Thursday, November 25, 2021 No. 339 90p
Demo at council will call for end to male violence By PHIL CREIGHTON pcreighton@wokingham.today
HURST’S BERYL P3 CELEBRATES 100TH
A DEMONSTRATION will take place outside Wokingham Borough Council this evening, to raise awareness of a campaign aimed at ending male violence against women and girls.
At last Thursday evening’s council meeting, a call for the council to achieve White Ribbon status was rejected in favour of discussing the issue in the new year as part of an equalities strategy for the borough. The decision, made by Conservative councillors, angered their opposition members, including Lib Dem Cllr David Hare who brought the motion to the meeting. In a letter in today’s paper (see page 34), he writes: “As men we must stand tall and strong, saying that enough is enough, we will not have women, our wives, sisters, daughters, abused, violated, or downgraded, indeed we will confront all those who do harass or violate women, so that we start to build an equal, fair, safer society.” Tonight, the strength of feeling towards the White Ribbon movement will be shown with the demonstration. A spokesperson for the Women’s Equality Party, who will be present at the demo, said: “Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is endemic in our society. Women are not safe on the streets or in their own homes. “White Ribbon UK was founded in 2005 and is part of a global movement to end male violence against women. It works with men and boys to make a stand against violence. “Sadly, the Wokingham Conservative councillors’ statement said the proposal ‘needlessly duplicated existing work’. “Many residents are struggling to understand why the council would not support this motion and take a public stand against male violence. “We would be happy to work with the council to discuss this and other measures that can be taken to end male violence and to ensure women’s safety on the streets and at home.” The demonstration takes place at the Shute End offices from 6pm this evening. n More council news, page 42
SHEEPLANDS SHOW MASTER PLAN P6
FUN DAY: School Green Centre opens to Shinfield • P12
CHRISTMAS SHOP BRINGS JOY TO TOWN
Charity venture to open in Elms Field
EXCLUSIVE
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A CHRISTMAS shop with a twist is opening in Wokingham town centre next weekend.
Launched by Wokingham Foodbank, First Days Children’s Charity, Share Wokingham and the borough council, one of the empty retail units in Elms Field has been transformed for the festive season.
The Christmas Presence shop has been created to provide gifts and festive food items for households that are financially struggling. It will also have Christmas jumpers available for a donation, craft sessions for children, and carol singing on Saturdays throughout December. Annette Medhurst, manager of Wokingham Foodbank, said they see an increase in referrals at Christmas.
n Continued on page 3
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Police project tackling violence awarded £300,000 By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today ALMOST £300,000 has been awarded to stop predatory night time behaviour in the Thames Valley.
Police have been awarded £297,252 for Project Vigilant as part of the Safety of Women at Night (SWAN) fund. It will provide bespoke training to officers to identify individuals displaying predatory behaviour. This three-day, nationally accredited training is reserved for Counter Terrorism Policing, but has been adapted to this new purpose. Project Vigilant uses a combination of uniformed and plain clothed officers, patrolling outside night clubs, bars and pubs, identify people sexually harassing or inappropriately touching others, or loitering. Anyone identified as predatory will be referred to a bespoke
In print
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intervention programme delivered by Circles South East, a charity that works with convicted sex offenders. Dominic Williams, senior manager at Circles South East, that said his organisation has worked within sexual abuse for 20 years. “We have long wished for the opportunity to work in an entirely preventative way, before the crime has been committed,” he said. “Project Vigilant is that opportunity. Circles South East has the necessary skills, and we are very glad to be part of this excellent initiative.” Bystander Intervention training will be offered to partner organisations and staff at venues to help them identify predatory behaviour and prevent sexual violence. Between Friday, July 23, and Thursday, November 4, 117 people across Reading, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Windsor were stopped, and 10 arrests were made in relation
to predatory behaviour. Of those stopped that provided their details, 20% were found to have links to sexual or predatory offending and 21% had links to violent offending. Chief Superintendent Katy Barrow-Grint, force tactical lead for violence against women and girls, said: “I am really pleased that Project Vigilant has been recognised again by the Home Office as an innovative initiative, and considered for additional funding. “We are sending out a clear message to predatory individuals that their behaviour will not be tolerated. “It is clear that we are stopping the right people in the right locations before an offence has taken place, and this funding will allow us to continue to develop the project with our partners and enhance the skills of our officers.”
The funding is in addition to £90,000 already awarded to Project Vigilant earlier this year by the Home Office. It is also being used to commission an academic evaluation by Brighton University into the effectiveness of the project and the impact on future offending. Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, said that he is delighted to secure more funding for the project. “Project Vigilant is directly supporting my Police and Criminal Justice Plan by focusing on prevention and targeting the perpetrators of crime,” he said. “Through a new partnership with Circles South East, we will provide a bespoke intervention programme for individuals identified as displaying behaviour that may fall below the criminal threshold.”
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WOKINGHAM Borough Council is poised to approve new electric vehicle charging points. At a meeting of its ruling executive committee this evening, councillors will vote on plans to install 36 on-street points, plus chargers in council car parks. Leader Cllr John Halsall said it was a small scale rollout to gauge reaction. “Success will see them being used,” he said, adding that when it came to tackling the climate emergency, “it’s about public attitudes and public behaviour. “All local authorities can do is facilitate that behavioural change.”
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Beryl celebrates 100 with a birthday song from Hurst pupils 100: Year 6 pupils at St Nicholas Primary Hurst from left Lola, Tayla and Charlie present flowers and a card from all the school’s pupils to Beryl Sims. With them is their teacher Andrew Butle
EXCLUSIVE By SUE CORCORAN news@wokingham.today A woman who escaped a daylight raid in London while working for a children’s charity during the Second World War has celebrated her 100th birthday.
