, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY

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Email: advertising@ wokingham.today PUBLIC NOTICES ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (VARIOUS ROADS BARKHAM AND FINCHAMPSTEAD) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2021 NOTICE IS HEREBY given that Wokingham Borough Council as Traffic Authority proposes to make an Order under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which is prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along: 1. Barkham Street, Barkham between its junctions with B3349 Barkham Road and Commonfield Lane.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via B3349 Barkham Road, Langley Common Road, Biggs Lane, Park Lane, Nine Mile Ride, B3016 Finchampstead Road and Barkham Ride or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 12th July and 13th August 2021.

2. Church Lane, Finchampstead between its junctions with B3016 Finchampstead Road and B3016 Jubilee Road.

The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Church Lane and B3016 Jubilee Road or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 2nd July and 5th August 2021.

3. White Horse Lane, Finchampstead between its junctions with Church Lane and Nine Mile Ride The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Nine Mile Ride, B3016 Finchampstead Road and Church Lane or by this route in reverse.

Works requiring this restriction will take place between 6th August and 26th August 2021.

The reason for these prohibitions is to allow Gigaclear contractors to undertake BDUK Superfast Broadband work in safety.

Access for residents and businesses within the boundaries of these restrictions will be maintained at all times.

The restriction imposed by the Order shall only apply during those periods when traffic signs complying with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 are lawfully displayed.

The restrictions contained in the Order shall come into operation on the 2nd July 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.

Dated: 10th June 2021 Mark Cupit Assistant Director – Delivery and Infrastructure Wokingham Borough Council Civic Offices Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WL

Please recycle me !

It’s good news for everyone

CLASSIFIEDS/LIFE | 31

Inthekitchen Freely Fruity facebook.com/freelyfruityUK

Spicy Spinach Yoghurt

W

ITH a pot of this in the fridge you can instantly liven up any meal.

Serve on roasted vegetables, sweet potato wedges, roasted meat or dollop onto a simple cheesy omelette.

It’s an effortless way to consume this season’s raw spinach leaves which are high in vitamin K, magnesium and iron and the yoghurt is excellent for gut health.

Control the level of spice you enjoy by choosing mild to very hot chillies.

Makes 250ml

Ingredients � 1 tbsp mild olive oil � 1 large onion, sliced � A pinch of salt � 125g baby spinach, washed & dried � 125g thick Greek yoghurt � 30g coriander, torn

� 1-2 green chillies, e.g jalapeños or scotch bonnets � 1 squeeze lime juice

Method 1. Put the oil into a small pan and add the onion and salt and fry gently for 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent but not brown 2. Place the cooked onion and all the remaining ingredients into a beaker or tall jar and use an immersion/ stick blender to blitz thoroughly 3. Taste and adjust the salt/chilli/lime as necessary then then serve 4. Remaining yoghurt will keep in a jar in the fridge for about three days.

Recipe by Charlotte Simpkins for Freely Fruity www.facebook.com/freelyfruityuk/

plasticfreehome Dave Lamont facebook.com/PlasticFreeHomeUK

Compost – reasons to avoid peat and why it’s bad for the environment

O

N a recent trip to a garden centre for compost (Ericaceous – which we have found harder to make ourselves), we were yet again frustrated at the lack of peat free options.

When asking a member of staff for help, they appeared oblivious to the issue and the reason for the question.

Needless to say, we left empty handed on that occasion.

At home, we now aim to produce our own compost through two large compost bins – available at a discount and very cheaply via the Wokingham Borough Council website, as are water butts – and another dedicated solely to leaf mould.

It’s not always possible to produce enough though and peat free brands we have tried, tested and recommend are Sylva Grow, Durstons, Westland – New Horizon, Richard Jackson – Flower Power and Happy Compost.

If, like us, Milk & More deliver your milk, you can even get peat free compost delivered with your order.

We have previously sought to engage with national garden centre chains and retailers on the subject, with mixed success.

We have once again written to the major UK supermarkets and national DIY chains, but also every garden centre in Wokingham Borough, to find out their stance on going peat free.

We’ll keep you posted on their responses.

GOOD FOR THE EARTH: Peat free compost helps save the planet, so why is it hard to find?

Picture: Joke vander Leij from Pixabay

Reasons to avoid peat

as much carbon as the planet’s forests.

3. These areas can have a long-term “cooling effect” on our climate.

4. They provide vitally important and intensively biodiverse habitats.

5. Extracting peat releases a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

6. Banning peat would have the equivalent effect of removing over 300,000 cars from UK roads.

7. 94% of the UK’s peat lands have already been damaged or destroyed.

