20 minute read
CASH TO TREASURES AT CHARITY SALE
Loopholes ended: Don’t use your phone while driving or face £200 fine
EXCLUSIVE
Advertisement
By Phil Creighton news@wokingham.today
LOOPHOLES around mobile phone use while driving have been closed and new rules are now in effect. The consequences of breaking them, Thames Valley Police say, can be catastrophic.
From last Friday, drivers touching their phone for any reason bar emergency use or making toll bridge payments will be fined £200, and face receiving penalty points of their licence.
The rules forbid everything from checking the time, checking notifications, unlocking the device, and illuminating the screen.
Making, receiving or rejecting a telephone or internet-based call is offlimits, as is using the camera to take photos, make video or sound recordings.
Accessing any stored data, apps or the internet is not allowed, nor can you draft any text.
There are just two exemptions: allowing for a call to be made in an emergency where is it not practical to stop, and for contactless payment provided that the vehicle has been stopped.
The aim is to prevent drivers from getting distracted.
Sergeant Dave Hazlett, of Thames Valley Police’s Road Safety Unit, said: “Data shows you are four times more likely to be involved in a collision if you use a mobile phone while driving.
“The consequences of using a mobile phone at the wheel can be catastrophic, and you are placing not only yourself but other road users at significant risk.”
The rules, he said, needed to be changed because smartphones had changed. When the current laws were put together, phones were used mainly to make calls or send text messages.
Now, Sgt Hazlett says, “the modern mobile phone is part of people’s everyday lives.
“The first thing you would probably pick up in the morning when you wake up is your phone to check what’s going on, looking at notifications, reading the news.
“They are a mobile office for some people.”
This reliance means the temptation is there to keep checking while on the move, so Sgt Hazlett is grateful that the law has been, like phones, upgraded from their earlier iteration.
“The law change, while strong welcomed, is frankly long overdue,” he says.
“Mobile phones are a significant cause of distraction in vehicles.”
He said he has dealt with, and been to, collisions involving unlawful, illegal mobile phone use, so he has seen first hand the danger the mobile phone use can cause, adding that those making calls or checking messages would be “hard pressed to convince any family of someone who has been killed or seriously injured that it’s an incidental product of people using them behind the wheel”.
“Even in slow moving or stationary traffic, the driver’s attention is diverted from things they need to be aware of, such as a pedestrian who has crossed the road in front of them, or the person walking behind the vehicle while reversing.
“There’s this significant distraction that a phone provides, and it does lead, unfortunately, to unnecessary and devastating collisions. We want to do and reduce that.”
Using a phone as a sat nav needs to follow the Highway Code – so phones need to be secured either by a windscreen mount or a permanent fixture.
It should also be Bluetooth and voice command enabled, to prevent phones from being touched.
If drivers need to change the destination, they need to pull over.
“If you’re in queueing in traffic, you’re still in the act of driving, and you do leave yourself open to potential prosecution if you are seen,” Sgt Hazlett said.
“Some will say that’s harsh. However, the laws have been changed for a reason.”
And he warned “simply having your phone in your hand would be good enough for a prosecution to take place”.
Sgt Hazlett said: “When you kill someone if you’ve been driving while using your phone, then you’re the reason someone has been killed.
“You’re placing yourself in a position where you could in a have a term of imprisonment for checking an email, is it really worth that?”
He added: “It is incumbent on drivers to take the responsible decision.
“Don’t take that call, wait and then phone that person back and have an undistracted conversation where you can be immersed in that call without putting myself and other people at risk.”
NOT ALLOWED:
The law on mobile phone use has changed, making it illegal to use phones while driving
SUE Ryder is planning a summer ball to raise much needed funds for the charity.
The event will feature a drinks reception, a thre- course meal, a charity auction, and live music from the Vodka Martinis.
It will also be hosted by local comedian Adger Brown, and will take place on Saturday, July 2, at the Hilton Hotel, Reading.
Fern Haynes, Sue Ryder’s head of fundraising for Thames Valley, said: “The past couple of years have been challenging for our patients but also their loved ones.
“By attending our Summer Ball you will be helping local people get the vital support they need at what is a really difficult time.
“The funded post will support families who have experienced the loss of a loved one.”