A chat with the remarkable Beryl Sims, of Hurst, reveals fascinating stories from her long life. They’re told with clarity and, often, a great sense of fun. Asked about being 100, she joked: “I feel the same as I did a week ago.” She added: “I’ve got nothing really bad wrong with me at all. I’m quite lucky really except I can’t see properly. I miss reading but I listen to the radio and television. And I can get around with my stick. “I’ve always been fairly active. I had three children and life has always been very busy.” Born in Harrow, Middlesex, she left school at 17. “It was wartime. I had wanted to become a children’s nanny but that meant a long time training. So my father decided I should learn shorthand, typing and bookkeeping and then get a job in London,” she said. She went on to work with the NSPCC children’s charity in London as the financial director’s secretary. “It was a good job, a jolly nice one. I had my own little desk and typewriter. I took letters from him [the director] and did the bookkeeping for the NSPCC. “I did a special type out of a very special sheet to show how the society finances were going. It was to present to the directors. “While I was there we had a
COFFEE: Plant a tree Picture: Oakman Inns
Buy a coffee at this Wokingham pub and you can plant a tree
CAKE: Hurst residents gave Beryl a birthday cake to celebrate the day daylight raid so we went down into the basement. We just had to wait until the raid was over and just hope everything hadn’t been shattered over the top of us. I wasn’t really frightened, you just hoped for the best,” she said. After three years at the NSPCC, she changed direction. “Everybody was being called up into the forces.
I thought I’d rather go into the Land Army [helping grow food].” At a Hampshire farm she recalls standing on top of a big stack of wheat above the noisy threshing machine beating away to separate the grain from the straw. “I was feeding the wheat down into the threshing machine. It was frightening, awful, up there,” she said. At about 17 she met her husbandto-be George at a party. “We sat next to each other. The next day he phoned to ask if he could take me to the cinema.” she said. “I think it was love at first sight for him but more gradual for me. If you say it was love at first sight for me, it sounds more romantic though,” she added, smiling. They married when Beryl was 21 and George 20, and later moved to Hurst. They had three children, Christopher of Henley, Linda of
Devon and Tim who lives with his Mother. There are three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Beryl helped George with his highly regarded book-selling business and typed up the books, including thrillers and poetry which he wrote. She also collected for charities, including the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the NSPCC. George died in 1999. Children from Year 6 at St Nicholas Primary, Hurst sang to Beryl and gave her flowers last Friday, two days before her birthday. Beryl used to listen to young readers at the school. One of those readers, Helen Corcoran, 33, said: “It was always a special day when Mrs Sims came. We all hoped it would be our turn to read to her.” Hurst’s parish council chairman Wayne Smith presented Beryl with a birthday cake and flowers from the village at the surprise gathering, which Beryl took in her stride.
Charities team up to open Christmas shop effort,” Ms Revie added. The Christmas Presence shop is looking for donations of clean, ready-to-wear Christmas jumpers. It will be open this Sunday between 11am and 1pm for residents to drop off donations and find out more about the project. The shop will be open on Saturdays throughout December between 11am and 3pm.
n Continued from front page
“People visiting the Foodbank tell us that they have spent money on gifts for their children, which leaves them with very little left for food or fuel,” she said. “People shouldn’t have to choose between Christmas presents for their children or a meal on the table.” Last year, more than 700 families were supported by food and gift scheme run by the three charities. Support will be accessed primarily via a referral from a professional; however, people can self-refer into the project and will be called for a short conversation to discuss their need and whether they need any signposting to other services. Emma Cantrell, CEO of First Days Children’s Charity said Christmas is an incredibly expensive time of year for families. “We hope that this project will go some way to provide choice and dignity for people experiencing financial hardship at the moment,” she said. Claire Revie from Share Wokingham, said that the aim is to
SUPPORT: Families can be referred Picture: Phillip Goldsberry on Unsplash bring the season of goodwill to life. “Bringing together charities and churches to provide a community space where people can come together is a great way to support residents who’ve had tough times recently,” she said. Ms Revie said the Wokingham Lions are also supporting the cause. On Thursday, December 9, the group is hosting the Great Woky Virtual Pub Quiz, with funds supporting the project. “This is a true community
Residents are invited to drop in so that children join craft activities. Any family in Wokingham borough that would benefit the Christmas Presence shop can email First Days at: referrals@firstdays. net. Families referred to the scheme can make an appointment to visit the unit on a week day to select gifts.
REGULARS at Wokingham’s Rose Inn are saying cheers in the fight against climate change. The popular pub and restaurant has teamed up with Tree-Nation to tackle global warming. The charity will plant trees for ever hot drink sold which will offset carbon dioxide emissions. The Rose Inn is part of the Oakman Group which also owns another Berkshire pub, The Royal Foresters in Ascot. In the last four moths, sales of tea and coffee in the two establishments have meant around 250,000 trees will have been planted in Madagascar and Tanzania by Christmas. “Our target is to plant a million trees a year which will offset more than 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide during their lifetime. Reaching 250,000 will mean we are right on target, and with winter ahead of us we expect sales of hot drinks to increase,” said Oakman Group CEO, Dermot King. He added: “We aim to run a business that we, and our customers, can be proud of. It’s important that we try to leave things a little better than we found them for our neighbours, guests and the wider community. “We will also plant 100 additional trees every time we open a new pub. “With 10 new sites in our pipeline in the next 18 months, that’s another 1,000 trees.”
4 | NEWS
Mapping climate A UNIVERSITY of Reading project to map the effects of climate change in the UK has launched. The UK Climate Risk Indicators website was presented at a special COP26 event on Wednesday, November 10. The free resource is aimed at policy makers and planners. It shows how extreme weather events such as high temperatures and flooding will create risks at regional and national levels. The project models risks until the end of this century. The information then can be used to consider questions like how growing seasons might change in the future. Climate risks to communities, transport, infrastructure, buildings and agriculture can then be planned for. Professor Nigel Arnell, professor of climate change science at the University, led the project. He said the challenge was to present a wealth of information and data by those who need it in an easy-to-use way. “This website provides a comprehensive tool that can be used to inform decisions on everything from infrastructure development to housebuilding and healthcare,” he added. The research underpinning the data on the website was carried out as part of the UK Climate Resilience Programme, funded by UK Research and Innovation and the Met Office. n For more information, visit: uk-cri.org
Festive lecture CHILDREN and their families are invited to attend a special Christmas lecture next month. Dr Vicky Boult’s talk, Elephants on the Move, will take guests on a dramatic and humorous journey alongside a family of elephants over a year in their lives. The lecture will be held at the University of Reading between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Friday, December 17. n For more information, visit: www.reading.ac.uk
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Rich, Jules and Anthony are delighted with their hankies
NEW MEMBERS: Six new dancers have joined Hurst Morris People, receiving their sticks and hankies Picture: Ian Brant
SIX new members of a morris dancing side have each been presented with the tools of their hobby — a pair of hankies, two long sticks and one short stick, writes Sue Corcoran. Hurst Morris People (HuMP) made the presentations to their new dancers at Hurst Village Hall where the side has practised for 32 years. Squire Karen Ricketts said: “I handed over the sticks and hankies to officially mark them joining the side. They’ve been dancing with us since our ‘have a go’ sessions in September. “It’s great to have so many enthusiastic new members. On Thursday last week they practised Jenny Lind from the Lichfield dance tradition and then performed it to the rest of the side. It was a good first performance.