Things are not sustainable.

8. There are far more sustainable and scaleable alternatives in 2021.

1. In the UK, peatlands and bogs store around 3.2bn tonnes of Carbon – around 20 times more than UK forests.

2. Despite covering just 3% of the Earth’s land, peat lands and bogs hold twice

Our simple view is that the use of peat is wholeheartedly unnecessary and avoidable and that there are suitable alternatives which need to be scaled up to become

mainstream as soon as possible.

Gardeners’ World host Monty Don has been campaigning hard on the issue.

He has criticised producers and retailers for “actively choosing to do harm” and urged them to stop “sticking their heads in the sand” and to make climate change and sustainability a priority, over profits and convenience.

He has been joined by other

individuals and charities including the Wildlife Trusts in lobbying and hope that their collective voices will be heard.

What is the Government doing?

Well, back in 2010, the then Environment Secretary Hilary Benn unveiled a plan to ban the use of peat by 2020.

In 2020, the Government had a target of 2030 in place.

Enough said.

Created in 2018 by blogger and voluntary hack David Lamont, Plastic Free Home is an online community with over 32,000 followers, that aims to seek and share ideas on how we can all live more sustainably.

Visit www.theplasticfreehome.com or www.facebook.com/plasticfreehomeuk

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RUGBY UNION

RESULTS

RAMS TRIO HAIL HARD WORK AHEAD OF NEW SEASON

By RICHARD ASHTON sport@wokingham.today A TRIO of Rams players have hailed the work during the two months since the end of lockdown, believing it stands them in good stead for the 21/22 campaign.

The Old Bath Road side handed out debuts to 18 players during 45-7 and 38-0 victories against Chinnor and Maidenhead respectively, signalling growing depth around the squad as they gear up for a second crack at National One. The players are now resting this month, before they return to training at the start of July, with the first pre-season fixture scheduled against Cinderford on Saturday, August 14.

Stalwart hooker Rory Paxton, who led the side in the Maidenhead triumph, said: “There are so many new faces and they’re all slotting into the system really well. It bodes well for next season.

“It’s been a couple of very successful months and it’s almost a shame we’ve got to have four weeks off now, but we’ll get in the gym and get ourselves prepared for preseason when we’ll go again.”

Dynamic back row Spencer Hayhow has also caught the eye and the 18-year-old, who has worked his way through the age groups at London Irish, said his first games at adult level had been an eye-opener.

He continued: “The step up is amazing, it’s so much more physical and faster than anything else I’ve played in, but I think the fact we get exposure to it in training made me a little more prepared.

“It’s been a great couple of months, albeit challenging.

“There are some great players here and everyone always pushes each other to improve and for my selfdevelopment it’s been great.”

New recruit Will Janes, who moved across from Henley once rugby returned, made an

instant impact by scoring four tries in the two games, the latter concluding a hat-trick at Maidenhead and impressing former England international Will Greenwood, a coach at Braywick Park.

Janes said: “I only came across in the week before the Chinnor game, so it’s been quite a quick affair, but it’s been going well and I’m just really excited to be at Rams.

“I’m learning a lot from the guys and trying to adapt to playing in a different way.

“It’s been a great start and a very exciting one.

“It’s nice to get a hat-trick, but I’m just really enjoying playing with the guys.”

He continued: “It’s a nice fresh approach, the coaches are really good and the team has been working really well.

“I can’t fault anything so far, all the guys are really approachable and make you feel welcome, so it makes you want to train and play your hardest.”

CRICKET BCL Championship Ballinger Waggoners (202-7) beat Shinfield 1s (198 all out) Home Counties Division 1 Finchampstead 1s (138-9) lost to High Wycombe 1s (226-6) Home Counties Division 2 Wokingham 1s (139 all out) lost to Wargrave 1s (195-9)

Will Janes in action for Rams Picture: Paul Clark

SUCCESS SEES THEALE SENIORS ENACT REVENGE

KEANE DEPARTS AS ROCKETS HEAD COACH READING ROCKETS has confirmed that head coach Alan Keane has departed the club.

THEALE Golf Club seniors ensured they got revenge on Bishopswood at the weekend as they avenged their defeat of a few weeks earlier.

In the reverse fixture at the weekend, Theale gained the win by three and a half to two and a half.

Theale’s star players of the day were John Blair and Des Thompson with an incredible eight and seven.