The family support coordinator oversees two family support teams, made up of professionals and trained volunteers who provide palliative care, social care, spiritual care, and bereavement support.
The role is currently held by Ken Blanton, who works across both the Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading and the Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire in Wallingford.
Mr Blanton said: “Experiences of grief have been so difficult for so many people over the past two years amidst the pandemic, but here at Sue Ryder we have continued to reach out to local families offering our support.
“It is so important we remind people that grief doesn’t have one face and although everyone handles loss and bereavement in different ways which are unique to them, everyone hurts and it is so important people have the opportunity to be able to talk about it.”
The ball takes at the Hilton Hotel, Reading, on Saturday, July 2, from 7pm.
Tickets including three course meals for a table of six are £420, for tables of 10 are £700, and for tables of 12 are £840. Individual tickets are also available at www.SueRyder.org n For more information, email special.events@sueryder.org or call 07976422792.
Youth Orchestra brings the sound of spring
READING Youth Orchestra is hosting its spring concert, with special guests the Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pieces from Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Vaugh Williams will feature, as well as arrangements of songs from the African-American Railroad.
Founded in 1944, RYO is one of the oldest youth orchestras in the country.
Currently led by Oliver Quinn nand conducted by Mel Le Breuilly, it has played venues as prestigious as the Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.
The spring concert takes place at St Joseph’s College, Upper Redlands Road, on Sunday, April 3, at 6pm.
Tickets are £10 for adults, under 18s and concessions are £5, and family tickets are available for £20. n Tickets are available to buy from reading-youth-orchestra.square.site.
Walk with the Lions this May
WOKINGHAM residents are invited to walk with lions in May.
The 8th annual Walk Wokingham event, organised by Wokingham Lions, will take place on Sunday, May 8.
Organisers have reversed the route and have added a new five mile accessible trail, which is suitable for wheelchairs.
Andy Slay, one of the organisers, said that reversing the route will offer participants “a different perspective to the walk.”
“The accessible trail has been added for those with mobility issues who can’t manage stiles, kissing gates and the footbridge over the railway line,” Mr Slay explained.
“The ground may be uneven in places, but it should be manageable for those in wheelchairs.”
It is also an opportunity for participants to raise money for charity.
All proceeds raised will be donated to charities in the Wokingham area, and last year 15 causes received funds from the event.
Walkers have a choice of four routes which are between five and 15 miles. All routes start and finish at Elms Field.
Registration on the day will be from 9am until 10.30am, but pre-registration is encouraged.
Entry costs £15 adults, £5 for ages 12 to 17 and is free for children under 11.
There will also be nature trail activity on offer to children to complete on their journey. n For more information, visit: wokinghamwalk.co.uk
HIKERS:
Some of the people taking part in last October’s Wokingham Walk
Now taking registrations
Fun is an essential ingredient at Oak Tree Day Nursery and Preschool where the care and education opportunities for each and every child are as extraordinary as our colleagues who provide them.
FOR CHILDREN AGED 6 WEEKS TO 5 YEARS OPEN 7.30AM TO 6.30PM
RATED OUTSTANDING IN THE PAST FOUR OFSTED INSPECTIONS
“Children are happy, settled and keen to acquire new knowledge and skills. They are exceptionally confident learners who play an active role in leading their own play and making decisions. Children of all ages explore their environment with confidence and ease, and show exceptionally high levels of self-assurance and emotional well-being.”
Ofsted inspection 2020, www.ofsted.gov.uk
12-year-old’s drumathon will help Ukraine refugees
EXCLUSIVE
By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today
A CROWTHORNE-based pupil is preparing to pick up sticks in a bid to help Ukrainian refugees.
On Friday, Lola Teague is playing in a sponsored drumathon at Dolphin School in Hurst.
Starting at 8am, she will play for five solid hours, through to 1pm – and luckily for her, it is a half-day so she can recover without worrying about double algebra on a Friday afternoon.
Lola started drumming when she was four, but it was a bit of serendipity.
“My dad is a drummer, and my brother got a drum kit for one of his birthdays,” she says. “He wasn’t really into drumming, but I remember just getting behind (the kit) and really enjoying being able to pick up the sticks and make a bunch of noises, just feeling the groove and stuff.”