“HuMP are really looking forward to dancing out in public again next year for the first time in two years.” The new recruits are having fun. Rich Mason is a freelance book designer and lives in Wokingham. He said: “They’re a friendly bunch of people who have made me feel very welcome. It’s fun and a good workout.” Jules Dracott of Winnersh, who is a disability advisor at the London School of Economics, said: “We always like to try something different. It just appealed to us because it’s something very different.” Her husband, Anthony, an IT manager, said: “We’re enjoying learning how to morris dance with such a friendly group of people.” n For more on the group, log on to www.hump.org.uk
Primary school places expansion: Council to consider plan tonight EXCLUSIVE By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today PLANS to expand one of the borough’s primary schools will be discussed at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s executive this evening.
The committee will look at a proposal to increase the intake of Farley Hill Primary School from September next year. The school moved to a new site in Arborfield Green at the start of this academic year but, as we have previously reported, parents living in the new housing development have been unable to meet the school’s catchment policies, despite being able to see the buildings from their homes. The proposal will see the school expanded to 420 places plus a nursery, while
the catchment area will be expanded so that children living in homes in or in immediate proximity to the Arborfield Garrison Strategic Development Location are included. The former school site in the village of Farley Hill will be closed. The paper to be considered by the executive acknowledges that the new school was oversubscribed, and the majority of children admitted in September were not from the garrison area. “A significant number of children living in the north of the garrison area could not be admitted to the school, including children living around the new school site. “Expansion to 60 places and confirmation of revised admissions arrangements would enable children living in the north to be admitted to the
MORE PLACE: The future of Farley Hill Primary School will be discussed this evening Picture: Stewart Turkington school and do as much as is in the council’s gift to ensure that children living in the south of the garrison area continue to be admitted,” the paper notes. It adds that the Coombes CofE primary school has a
A FARM SHOP FULL OF CHRISTMAS CHEER
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School, which should help to alleviate the frustrations of people.”
n The meeting takes place at Shute End this evening from 7pm, and it will be broadcast online at wokingham.gov.uk
TREES & WREATHS
Singing 11 until midday
The Kings & Queens of Fresh Christmas Trees will be available by the 27 Nov. Handmade wreaths too.
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Charvil Voices Sat 11 & 18 Dec Craft Fayre
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reduced admission number of 60 for the 2022/23 academic year, which would help if Farley Hill was still oversubscribed. Council leader John Halsall said: “We will be looking at the proposal to expand Farley Hill
5.30 - 9pm
Sampling the best of Christmas foods Curry Buffet in the Café. All depts open
Christmas too!
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Churches need to change support for vulnerable people
By JAMES HASTINGS news@wokingham.today
CHURCHES across Berkshire need to change the way they support the county’s poorest and excluded communities.
That’s the finding of a new report from the Diocese of Oxford which looked at the effects of the pandemic on people on low incomes. The report asked churches across the diocese about the challenges they and their communities faced and what they need to do to better help those who were marginalised. Among the areas where the churches need to question their current response are a variety of social issues, including transport poverty, affordable rural housing, hidden poverty, and engaging with transient and new housing developments. The report from the Poverty and Inequality Steering Group states: “The consultation explored how churches have responded to the challenges, and how this can inform the future mission and ministry of churches in the diocese. “The results and responses indicate the significant
REPORT: Changes are needed Picture: Kentaro Toma on Unsplash impact of the pandemic on communities, as well as the breadth of social action responses from churches stepping in to serve local people in need in their communities.” The Steering Group added it was “encouraging” that a significant number of local churches reported that the pandemic had prompted an increase in collaborative working between their church and other churches or community groups. The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt. Revd. Dr Steven Croft, said: “The imperative for Christian communities to engage in social action and social justice lies at the heart of our faith — it is in our Scriptures, our history, and in our deep longing to see the Kingdom come. It is an endeavour to which all of us in
the Diocese of Oxford continue to commit ourselves. “This insightful report illustrates the ongoing challenges and complexities created by Covid-19 as well as the vital and unique role churches play in supporting their communities through the ups and downs of everyday life. I am excited at the prospect of the future positive impact we can have in our communities across the region.” The Venerable Stephen Pullin, Archdeacon of Berkshire and Chair of the Poverty and Inequality Steering Group added: “The report emphasises ways in which churches have adapted well to changing circumstances and discovered innovative ways to make a positive impact in areas of emerging and greatest need. “The findings set out in the report will help shape the priorities of the steering group. We aim to create an online space where effective initiatives can be shared between churches and be continually refreshed and developed, and to encourage churches to work together for the growth of God’s Kingdom.”
DIG IN: Members of Freely Fruity, several Rotary clubs and the Wokingham Community Garden Project came together at Winnersh Meadows to plant 100 apple trees Picture: Phil Creighton
New community orchard takes root VOLUNTEERS will have to wait a while to see the fruits of their labour. On Sunday, 100 apple trees were planted in Winnersh Meadows to create a community orchard. Over time, it is hoped that they will both blossom and produce fruit that people can eat. The project came about when Matthew Knight, cofounder of Freely Fruity, met Amrita Reddy of Wokingham Community Garden Project (WCGP) on a WBC clean air initiative conference call. After discussions with fellow Freely Fruity co-founders Ryan Simpson and James Whittingham, it was agreed the existing trees were in poor health. Volunteers from both groups started clearing and repairing damage to them, while they were joined on Sunday by members of several Rotary clubs to plant the additional trees.