Thames Valley Division One Cookham Dean Reserves 1-7 Hurst Eldon Celtic 1-2 FC Imaan Lions

Thames Valley Division Four Harchester Hawks 2-1 Berks County Rovers

BASKETBALL

Theale Golf seniors John Blair and Des Thompson against their Bishopwood opponents

FOOTBALL Thames Valley Premier League Finchampstead 7-1 Richings Park Maidenhead Town 1-3 Berks County

Thames Valley Division Two Hurst Reserves 0-3 Henley Town Berks County Reserves 2-1 Windlesham & Chobham Reserves

GOLF

A statement on the club’s website reads: “It is with disappointment from both parties that Rockets’ chairman Gary Johnson announces that head coach and academy director Alan Keane is leaving the Club.”

Keane had held the post as Rockets head coach for three years, using his years of experience to help several men and women to secure scholarships at top American colleges under his guidance.

“His is going to be a tough job for me to fill,” said Johnson.

“But I’m thrilled to say Alan is helping find his replacement.

“We have faith that the right person is out there and we need patience to find that person.

Keane added that he was leaving the best job in English basketball at a very exciting time for the club but his family circumstances now mean he’s moving to Scotland so there’s no way he can stay, much to his disappointment.

He said: “It is with deepest sadness that my time with Reading Rockets and JMA Rockets is coming to an end. The club and academy is a special place.

“The resources, provisions, aspirations and people involved are first class. My time at Reading gave me more than a job, more than coaching and more than basketball, it came with friendship and a family atmosphere.

Saturday, June 5

BCL Premier Division Woodley 1s (171 all out) lost to Mortimer West End (175-6) Twyford & Ruscombe 1s (87 all out) lost to Woodcote 1s (110 all out) Farley Hill 1s (212-5) beat Goring on Thames 1s (2117) Crowthorne & Crown Wood 1s (169-6) beat Stratfield Turgis/Hartley Wespall (167 all out) BCL Division One Peppard Stoke Row 2s (1819) beat Farley Hill 2s (1548) Waltham St Lawrence 1s (186-9) lost to Shinfield 2s (187-9) Thames Valley Division 2B Thatcham Town (315-3) beat Wokingham 2s (223-9) Hurst (92 all out) lost to Finchampstead 2s (193 all out) Binfield (259-7) beat Bagshot (254-5) Eversley )134 all out) lost to Reading (143 all out) Thames Valley Division 3A Sonning (214-9) lost to Cove 2s (217-7) Boyne Hill 2s (165 all out) beat White Waltham (1269) Aldershot (204-8) beat Finchampstead 3s (203-8)

Reading Rockets former head coach Alan Keane

“I will forever be thankful to Rockets, JMA, the Johnson family and the players who all gave me incredible opportunities on a daily basis.

“To say I will miss the club and academy is hugely understated. However I’m truly excited for whoever takes on my current role knowing what’s ahead for the club as it continues to progress and go from strength to strength.”

Thames Valley Division 4A Wargrave 2s (275-8) beat Falkland 2s (180 all out) Bagshot 2s (175 all out) beat Eversley 2s (122 all out) Theale & Tilehurst (170-2) beat Wokingham 3s (167 all out) Chilterns Division 1 Emmbrook and Bearwood 1s

(81-3) beat Holyport 1s (80 all out) Chilterns Division 2 Knotty Green 3s (161-9) drew Emmbrook and Bearwood 2s (105-7)

Monday, June 7 FOOTBALL Thames Valley Premier League Marlow United 1-3 Finchampstead Berks County 3-0 Richings Park

FIXTURES Saturday, June 12 FOOTBALL Thames Valley Premier League Marlow United v Berks County Mortimer v Finchampstead Thames Valley Division One Eldon Celtic v Wargrave Reading YMCA v FC Imaan Lions Slough Heating Laurencians v Hurst Thames Valley Division Two Hurst Reserves v Goring United Maidenhead Town Reserves v Berks County Reserves Twyford & Ruscombe v Windlesham & Chobham Reserves Thames Valley Division Four Braybrooke v Berks County Rovers Henley Town Development v Finchampstead Development CRICKET BCL Championship Shinfield 1s v Great Kingshill BCL Premier Division Sandhurst v Crowthorne & Crown Wood 1s Stratfield Turgis/Hartley Wespall v Twyford and Ruscombe 1s Welford Park 1s v Farley Hill 1s Woodcote 1s v Woodley 1s BCL Division 1 Crowthorne & Crown Wood 2s v Shinfield 2s Earley 1s v Waltham St Lawrence 1s Farley Hill 2s v Warfield Woodley 2s v Peppard Stoke Row 2s BCL Division 2 East Crowthorne & Crown Wood 3s v West Reading 4s Knowl Hill v Earley 2s Shinfield 3s v Stratfield Turgis/Hartley Wespall 2s Twyford and Ruscombe 2s v Sandhurst 2s Chilterns Division 2 Little Marlow 2s v Emmbrook and Bearwood 2s Home Counties Division 1 Buckingham Town v Finchampstead Home Counties Division 2 Amersham 1s v Wokingham 1s Wargrave 1s v Oxford Downs 1s