And from small acorns, comes some mighty drum solos.
Lola enjoys playing rock beats, but is also branching out into reggae.
“It’s really fun music to play,” she says.
And she has a band, the Bow Bellas. With a school friend who plays guitar and sings, they have been gigging.
The talented 12-year-old came third in the under 18s category of an international drumming contest last year, and it is this global connection that has seen Lola want to help the people of Ukraine in their hour of need.
“Through the contest, I got to meet a bunch of new drummers, whom I’m actually still in contact with now,” she says. “It was just so much fun to meet new people and watch how they drum.”
She’s formed Instagram friendships with drummers from all over the world, including Russia and Ukraine.
Lola’s mum Elli said: “She has a really good community of kids her age on Instagram, all messaging each other, supporting each other. They do collaborations together.”
The money raised from Friday’s drumathon will go to help some Polish friends who have, off their own backs, hired some space and converted into into a refuge for people fleeing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
It’s a big deal, with the community rallying round to ensure it is fitted out, and the children have a school to attend.
Lola set a target of £1,000, but this has already been smashed – so she’s now aiming for £5,000, with every penny going to help the refuges in Poland.
And the drumming? Lola can’t wait, but it will be a step up for her.
“I’m a little nervous, but I think I’ll be OK,” she says. “I’ve never gone straight out doing five hours before, so this will be my first time.” n Donations can be made at: www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marceldrabik
READY TO
ROCK: Lola Teague wil spend five hours drumming on Friday to help support work to create a safe space for refugees Picture: Steve Smyth HELPED: Wokingham In Need provides a number of services to Wokingham, including a sensory garden, as well as its work in helping the homeless Picture: WIN
Bedware donation will help Wokingham’s vulnerable
WOKINGHAM’S vulnerable population will benefit from a charity donation made by a housebuilder.
Taylor Wimpey West London has given more than £500 to Wokingham in Need, to help them provide duvets, pillows and bedding for clients moving into temporary accommodation.
Wokingham in Need responds directly or acts as a catalyst in working with other organisations including support for the Salvation Army centre in Sturges Road.
The charity is close to the company’s new The Evergreens development.
Sally Brown, volunteer grants coordinator at Wokingham in Need said: “We are extremely grateful to Taylor Wimpey for their kind donation, which will go a long way in providing support for the people who need it most in the community.”
And Gemma Bibby, sales and marketing director at Taylor Wimpey West London said: “Wokingham in Need provides an invaluable service for people in and around Wokingham and we are delighted to be able to make this contribution to them.”
WPR_2022‑03‑28_TheWokinghamPaper_16x4 (1)_Just Go
OXFORD
& Cream of the Cotswolds
Oxford&CreamoftheCotswolds_F.pdf
WorcesterObserver
Reader travel
FOLKESTONE
& France Weekend
Folkestone&FranceWeekend_F.pdf
Departing Fri 9 Sep ‘22
Your break includes
Return coach travel from Crawley 3 nights at a selected hotel in the
Coventry area with dinner & breakfast 2 for 1 bar (6pm‑9pm) on selected drinks Excursions to Bourton‑on‑the‑Water,
Stow‑on‑the‑Wold & Oxford
Departing Fri 21 Oct ‘22
Your break includes
Return coach travel and ferry crossings from Reading 3 nights at the Grand Burstin Hotel,
Folkestone with dinner & breakfast Entertainment every evening Excursion to Boulogne‑sur‑Mer & Canterbury
4 Days by Coach only £144.99 4 Days by Coach only £164.99 Single Supplement £45 Single Supplement £45
Operated by Just Go Holidays Ltd. Coach package holidays and short breaks are subject to Just Go! Holidays terms and conditions. Your booking is protected by Bonded Coach Holidays (BCH) and the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT); this is a government approved consumer protection scheme. Tours offered subject to availability and government guidelines. Errors and omissions excepted. Prices per person, based on two people sharing a double/twin room. Calls to 033 numbers are free within inclusive minutes packages otherwise standard rates apply.
Woman forced into vehicle at crossroads
THAMES Valley Police is investigating an incident which took place in Twyford last Friday, March 18.
A female pedestrian was forced into a small vehicle at the crossroads between 6.45pm and 8.30pm.