Mr Knight said: “We’ve already planted hundreds of fruit trees in the local area. But this is our first major community orchard; so it is quite special to our charity. “We hope that the residents of Winnersh enjoy the fruits of the trees planted for years to come.” Ms Reddy said: “When the orchard is fully restored and bears fruit, we can come together as a community to enjoy nature’s abundance and be proud that we made it happen. “Our long-term vision is to hold apple pressings, picnics and other social events for our community in the future.” The Rotary Clubs present were from Winnersh and Binfield, Maidenhead and Loddon Vale. A spokesperson for them said: “By working together we can achieve so much more.” Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for Environment and Leisure at Wokingham Borough
Council, is a keen supporter of the Winnersh Meadows scheme and attended Sunday’s planting session. He praised the teams for their work, and Freely Fruity for providing the trees, saying he was really excited about the prospect of the fruit coming through from next summer. “This also contributes towards our objective, of being carbon neutral by 2030,” he said. “We’re planting 250,000 trees across the borough, and this is going to be part of that process, helping the environment.” Freely Fruity said it is looking for new places to expand its work. “If you have a public space or school that would benefit from the planting of fruit trees please get in touch,” Mr Knight. “People can request assistance from our charity by visiting our website at: www.freelyfruity.org.”
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6 | NEWS
Free pipe lagging ONE of Wokingham’s water suppliers is offering to help people lag pipes ahead of winter. South East Water says that the one simple task can help protect cold water pipes and taps from freezing and bursting. The company says that it is a home improvement job that need not be costly, as it is sending out lagging via its website, free of charge. The lagging can also be bought from DIY stores. The company says pipes burst when exposed to extreme cold such as in attics and outside buildings. Garden taps also need protecting. And with temperatures forecast to drop this weekend, it seems like it could be timely advice for the company’s 2.2 million customers. Steve Andrews, South East Water’s head of central operations, said: “A very wellinsulated pipework system will help cut down on running costs and save on maintenance. “Burst pipes are a very unpleasant and inconvenient problem and when they occur inside the home or in the boundary of a property they are usually the responsibility of the householder to repair.”
n For the winter kit, additional advice and a video on how to protect water pipes go to southeastwater.co.uk/winter n The name of a qualified plumber can be found at watersafe.org.uk or by calling call 0333 207 9030
Festive singalong A POPULAR festive singalong is returning to Wokingham Town Hall. Taking place on Saturday, December 4, from noon to 1pm, the event aims to add a little jingle to the weekend in the countdown to Christmas. The free event will be held inside Wokingham Town Hall, but places need to be booked. n For more visit: ticketsource. co.uk/wokinghamtowncouncil or call 0118 974 0882.
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Hare Hatch Sheeplands reveals £5 million renovation plan at show EXCLUSIVE
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A BOROUGH plant nursery has published plans for its £5 million renovation.
The owners of Hare Hatch Sheeplands are hoping to secure a change of use for their business from plant nursery to garden centre. This would mean they could then “compete on a level playing field” with Dobbies and The Berkshire Gardener on the Bath Road, said owner Rob Scott. This would include diversifying the range of products for sale. He hopes to secure approval for a £5 million renovation, which would upgrade the facilities while continuing the centre’s community ethos. Operations director Andy Dicks said he wants the site to be a place for everyone. “We will continue to serve the local community and be a meeting place for dozens of clubs,” he said. “We are not changing that ethos. “But we need to move with the times and modernise.” The plans include the current plant nursery being knocked down and replaced by a modern building with an outdoor display area. The farm shop would remain, and the cafe relocated to a different section of the building. “Our farm shop is 36 years old,” Mr Dicks said. “It’s as local as you can get. We can tell you where everything came from.” Outside, the duo hope to include a play area, which backs onto a field for recreational use. This would replace existing glass houses. They also hope to plant a woodland at the north of the site, alongside the Bath Road. This would mostly consist of purple-flowering Paulownia trees, which research has shown can capture 10 times more carbon than some other tree species. Also included in the plans are allotments, which could be used by nearby schools or community groups. These will replace current glass houses that are in a poor state of repair, Mr
PLANS: From left: Robb Scott and Andy Dicks hope to remove some of the existing glass houses in favour of green space Picture: Steve Smyth Scott said. The aim is that some of the produce grown on site will be used in the cafe. Hare Hatch Sheeplands ran a public consultation on its plans from Friday until Sunday last week. The three-day event showcased the visual plans in the current cafe, with questionnaires for visitors to complete. And the team were on hand to discuss the proposals. Mr Scott said the three-day event was a great success, with many people “overjoyed” to see the centre progressing
on its plans to refurbish the site. He said there were more that 200 responses to the feedback questionnaire, with 95% of respondents either agreeing or strongly agreeing with five questions. These explored support for the proposals, whether the plans were an improvement to the current site and buildings, and views on landscaping, reducing the number of buildings, and providing facilities for community groups to grow their own. The questionnaire also allowed
residents to provide any comments. Mr Scott said the majority of commenters praised Sheeplands on moving forward in its ambitions to redevelop the site, with some calling the plans “fantastic”. Of those that provided suggestions, Mr Scott said that these included a range of further ways to ensure the development is as eco-friendly as possible. One suggestion from a visitor included a pedestrian entrance to the site, along the A4.