36 | SPORT

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CRICKET

CRICKET

BINFIELD BEST BAGSHOT WARGRAVE WOMEN TASTE SUCCESS

By ARTHUR STRAND sport@wokingham.today BINFIELD took 22 points as they bested Bagshot in a high scoring affair in TVD2 game.

Bagshot batted first with Jack Grinstead opening with James White. However, when the score had reached 23, White was caught

by Shaun Miller bowled by Ben Randall for four which was a boundary in the over before.

White’s wicket fell on the additional ball over the over after a wide ball on the fifth. Grinstead was joined by Brad Passfield who waited until the eighth over to get on strike.

Jack Collett replaced Randall in the 11th over with 11 runs scored and 50 was posted at the end of over 13.

Morgan had replaced Collett as Grinstead and Brad Passfield were accumulating runs, running singles and twos with an occasional boundary.

A double bowling change with Randall on at the other end the end of Grinstead’s innings for 82, bowled and the total 163 for two.

Thomas Nower took Passfield’s wicket, caught by Mike Staves for 73 in the 40th over on 184/3. Running was paying off for Bagshot as each over built up the total and then

Randall replaced Lamprecht.

Adam Passfield hit a six in the last over by Nower and the innings concluded on 254 for five.

Openers Lamprecht and Humphrey faced Matt Pettet and Bartlett as they set about establishing a solid start.

Lamprecht hit a six in off Bartlett’s bowling and the pair faced Jonathan Atkinson in the 10th over.

Over 23 was punishing as Andrews scored two boundaries, a six and a two which brought up the 100.

Thomas Andrews was then bowled by Adit Gandhi for 20.

Morgan came to the crease and five overs later took a six and a four from Ghandi in over 29. Brad Passfield replaced Jon Atkinson and a few runs later, in over 34, his brother dismissed Chris Morgan, caught by Michael Davis, for 15 with the score on 151 for three.

Adit Gandhi caught and bowled Lamprecht on 112 in over 47 on 230 for five.

Hector Williams was caught Grinstead bowled Adam Passfield for 23 after Miller hit a six in the penultimate over.

Tom Nower was run out for one before Miller finished off the game with a mighty six to fire Binfield to victory after 49.3 overs to put them up to third in the table.

HOCKEY

SOUTH BERKS IN STALEMATE

WARGRAVE WOMEN’S first XI team were crowned regional Supa8 Development champions, taking home the trophy for the 2021 Home Counties Women’s Cricket League.

The team joined the league for the first time this year and went undefeated all season against other Berkshire teams including Sonning, Binfield and Cookham Dean. They then went on to continue their winning streak against Beaconsfield and then with an 81-run lead against Luton CC in the final.

The HCWCL was established in 2019 to promote and encourage participation for women's cricket clubs across Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire.

Wargrave CC women’s and girls’ coach Neville Wallace said: “Having so much interest in our ladies softball section to progress to hardball, the Supa8 competition was the perfect opportunity for players to test the waters.

“Four players in our supa8 squad of 11 joined hardball for the first time, and for them all to step up and win the competition against teams who have been playing for a number of years is a great achievement and shows their spirit and determination.

“As their coach, I am proud of what they have achieved in such a short time.”

Neville heads up the Wargrave Women’s and Girls’ softball and hardball cricket teams and welcomes new players to come along and learn a new skill.

Newcomer Roisin McMahon has really taken to the sport. She said:

Wargrave Women celebrate their win in the Home Counties Women’s Cricket League

“Having just taken up softball cricket last year as a complete novice, it was a little daunting to take the step into hardball cricket: “The Supa8 was the perfect competition to get me started.

“There is so much support from the coaches, alongside fantastic team spirit, it makes for a lot of fun.

“It feels incredible to be part of an

amazing team of ladies, whose love of cricket shines through on the pitch.”

The club said that women and girls’ cricket in the village has taken off in the last year thanks to Neville’s dedication, along with the support of coaches Samuel Bowers and Trevor Bennett, with More than 65 women and girls joining the club in the past year.