Pictures of flyers which were handed out by police in the village have been circulated on social media.
It asks for those who saw anything suspicious to come forward, and for residents to review CCTV, and doorbell and dash cam footage.
A police spokesperson confirmed that the incident is being investigated.
“Officers are continuing this investigation, and are working to establish the circumstances,” they said.
“No arrests have yet been made.”
Police have asked for those with any information which may be helpful to call 101, quoting reference number 43220122290.
The officer in charge of the investigation is DC Ross Kowald.
INVESTIGATION: An incident took place at Twyford Crossroads
Easter market in Spencers Wood
THERE will be plenty of treats on offer at April’s community farmers market in Spencers Wood.
It pops up at the Village Hall on Sunday, April 10.
Stalls offering a range of food, drink, and gift items will open at 10am.
Among the traders will be Fernworth Farm and Butler’s Farm, selling a range of fresh produce and dairy, Longdog Brewery and Three Roasters Coffee.
A variety of other goods will be on offer, including savoury and sweet baked goods, cosmetics, hand made gifts, books and plants.
For more information, follow the market’s event page on Facebook.
Living lightly to help the planet
HOW to live lightly is the theme for a lecture taking place in Binfield next month.
Ruth Valerio will be the guest speaker for Binfield College’s Diversity Lecture.
She is the global advocacy and influencing director for international aid agency Tearfund, and her work has seen her understand first hand the effects on poverty on people.
Her goal is to build a movement that brings about lasting change on the environmentally rooted issues that impact the poorest and most vulnerable people.
Binfield College says that she particularly longs to see the culture of churches change so that caring for God’s earth becomes an integral part of church life, rather than an optional extra.
In her previous job at A Rocha, she spearheaded Eco Church, a movement aimed at caring for the planet in different areas of their life and work.
She is also Canon Theologian at Rochester Cathedral.
The lecture takes place in the Newbold Diversity Centre from 7.30pm on Tuesday, April 12. Entry is free, and the talk is also webcast on Zoom. n For more details, log on to newbold.ac.uk/diversity-centre
Summer of love at Wargrave Festival
EXCLUSIVE
By NATALIE BURTON nburton@wokingham.today
By NATALIE BURTON nburton@wokingham.today
ORGANISERS of the Wargrave Festival have promised something for everyone this summer.
The 19 day-long programme of events returns to take over the village for a summer of love, after a last year’s event was postponed due to covid.
“The summer of love theme for the festival was held over from last year,” explains Ally Holloway, one of the festival organisers.
“We wanted to give people something to look forward to and celebrate being able to get back together.
“It’s been a long time coming — it’s a huge deal in Wargrave and everyone is very excited.”
Wargrave Festival opens on Wednesday, June 8 with Shakespeare on the Green and concludes on Sunday, June 26, with the BBO Big Band Show.
A committee of 18 volunteers from Wargrave and surrounding villages have 35 other events planned for the festival.
They include an expanded literary offering, which has attracted renowned children’s author Nick Butterworth, Readingbased crime writer Will Carver and novelist Amanda Jennings, who is a Wargrave resident. She will be launching her new book at the festival.
Ally says that the festival committee is always looking to add new events to the programme, so that there is something to suit everyone and keep people coming back.
“We’re running a Bike Fest day this year for the first time, which has a whole range of activities on Mill Green for the family to enjoy, and some organised rides into the Chilterns,” she says.
“There is a Wargrave in Style event, about interior and garden design, the St Martins in the Field orchestra are playing again and we have talks by the Wargrave Local History Society.”
Other sessions in the festival’s packed and varied schedule include an African drumming workshop, Pub on the Green, a gin tasting evening, a baby and toddler morning, open gardens, a festival parade and performances by jazz and brass bands.
“All this doesn’t include Ticket Day (which takes place this Saturday), which is an occasion in it’s own right,” adds team member Ally Holloway.
“It’s a tradition that people turn out to queue from the early hours of the morning, and big events such as the ball and Crazies Hill comedy night always sell out on the day.
“It’s part of the whole festival experience.”
Wargrave Festival is a not-forprofit organisation. Ally explains that it is important that it remains true to the festival’s community roots.