Plant a tree and visit Santa
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GOOD boys and girls have been waiting very patiently, not least as last year’s Christmas was hit by lockdowns and tier restrictions, but Santa Claus is coming, well, not to town, but to village. Father Christmas is preparing to take up residence at Hare Hatch Sheeplands. He is taking extra precautions to ensure his grotto is covid-safe. Not only that, but he has one eye on the environment as children visiting will be able to plant a tree in a nearby woodland. Sheeplands has teamed up with the Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh and Just Around the Corner for this project, which will see the trees planted in its Rehoboth stables, off Forest Road in Wokingham. This is free, but donations towards the costs will be welcomed. Each child who takes up the offer will receive a certificate. Santa will be arriving on Saturday, December 4, seeing children at weekends until Monday, December 20, when he will be welcoming wish lists through to Christmas Eve. Children can also enjoy breakfast with Santa.
n For more details, visit: www.harehatchsheeplands. co.uk/santa
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Reindeer come to Dinton Pastures DINTON Pastures are inviting families to enjoy a weekend of festive activities next month. It takes place on Saturday, December 11, and Sunday 12. Two reindeer and their handlers from Riverways Farm, Twyford, will be meeting visitors in the cafe garden. The opportunity to get close to the animals, and maybe feed them a treat, will cost £3 for children aged 4 and up. Under 4s go free. The new activity centre area will host a Climb and Zip. Children aged 8 and above can climb up and zip line off a static climbing tower. Tickets are £3. The activity centre will also be the venue for Christmas crafts. Families can decorate pine cones and wooden slices to make festive tree ornaments. This activity costs £3. This is suitable for all ages, but adult supervision of children is required. A special guided paddle tour around the lakes will take place between 10.30am and 1.30pm on both days. Adventurers can choose between a kayak, canoe or SUP and take to the water for a different view of the park. The paddle will finish back in the centre with a hot drink and a mince pie. Child tickets are £25 each, adults £30. n For more information, visit: www.dinton-pastures.co.uk
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LadBaby: Give when you shop at Tesco By LAURA SCARDARELLA news@wokingham.today
APPEAL: Mark Hoyle, is using his platform to raise awareness of poverty
A SOCIAL media star with a penchant for sausage rolls is giving his support to a festive food appeal.
Lifestyle blogger LadBaby, also known as Mark Hoyle, is using his platform to raise awareness of poverty in supporting food banks this festive season, and wants people to give generously to the Tesco Food Collection. Wokingham shoppers can donate at the firm’s Finchampstead Road store. The LadBaby family’s numerous charity singles have been Christmas number ones for the past three years — the third act in the UK to top the charts for three consecutive years. The collection, which is already underway, is encouraging people in Wokingham to buy an extra tin of long-life food to give to food banks in the Trussell Trust network. And Tesco will help food redistribution charity FareShare provide food to frontline organisations and community groups. Mr Hoyle said: “Everyone deserves to have an amazing Christmas, but unfortunately,
a lot of people will have real problems affording the essentials for their families this year. “No one should have to go to bed hungry, but today far too many do, which is devastating, and we all need to pull together and do what we can to help.” Mr Hoyle added that a donation to the Tesco Food Collection is an easy way to help food banks and individuals across Wokingham. He said: “By putting an extra tin in your basket to donate at the end of your shop, you could really be helping someone out.” The supermarket is playing its part topping up all customer donations by 20%. FareShare chief executive Lindsay Boswell added that the items they receive are vital to the charity. She is encouraging people to
add an extra tin of tuna or bag of pasta to their baskets when shopping at Tesco this weekend. “Generous donations from customers will ensure we’re able to continue providing much needed food this Christmas to a huge range of organisations supporting people in their communities,” she said. Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie explained that donations will be invaluable. She said: “For many people, the winter period can be extremely challenging, so once again we are urging shoppers to give generously and make a difference to people who need our support over the festive period.”
COP26: Pupils at Shinfield St Mary CE Junior School took part in the event
Shinfield pupils show eco work at COP26 A SHINFIELD teacher is feeling proud of his pupils after they appeared at COP26. Children from Shinfield St Mary CE Junior School took part in the event last week. They starred in two videos that were shown to global leaders at the Glasgow conference. Matthew Knight, head of ecology and sustainability at the school, was excited that the children and the school were being recognised globally for their green efforts. “The children were all super excited and proud to be part of such an important event,” he said. In one video, the school was one of just five UK schools to perform in a song called It’s Action Time, a special reworking of Bob Geldof and Midge Ure’s Do They Know it’s Christmas. The choir of 30 Year Six pupils rehearsed and recorded the
music video in just two days, which was presented by actor Ewan McGregor. Mr Knight added: “The kids were really excited. They all know him from the Star Wars films.” The other video featured pupils from the school’s eco club showing viewers around their award-winning school site. It boasts its own biodome and more than 40 raised beds for growing fruit and vegetables. “We’ve worked very hard over the past few years to embed sustainability into our school’s curriculum and ethos,” Mr Knight explained. “We intend to set up a network of schools to share knowledge and ideas.” The school has two eco deputies who run the eco club. Elizabeth said: “The work we’re doing here at Shinfield is really great,” she said. “Hopefully more schools will join us.”
Hurst heads to the Wild West TICKETS are now on sale so families can get 2022 off to a fun-filled start with Hurst Pantomime Group’s, A Lad in The Wild West. The group’s tenth production is a twist on the classic Aladdin pantomime. Swapping the Arabian desert for Texan ranches, our heroes include Jasmine, a plucky cowgirl, and her trusty steed, Flying Carpet.
An original script, this pantomime promises lots of laughs and sing-a-long tunes. The popular pantomime couldn’t go ahead in 2021 but is planned to return from Thursday to Saturday, January 20-22, in the coming new year. Claire Lawrence, producer, said: “We’re so pleased to be back after a longer than usual break and are really looking forward to entertaining
audiences again. “The support from the community for this year’s panto has been fantastic. We are very lucky to have a talented and dedicated cast and crew, who are working hard to prepare a fabulous show.” Prices have been frozen at previous levels and start from £7 for seniors and under 16s. n To buy tickets, visit: www. hurstpanto.org.uk.
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Great start for borough’s Giving Tree gift appeal
APPEAL: Tesco Wokingham community champion Louise Jedras with store manager Lukasz Zawada at the launch of the 2021 Giving Tree appeal Picture: Phil Creighton
By NATALIE BURTON nburton@wokingham.today
THIS year’s Giving Tree appeal to help Santa fill his sleigh has got off to a flying start.
The annual event asks the generous residents of Wokingham and surrounding areas to make sure less fortunate youngsters are visited by Father Christmas. This year’s Giving Tree launched at a special event held in the Tesco Wokingham superstore on Friday, November 12. Organiser Gill Mckernan, the woman behind the appeal, said that it is the best start to the annual campaign she has seen and that she has been blown away by the response so far. “Gifts have started to come in and I’m already delivering more tags to all of the trees,” she said. “I am being kept busy with it, and I am so thankful to everyone for their generosity so far.”