CRICKET

EMMBROOK MAINTAIN PERFECT START

South Berkshire Ladies 1s against Phoenix Ranelagh 1s Pictures: Steve Smyth

EMMBROOK AND BEARWOOD 1s maintained their promising start to the league campaign with a win over Holyport.

In a low scoring match, Emmbrook elected to put Holyport into bat first.

Greg Davis performed wonders with the ball for Emmbrook as he took five wickets.

James Gibbs added two more wickets as Emmbrook limited Holyport to a total of just 80 on the board before they were

SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES 1s were in action in a friendly fixture as they hosted Phoenix Ranelagh 1s.

removed all out after 24 overs.

Emmbrook got off to a decent start as opening batsman Alex Cobb hit a total of 35 runs.

Despite losing Ollie Williams (6), Joe Smart (0) and Jamie Goodwin (4) for relatively low totals, Emmbrook were able to wrap up the win comfortably.

Jack Narraway hit 27 to help his team get over the line as they sealed the win with seven wickets to spare after 22.5 overs and earned 35 more points

to their league total.

They have a healthy 17 point lead over second placed Knotty Green 2s after the first six round of fixtures in Chilterns Division 1.

EMMBROOK AND BEARWOOD BOWLING: Gibbs 2-27, Davis 5-40, Wells 0-12, Kuchimanchi 1-0

Emmbrook and Bearwood Pictures: Steve Smyth

EMMBROOK AND BEARWOOD BATTING: Cobb 35, Williams 6, Smart 0, Goodwin 4, Narraway 27, Davis dnb, Robertson dnb, Wells dnb, Kuchimanchi dnb, Gibbs dnb, Wells dnb

SUBS: Drewitt, Reid, Thomas

The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate as the team’s couldn’t be separated.

SOUTH BERKSHIRE 3s were defeated in a friendly fixture at Cantley Park against Yateley 2s.

The visitors struck twice without reply to take the game.

SONNING LADIES: Halkyard, Simpson, Eatwell, Goodey, Oliver,Yorke-Goldney, Woods, Martin, Osborne, Scott, Hancock

SONNING 3S: Nance, Hardingham, Forbes, Swan, Morley, Somers, Wakefield, Wallace, Sanders, Scott, Fryatt SUBS: Jennings

James Gibbs (left) and Will Wells (right) for Emmbrook

SPORT | 37

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Wokingham 1s v Wargrave 1s (batting) Chris Peploe bowls to Mishan Silva

Wokingham (green) were beaten by Wargrave (red and black) in the Home Counties League Pictures: Steve Smyth

Mishan Silva (left) and Rhys Lewis (right) batting

CRICKET

OAKS OUSTED BY WARGRAVE IN LOCAL DERBY

By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today

BCL Championship SHINFIELD 1s are just one place off the bottom of the table after they lost out by three wickets to Ballinger Waggoners.

Shinfield batted first and made an excellent start as Naveed Naseer (41), Adityaraj Saswade (31), Muhammad Hafeez (44) each recorded useful totals.

But the wickets began to fall and they finished on 198 all out.

Agastya Pothapragada collected three wickets but Ballinger surpassed the total with three wickets to spare after 41.2 overs.

Home Counties Division 1 FINCHAMPSTEAD 1s fell to defeat against second placed High Wycombe who took the contest by 88 runs.

Finch bowler Lewis Sharp recorded three wickets as High Wycombe finished on 226.

Opening batsman Jay Parmar top scored for Finch with 26 as they ended

Rhys Lewis in bat for Wargrave

88 runs short of the target.

Home Counties Division 2 WOKINGHAM 1s were beaten by WARGRAVE 1s in a local derby as the away side climbed to the top of the table.

Rhodri Lewis put in an impressive showing with the bat for Wargrave as he hit 73 runs to help the team finish on 195 after 50 overs.

Chris Peploe was most clinical with the ball for the Oaks as he collected four wickets.

Salman Khalid top scored with the bat for Wokingham with 29, but three wickets from Rhys Lewis helped Wargrave to seal the win by 56 runs.

BCL Premier Division CROWTHORNE & CROWN WOOD 1s earned 35 points with a four wicket triumph over Stratfield Turgis/Hartley Wespall.

Anthony Cluett starred with the ball with 4-25 as Stratfield ended on 167.

Crows wrapped up victory after 38.5 overs as Cluett added to his spectacular bowling by being top

scorer with 42 runs.

FARLEY HILL 1s beat Goring on Thames by five wickets.

Akeesh Khokhar was the outstanding performer with the bat for Farley as he hit 59 runs from 53 runs to contribute greatly to their success.