“It is platform for societies in village — like Wargrave Theatre Workshop, the history society and schools — to run big stage events which they would not ordinarily have the opportunity to do.
“It’s worth all the effort of planning.”
Ticket Day is on Saturday, April 2. They will go on sale online on Sunday, April 3.
Events will be held in a multiple indoor and outdoor locations across the village.
Prices vary, with tickets to most events costing between £8 and £20.
Some are free or £1 donation, and tickets to the all-inclusive ball cost £80. n For more information, visit: wargravefestival.org.uk from a public vote include Jo Lucas for her vases of flowers, Ann Harris who won in two of the art categories, and Diane Thirtle for her landscape art work and pot of mixed spring flowers.
Judges awarded the Vice Presidents Cup for best exhibit in the flowers and vegetable sections to Mandy Beagent.
Thames Voyces spring in to action Singers to hold Lenten concert
A BRACKNELL choir is set to host its spring concert.
Thames Voyces will welcome audiences to a show featuring music such as Telemann’s Laudate Jehovam, Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir and Schubert’s Mass in G.
The concert will conclude with Handel’s Dixit Dominus, and is accompanied by Keats Ensemble.
The show will take place at 7.30pm on Saturday, April 2, at St John the Baptist Parish Church, Waterloo Road, Crowthorne, RG45 7NT.
Tickets are £15 for adults, £13 for concessions and accompanied under 16s will receive free entry.
To purchase tickets in advance call: 0118 967 7319 or email: secretary@thamesvoyces.org.uk
Tickets will also be available on the door. n For more information visit: thamesvoyces.org.uk AN EVENING of Lent and Easter themed music and readings will take place in Wokingham at the beginning of next month.
South Berkshire Singers will be performing John Rutter’s Requiem on Sunday, April 3, at St Paul’s Church on Reading Road.
It begins at 7pm.
The choir will be lead by musical director Karen Phillips and accompanied by Simon Dinsdale on the organ.
Admission to the concert is free.
There will be a retiring collection for the St Paul’s Lent appeal, with proceeds being split between United Society for Partners in the Gospel, Soulscape and Home-Start Wokingham district. n For more information or to book tickets, visit: southberkshiresingers.org.uk
SPRING was celebrated at a village show last weekend.
Twyford and Ruscombe Horticultural Society held its first spring show since the pandemic in the Loddon Hall on Saturday, March 26.
Society secretary Jenny Wager said that there was a good turnout and almost £200 was raised, which will support the group’s running costs.
“We had a fantastic day for the show, the weather was perfect,” she said.
“It was lovely to see so many people enjoying themselves.”
Raffle prizes were themed on spring and gardening. Items were donated by village businesses and included bulbs, books, wine and a voucher from Hare Hatch Sheeplands.
Organisers said that the standard of entries to the eight classes being judged at the event was very high.
Ms Wager added that: “It was particularly lovely to see lots of children come along to enter the pot of daffodils competition and sow sunflower seeds.”
The Colleton Primary School and Bonnie Sellens were both awarded for their pots. Other winners in the children’s categories were siblings Elsie and Alfie Harding. Elsie made a wildlife poster and a bird scarer, while Alfie took a photo of spring in his garden.
Adults who took home trophies
BLOOMING LOVELY:
Bryony, Elsie (6) and Freddie Harding (5) with their entry in the “Vase of Mixed Spring Flowers” class at the Twyford and Ruscombe Horticultural Association Spring Show at Loddon Hall Picture: Steve Smyth
Elodie O’Keeffe (4) looking at the cake entries Jenny Wager with her prizewinning Rhubarb
DRINK COFFEE WITHAPURPOSE "THEMAGICUGANDANCOFFEE"
1kgfor£13.50 500gfor£8 250gfor£4.20 100gfor£1.70 250gfor£4.20
Thiscoffeeifgrownona70acrenearMityana,westKampala. ItisblendedwithHighlandbeansfromtheWestRiftValleymountains. AllroastedinUgandaanddispatcheddirecttousat H Heathlands Farm, Honey Hill, Wokingham , RG40 3BG Collectfromthefarmonweekdaysbetween9amandnoon -CashOnlyfollowusat fc @hallhunterpartnership