It couldn’t be easier to get involved and make sure that no child goes without this Christmas. Residents are asked to choose a tag from one of the trees, buy the gift or voucher requested on it, and return it, unwrapped, to the tree. All of the children nominated for gifts are connected with a number of charities, including Barnardo’s, Look Ahead Care, Home Start and Building for
the Future. Volunteers from the charities will organise the wrapping and delivering of the gifts in time for Christmas Day. Trees can be found at several locations throughout the area. Mrs Mckeran works closely with staff at all locations to deliver tags and collect gifts. Louise Jedras, Tesco Wokingham’s community
champion, said that it is wonderful to see how quickly tags are being taken from the store’s tree and how many gifts have already been donated. Mrs Jedras said: “Several customers have mentioned to me how pleased they are to see the Giving Tree back and that they have been waiting to collect their tag.” “The Giving Tree is definitely now a Wokingham Christmas tradition.”
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Almost 90% of shop workers are abused THE MAJORITY of shopworkers have been abused at work, according to new data. New statistics from retail trade union Usdaw, show that 64% of their members in the south east have been threatened by a customer, with 89% verbally abused and 11 % physically. Last week was Respect for Shopworkers week, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley declared his support for the #ShopKind campaign, delivered by the Association of Convenience Stores. Matthew Barber said it is a growing problem, with the British Retail Consortium estimating 455 abusive incidents every day. The #ShopKind campaign is the Association of Convenience Stores, and backed by the Home Office, to encourage positive behaviour in shops, acknowledge the important role shopworkers have and highlight the impact of and scale of violence and abuse they face. Mr Barber said: “Shopworkers play a crucial role in our communities, demonstrated so clearly throughout the pandemic,
yet during this time the scale of abuse and violence directed at them has worryingly increased. “Nobody should be going to work fearing for their safety which is why it is so important to support the #ShopKind campaign. “I urge shopworkers who experience abuse or violence to report it and ask customers in our communities to continue to be mindful of the essential role that shopworkers do and give them the respect and gratitude they deserve.” Usdaw has also urged retail staff not to suffer in silence. Paddy Lillis, the union’s general secretary said the statistics are heart-breaking. “Our latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shopworkers and demonstrate the need for a ‘protection of shopworkers’ law,” he said. “It is extremely worrying that more than half are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference and 7% of those assaulted did not report the incident. “The alarm bells are ringing and
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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New petition aims to tackle borough’s housing numbers BUILDING: Housing being built in Shinfield Picture: Phil Creighton
By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today
A NEW petition is being launched in a bid to make Wokingham borough’s housing target ‘fairer’.
At the moment, the government sets a target of new homes to be built per year, and the feeling is that, at 759, it’s too high. This was revised down in December last year from 1,635 new homes a year. Two years ago there was a consultation run by Wokingham Borough Council shortly after Cllr John Halsall became leader, in which residents overwhelmingly called for housing numbers to be reduced. He also threatened to parade naked down Whitehall should the government not take action. Cllr Halsall said at the time: “We stood to lose so much had the government gone ahead with the proposals and doubled the number of houses we needed to build every year in the borough from 789 to 1,635. This is even more important now than it was before, now that it appears we may not be able to build a new garden town at Grazeley. “Although the number is still too high, the proposed increase has been removed. “So now we go back and look
at all our options and go back to our residents when we come up with a plan B.” Now there is a new communities secretary in the form of MP Michael Gove, Wokingham’s Liberal Democrats are saying it is time for new action to be taken. The group’s leader, Cllr Clive Jones, said that it was time that the government changed the way it calculates local housing needs and the number of new homes forced on a borough. “Wokingham borough is expected to allow developers to build almost 16,000 new houses in the next 20 years. This is on top of the 11,000 houses that have already been built by developers in the last 15 years,”
he said. “16,000 New houses in the next 20 years just is not fair.” And he said that Wokingham needed more one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, as well as bungalows and affordable homes, but didn’t need the high numbers expected from the Draft Local Plan update. Although the party is launching a petition, at the Executive meeting of Wokingham Borough Council, held on November 12, Cllr Halsall said that the Conservatives would not be taking them into consideration during the local plan consultation. “This is very undemocratic and its wrong for the council leader to take this
attitude,” Cllr Jones said. “Local residents are entitled to express their opinions and take what action they feel is appropriate to support their areas “Local Lib Dems have decided to petition the Secretary of State for levelling up, housing and communities to lobby them to reduce our numbers in Wokingham. “We need as many Wokingham residents as possible to sign our petition.” To raise awareness, the party will deliver 40,000 leaflets over coming weeks to provide residents with more details.
n The petition can be seen at www.wokinghamlibdems.org.uk/ housing
Stamp duty holiday: Wokingham saves £31m THE STAMP duty holiday saved Wokingham movers more than £31 million – the highest in the Thames Valley. In all, there were 2,862 homes sold during the period when the chancellor dropped or reduced the tax on transactions below £500,000. The discount ran from July last year, with the tax holiday tapered from July 1 this year through to the end of September, when the duty returned to normal levels. Last week, the government released its latest house price index providing the first concrete view of the market in September of this year when the curtain finally fell on the stamp duty holiday. In the first phase, when no stamp duty was payable on the first £500,000 of transactions, Wokingham movers saved a total of £30,884,224. When this threshold was then reduced to purchases up to £250,000 between July 1 and September 30, there was a saving of and £135,319 in the second phase, making a total saving of £31,019,543. In neighbouring Reading, there were 1,974 house moves, saving of £13,687,429 in the first phase and then £134,190 in the second, making
the total saved £13,821,619. Reading borough was one of the lowest levels of moving activity in the Thames Valley. Only in Slough were there fewer transactions. Just 993 homes were sold in the period, saving £7,568,178. Bracknell Forest saw 2,014 transactions and £17,380,292 saved. Windsor and Maidenhead saw 2,183 homes sold, saving £26,175,881, and West Berkshire saw 2,426 homes sold, but the stamp duty saving was lower, at £21,603,607. The figures were compiled by London-based lettings and estate agent Benham and Reeves, that noted that London as a whole saved £1.015 billion during the first phase of the stamp duty holiday, and a further £4.3 million in the second phase. Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, said: “When analysing the market by borough the pandemic influence of the last 18 months or so is clear to see. Transactions and, as a result, the total stamp duty saving were far higher across London’s more peripheral boroughs where buyers were able to buy bigger and with more outdoor space.”