TWYFORD AND RUSCOMBE 1s fell to a 23-run defeat to league leaders Woodcote.

Andrew Miller and Kiran Juluri performed magnificently with the ball as they both collected four wickets each.

But Twyford were bowled all out with just 87 on the board as they were defeated.

WOODLEY 1s were beaten by Mortimer West End by four wickets.

Shukry Shakoor was the top scorer for Woodley with 38.

BCL Division One SHINFIELD 2s stormed to the summit in a thrilling match against WALTHAM ST LAWRENCE which saw Shinfield win by just one run.

Om Salanki added a vital 56 runs near the end of the Shinfield innings as they finished with a total of 187.

Wokingham celebraate taking Mishan Silva's wicket

Asif Ali hit 56 runs for Waltham but they fell agonisingly short, just one run away from Shinfield’s total at the end of their 40 overs.

FARLEY HILL 2s fell to a 27 run defeat against Peppard Stoke Row. Dave Neilson had three wickets to his name, but couldn’t prevent the loss.

Thames Valley Division 2B FINCHAMPSTEAD 2s are still in second after they recorded a comprehensive 101 run win over HURST. Elridge was the top scorer with the bat for Finch with 65, while Hurst bowler Lindley was on top form (5-42).

Smith scored 37 for Hurst, but Kite (4-13) and Lazenbury (3-15) helped to dismantle Hurst’s batting order.

BINFIELD climbed up to third after they beat Bagshot by three wickets.

Ben Randall took four of the five Bagshot wickets, while a superb batting performance from Wynand Lamprecht (112) guided Binfield to victory.

EVERSLEY dropped down to fourth after a narrow nine-run loss to table

Chris Peploe bowls for Oaks

Wargrave’s Rhys Lewis

toppers Reading.

Ayush Verma and Benjamin Salter took three wickets each and James Magowan hit 35 runs, but Eversley were edged out in a close contest.

Thames Valley Division 3A WHITE WALTHAM dropped from first to second after they were beaten by 39 runs against Boyne Hill 2s.

FINCHAMPSTEAD 3s moved off the bottom of the table with a two wicket win over Aldershot.

Tom Potter contributed with 57 runs as Finch earned enough points to go above Sonning.

Thames Valley Division 4A WARGRAVE 2s remain at the top with a perfect record after they won by 95 runs over Falkland 2s.

102 runs from Kieran Lall helped to record a huge total of 275, while Oliver Newton (3-36) and Huw Thomas (4-32) bowled brilliantly.

WOKINGHAM 3s were beaten by eight wickets at Theale & Tilehurst.

EVERSLEY 2s are bottom after they fell 53 runs short against Bagshot 2s.

Salman Khalid bowling for Wokingham

38 | SPORT

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FOOTBALL

FINCH AND BERKS STAY LOCKED IN TITLE BATTLE

By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today

Thames Valley Premier League FINCHAMPSTEAD still lead TVPL in the title race after an emphatic victory over fifth placed Richings Park.

Finch were ruthless and put on an attacking masterclass as they fired seven past their opponents in a 7-1 win.

Joel Day opened the scoring after just five minutes and continued is hot streak to seal a first-half hat-trick.

Nathan Collins and Callum Vallance also netted in the first-half to give Finch a healthy lead going into the break.

Nicholas Meads and James Payne then rounded off the scoring to earn a 16th win of the league campaign.

BERKS COUNTY stay just three points behind league leaders Finch after they took three points on the road against Maidenhead Town.

The Swords have played one game more than Finch but the title race between the two remains close.

Both Finch and Berks earned wins on Monday evening.

Finch defeated Marlow United 3-1 away from home with goals from Vallance, Joel Day and James Payne.

Meanwhile, Berks beat Richings 3-0 at home.

Thames Valley Division One HURST were in fine form as they smashed seven past Cookham Dean Reserves in a 7-1 away triumph.

Joshua Hodgkins proved a thorn in the side of Cookham all afternoon as he bagged a treble. Kenny Evans, Jake Horwood, Adam Sutton and Daniel Townson added to the scoreline in an impressive display to take Hurst up to fifth.

FC IMAAN LIONS are in third after they claimed three points away at Eldon Celtic to overtake their opponents.

Aaron James Perrin and Jamran Khan notched for Lions to boost their league position with a 2-1 win.

Finchampstead beat Marlow United on Monday evening Pictures: Andrew Batt FootballinBerkshire

Thames Valley Division Two

Thames Valley Division Four

BERKS COUNTY RESERVES overcame bottom of the table Windelsham & Chobham Reserves to earn a seventh win of the season.