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New app helps track drinking A MOBILE phone app to track alcohol consumption is now available to borough residents. Cranstoun, the borough’s substance misuse service, has launched the Lower My Drinking app. It provides tailored support to people who want to drink less alcohol. Annie Steele, assistant director of service, said that the app is easy to use. “The app supports people with their goals to get healthier, feel better and live healthy, safe and happy lives,” she explained. It guides residents to selfassess their drinking, learn about potential health consequences and receive tailored support to help reduce drinking to lower risk levels. It uses techniques based on cognitive-behavioural therapy and mindfulness to manage drinking. Estimates from Public Health England and the Office of National Statistics showed the number of people drinking excessively almost doubled during covid lockdowns. Residents who require professional help will be signposted to alcohol support services. The app is free for residents to use and can be downloaded from Google Play and Apple App Store.
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Wokingham’s Living Advent Calendar returns next week By NAT BURTON news@wokingham.today
WOKINGHAM residents are invited to a series of concerts in the run-up to Christmas.
Wokingham Town Council has once again teamed up with more arts to run a living Advent calendar in the town centre. The doors will be opened on each musical treat in the run-up to Christmas every Saturday in December. Jim Stockely, more arts chair, is happy to be back with live events this year. “We have arranged larger performances and a variety of music to suit all tastes to help get Wokingham into the Christmas spirit,’ he said. There are 12 acts due to take to the stage over four days. On Saturday, December 4, there will be performances from Redlands String Quartet, St Sebastian Wokingham Band and Thames Valley Chorus. The bill on Saturday, December 11, includes Lea Lyle’s and her band Love That Jazz, Chloe Zarb and the Mitchel Family, and a special performance by Gareth Ainsworth, Kendal Pyne and
Pauly Zarb. The stage will then be handed over on the following Saturday to Bohunt School pupil Emma Woolford. Pop duo BoaBella and close harmony group Jaxannah, with their special guest Martha Adams, complete the line up. The final event on Christmas Eve will begin with St Crispin’s pupil Ella Zarb. She will be followed on stage by Milie Dryden. Guitarist and vocalist James Hender will close the show. To bring festive joy to those unable to attend in person, organisers will be streaming the whole series on YouTube. Event organisers are also working with care homes that remain under some pandemic restrictions, to hold special live streaming events. This will give homebound residents a chance to be part of the Christmas
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spirit. One of the care homes that will take part in the live streaming is Pinehurst Care Home, Crowthorne. Spokesperson Vicki Pembroke explained that they have had to adapt how they access music for residents since the pandemic began. “We are thrilled that we will be able to watch all of these events live, and be able to catch up in the day or two after. This means I will be able to take it to residents in their rooms, too,” she said. The first three events will take place in the Town Hall. Christmas Eve’s venue is The Ship Inn on Peach Street. The events take place between 7pm and 8.30pm. Free tickets must be booked for Town Hall events. n For more information, visit: wokinghamadvent.org.uk
HUNT: Children tracked down Pudsey Picture: Muddy Ducks Nursery
Nursery’s muddy bear hunt helps Children in Need CHILDREN went on a bear hunt last week in aid of charity. More than 20 children from Muddy Ducks Nursery in Dinton Pastures Country Park went on the look out for Pudsey Bear, in aid of Children in Need. The group received an SOS message from the yellow bear on Wednesday, November 17, that he was lost and needed help.
No changes to borough bin days this Christmas RUBBISH and recycling dates for the Christmas period have been announced by Wokingham Borough Council. This year it’s easier than ever: there are no changes to the schedule. Collections will be on residents’ normal bin collection day, including garden waste. Residents have been asked to put their bins out the night before, as rounds will start earlier than usual. The council has stressed
Echocardiogram wait list soars THE NUMBER of people waiting for a heart scan has soared in the area. More than 30 times more people under the care of Berkshire West CCG are waiting more than six weeks for an echocardiogram. The number of the waiting list has climbed from six people waiting more than six weeks in February 2020, to 183 in September this year. The British Heart Foundation is concerned that widescale disruption and reduced access to these tests has created a huge “hidden” backlog of people with heart disease who have not yet made
that all paper and cardboard recycling must be kept dry as it cannot be recycled if it is wet. Metallic wrapping paper must be put in blue waste bags as this cannot be recycled. Christmas cards can go in green sacks, but residents are encouraged to consider finding a charity that may collect them for fundraising. Real Christmas trees can be cut up and placed in brown bins or compostable sacks and put out as normal. it onto treatment waiting lists. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the BHF, said: “Waiting lists for heart treatments were too long even before the pandemic began, and they are now rising to record levels. “Yet this is only half the story. Without an echocardiogram, doctors can’t see how well the heart is working and if someone needs potentially life saving treatment for heart disease. “The long delays we now see create a domino effect of disruption to heart care and treatment that ultimately puts lives at risk. “This is all the more tragic when effective heart treatments exist.”
“We all set off in search of Pudsey,” a Muddy Ducks spokesperson said. “Luckily he had mapped his way with arrows and Pudsey faces for us to follow. “We were pleased to find him and took him back to nursery for lunch.” The group raised more than £150 in their sponsored bear hunt.