The win keeps them in fifth place in the table.

HURST RESERVES fell to defeat against top of the table Henley Town as they conceded three goals without reply.

Both teams have four games remaining for the 2020/21 season.

FINCHAMPSTEAD DEVELOPMENT moved up to fifth after they hit five past Farnham Royal Mavericks.

Benjamin Matire, Calvin Grainger, Davis Lupindu, Callum Niven and Hayden Kirby all got on the scoresheet to earn a 5-2 win for Finch.

BERKS COUNTY ROVERS were beaten

by HARCHESTER HAWKS. Laurence Marris netted for Berks but they were edged out 2-1 by their opponents.

Berks County took three points with a win over Richings Park

SPORT | 39

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From the middle

The teams take a break at half-time

Finchampstead Development team

Finchampstead U18 Hurricanes

FOOTBALL

DADS TAKE ON LADS FOR CHARITY

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today

FOOTBALL players kept their eye on the ball for a charity match day last weekend.

Finchampstead FC arranged two special matches on Sunday to raise money for Wokingham-based charity The Ollie Young Foundation.

The club decided to arrange a match to commemorate the Hurricanes’ final season together as a youth team, playing a final Dads vs Lads game at Arborfield Green Leisure Centre.

The first game, kicking off at

9am, saw coaches against U18 Hurricanes, but even with two extra players for the coaches, the U18s took the victory, winning 4-3.

In the second game, at 10.45am, the coaches took on the Men's Development Team where the men's team, along with a few U16 helpers, won the game 6-2.

Setting themselves a fundraising target of £600, through a mix of donations from coaches and the charity running a stall on the day they raised over £1000 in total.

Jason Gan, manager of Finchampstead FC U18s Hurricanes, said: “A big thank you has to go

to Finchampstead FC committee for providing the Arborfield Green Leisure Centre astro today and to Phil Jones who refereed both games.

“A massive thank you to everyone who donated money to the Ollie Young Foundation and finally, well done to everyone who played today, some brilliant football and some definitely dodgy football was on display, but all played in the friendly Finch spirit.”

Sarah Simpson from the Ollie Young Foundation added: “We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part in the

games on Sunday and to Jason for organising such a memorable event.

“It was great fun to watch and the atmosphere was buzzing.

“Thank you to everyone who donated too, you all helped raise over £1000 for the OYF and this money will go directly towards our research into children’s brain tumours” A mix of donations from coaches and the charity running a stall on the day they raised over £1000 in total. � To donate visit: virginmoneygiving.com/finchcoaches-vs-lads/1

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

MIAMI BELLES TO REPRESENT READING IN ACES TOURNAMENT

SUMAS LADIES SEARCH FOR NEW RECRUITS

AFC Reading Miami Belles have been selected to represent Reading in the Aces National tournament.

The football tournament is open to the top junior boys and girls football teams around the county to represent their towns or cities in a quest to achieve the national title.

The 2019 tournament saw more than 360 teams enter, but this year’s event is set to be even bigger.

The competition will have upwards of 400 teams entering throughout the UK in 15 different age groups, attracting more than 15,000 players, managers and spectators.

The first Aces tournament was held in Leicester in 2009 and has become one of the most prestigious junior tournaments in grassroots football.

The 2021 tournament will be held at the University of Nottingham in August.

WOKINGHAM & Emmbrook Ladies FC are on the lookout for new recruits and will be hosting an open day for new players to try out.

The Sumas compete in the Thames Valley Women’s Division One and finished in seventh in the 2020/21 campaign that concluded at the end of May. The open day will take place on Sunday, June 27 from 11am-1pm at Emmbrook School and is open to

any female players over 16 who are keen to join a new team. � Anyone interested should contact wefc_ladies@hotmail.com

FOOTBALL

ROYALS DEFENDERS COMPETE ON INTERNATIONAL STAGE READING captain Liam Moore and right-back Andy Yiadom will be on the international stage in the latest friendly matches.

Royals skipper, Moore, is in the 30-man Jamaica squad who played Japan on Thursday, June 3, Serbia on Monday, June 7 and are due to face the Japanese Olympic team on Saturday, June 12 in Nagoya.

Moore was rewarded with his first call-up for the Reggae Boyz back in March and made his first

international appearance during a friendly against USA. The Royals have had a strong history with the Jamaican national team as another former captain Jobi McAnuff, as well as Garath McCleary, Michael Hector and Adrian Mariappa have all

played for Jamaica.

Meanwhile, Yiadom will be involved in a friendly double-header for Ghana.

They faced Morocco on Tuesday, June 8 and will play against Ivory Coast on Saturday, June 12.

Yiadom will be looking to impress to gain a place in the Ghana squad that will compete

at the Africa Cup of Nations in March after they confirmed their place in the competition by topping their group against Sudan, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe.

The Royals full-back made his international debut in January 2017 and currently has 13 international appearances to his name.

He has not played for Ghana since July 2019, but will be keen to make his international comeback this month.

Dick Sawdon-Smith

AlexanderArnold’s bizarre yellow card

M

any viewers of the England v Austria friendly warm up game for this month’s UEFA European Championships were probably as disappointed at the standard of the England team as was my telephone caller, but he also had a query.

Why did the referee show Trent Alexander-Arnold a yellow card?

Towards the end of the game, the English right back suffered what appeared to be a thigh injury.

He hobbled off the pitch, seemingly in an attempt to attract the attention of England’s physiotherapist but no treatment was forthcoming.

Although in obvious discomfort, Trent hobbled back on to the pitch after the referee had decided to restart the game.

What I think prompted the referee then to issue the yellow card was the clause in the Laws of the Game which says: “A player is cautioned if guilty of entering, re-entering or leaving the field of play without the referees permission.”

This doesn’t mean when collecting the ball when it goes out in the course of the game or for players leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal.

It’s not a clause often evoked but I have seen it twice in matches at the Madejski Stadium.

The first one was when a player on the touchline after having treatment, didn’t wait to be called on but rushed on to intercept the ball, stopping a promising Reading attack.

After the yellow card was shown, the player had to retreat to the touchline and play restarted with an indirect free kick.

The other occasion was also a player coming on to pitch after treatment, without the referee’s permission. However, the ball was in possession of a Reading player just outside the opponent’s penalty area, when the referee spotted the intruder.

The referee’s first error was to immediately stop the game and show the yellow card, because the player wasn’t interfering with the play so he should have waited. His next mistake was to restart with a dropped ball.

Alexander-Arnold’s action wasn’t anything like this and a yellow card was perhaps a little harsh in the circumstances.

Worse was his injury putting him out of the Euros.

WOKINGHAMSPORT ROYALS BEST FOR TO HOST CRICKET ADKINS’ ADDICKS

P36

P36 FORMER boss Nigel Adkins Adkins will make a return to the Madejski Stadium when Reading FC host Charlton Athletic in a behind closed doors friendly on Saturday, July 24.

The League One side are currently managed by Adkins, who held the post as manager at the Madejski for 18 months.

He was appointed as Reading manager in March 2013 after Brian McDermott was dismissed despite leading the Royals back to the Premier League.

But he could not prevent the team from being relegated from the top flight that season where they finished in 19th place.

Adkins took charge as Reading looked to regroup in the Championship for the 2013/14 season, but he was sacked in December 2014 after a 6-1 defeat to Birmingham City.

More recently, Adkins took over at Charlton after foreigner boss Lee Bowyer left his position, and has been at the helm at the Valley since March of this year.

The Addicks ended their 2020/21 League One campaign just outside the play-off places in seventh, only missing out on goal difference to Oxford United.

Another former Royals servant could be in line for a return as Chris Gunter may feature in the squad after Wales’ Euro campaign this summer.

The Welsh full-back proved to be a consistent performer in his eight seasons playing in the blue and white hoops, where he made more than 314 appearances.

Gunter then joined Charlton in October 2020 after his contract expired at Reading.

Reading last came up against Charlton in the 2019/20 season in the Championship where a George Pușcaș penalty awarded the Royals three points on the road.

Meanwhile, the Addicks took the bragging rights and the points earlier in the season at the Madejski as second half goals from Jonathan Leko and Lyle Taylor gifted them the win.

ISSN 2634-8330

23

FINCHAMPSTEAD 7 RICHINGS 1

Finchampstead earned two wins in three days Picture: Andrew Batt FootballinBerkshire

By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today

FINCHAMPSTEAD took another step closer to the Thames Valley Premier League title with a big win over Richings Park.

Finch were in dazzling form in 9

772634

front of goal and hit seven past their opponents to ensure they stayed ahead of second placed Berks County in the ongoing title battle.

Finch then followed up their seven-goal showing with another vital victory on Monday evening.

Three more points means that

they maintained their distance from Berks at the top as the beat Marlow United 3-1 away from home.

Finch have just three games left to play, while Berks are two games away from competing their campaign with the title still up for grabs. � Full match report on page 37

833002

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