Wreath making at Cantley Park WOKINGHAM Borough Council is offering a range of festive daytime workshops this year. They all take place at Cantley Park Cafe, on Twyford Road. There are several opportunities to make Christmas wreaths on three Thursdays: December 2, December 9 and December 16. Participants will use artificial materials to make a door display for their homes. Also being offered is the chance to make unique cards, tags and wrapping paper in a seasonal printmaking class. It may get messy, so crafters are encouraged to wear old clothes. This will take place on the afternoon of Thursday, December 2. Gaynor White of crochet group Barkham Hookers will be running a Christmas crochet workshop on Thursday, December 9. Suitable for those who can complete the basic stitches, crafters will make snowflakes, chocolate orange cosies and covered baubles. Tickets are between £27.50 and £33, and materials for all courses will be provided. Tickets must be bought in advance. n To book, visit the Wokingham Borough Council page on: www. eventbrite.co.uk
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Santa comes to Sanctuary plans Swallowfield site Lower Earley and Woodley EXCLUSIVE
By LAURA SCARDARELLA news@wokingham.today
AN ANIMAL sanctuary is preparing to open a special therapy centre at its base near Swallowfield.
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today
FATHER Christmas will be touring Woodley and Lower Earley on his sleigh this festive season.
Organised by the Woodley and Earley Lions Club, there will be a range of neighbourhood routes for youngsters to catch a sight of the white-bearded man. They all begin at 6.15pm. It begins on Monday, November 29, with Santa Claus travelling from Seldon Avenue to Telford Crescent. On Tuesday, November 30, he will be touring from Vauxhall Drive to Fitzroy Crescent. On Thursday, December 2, Santa will be travelling from Silverdale Road to Andrews Road. On Monday, December 6, he will be moving from Sherbourne Drive to Glendevon Drive. On Tuesday, December 7, he will be touring from Duffield Drive to Alderley Close. And on Thursday December 9, he will be travelling from Squirrels Way to Highfield. Mr Claus will be returning to Vauxhall Drive on Monday, December 13, but this time travelling to Kingsford Close. He will travel between Comet Way and Armstrong Way on Tuesday, December 14. And Santa will tour from
PICTURE: Jesson Mata on Unsplash
Harvard Close to Blanchard Close on Thursday, December 16. He will be travelling from Gemini Road to Bluebell Crescent on Monday, December 20, and from Welford Road to Perth Close on Tuesday, December 21. Father Christmas will also park his sleigh at a range of other locations. He will be at The Berkshire Gardener, in Hare Hatch, from 11am to 5pm on Wednesday, December 1. He will be at Sainsbury’s in Winnersh on Saturday, December 4, and Friday, December 17. Mr Claus will be visiting Woodley Market on Saturday, December 11, and on Wednesday, December 22. And he will be at Woodley Winter Fayre on Sunday, December 5. He will also be at the Winnersh Garden Centre on Wednesday, December 8.
With 21 horses, goats and sheep, The Berkshire Animal Connection Centre (BACC) is now gearing up to help people recover from mental health issues and trauma. Founded last year, the charity cares for animals from a variety of backgrounds, including horses from veterinary school studies, to neglect cases. Each one is assessed by BACC’s equine behaviourist and given the care it needs. After successful rehabilitation, the horses will be suitable for animal assisted therapy, which the charity hopes to launch next summer. Founder and chairman Fiona Graham said she can’t wait to put her plans into practice. “Animal therapy, particularly equine therapy, is a proven way to help people suffering from a variety of physical and mental health issues,” she said. “Our wonderful animals will work with specialist therapists to support treatments for addiction, PTSD, grief, and anxiety.” The horses already get occasional visits from residents who wish to pet and feed them. “At the moment we have families that come and visit our shetlands, just to make them feel good and to get out in the fresh air,” she added. “So the interaction side with our animals is also very important, which is something we already do.”
NEW LIFE: Fiona Graham says she gives animals a future that they wouldn’t have otherwise The centre is planning to establish the sanctuary as a therapy centre, but is looking for sponsorships with businesses to get it up and running. Ms Graham explained: “There’s a lot to learn and a lot of plans to be put in place between now and June when we hope to open the therapy centre. It will give people respite and support with any issues they currently have.”
She said that she is always looking to improve on fundraising ideas for the centre. “We want to let people see what we’re doing because we’re probably Berkshire’s best-kept secret. We give all these animals a future where they otherwise wouldn’t have one.” n For more information, visit animalconnectioncentre.org
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Council delays Christmas market at Cantley Park By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today
WOKINGHAM’S Christmas market has been delayed this year.
Based at Cantley Park, market huts were due to begin trading at the weekend. But after the synthetic skating rink disappointment, the borough council has “re-thought” its plans for the accompanying Christmas market. It will now open on Wednesday, December 8, and run until Thursday, December 23. Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure at the council, said: “We planned this event to bring some extra Christmas cheer to the people of the borough – and some things have not gone as well as expected. “We are sorry for that and want to make sure that, when we do open the market, it is a great attraction for all. “To make things better, we are providing a complete refund to all
DELAYED: The Christmas market will now open on Wednesday, December 8, instead of this weekend Picture: cmophoto.net on Unsplash traders who have already paid for their Christmas Market huts – and won’t be charging those who had not yet paid. This will give us a good range of arts, crafts, food and drink offers to make it well-worth a visit.”
First Days praises school uniform price guidance but says there is more to be done for families A BOROUGH charity has praised legallybinding guidance on making school uniforms affordable for families — but says more can be done. The Government has published new advice on the subject, with suggestions including keeping branded uniform to a minimum and encouraging high street options. It also states that all schools need to have second-hand uniform available, as an affordable option that also helps the environment. The Department for Education (DfE) guidance means schools in England must ensure that school uniform costs are reasonable, and parents get the best value for money. The changes come into effect next autumn. Emma Cantrell, founder of First Days Children’s Charity, welcomed the move.
She said it is a good first step, and looks forward to working with schools on implementing the new guidance. Ms Cantrell added: “Every step towards affordable school uniform is a step in the right direction, however, the requirements for set out in this guidance do not go far enough for the families we support. “A lot of work still needs to be done to make the requirements a reality and the wording of this bill leaves a lot of room for schools avoid the changes that are really needed to make uniforms truly affordable. The truth is, even with these recommendations school uniform is still a cost that many household budgets cannot stretch to.” Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children’s Society, said some parents have had to cut back on essentials, including food and heating, to afford
Cllr Batth said the treatment to the surface of the rink has been “improved” to make it better to skate on. The council is also offering half price skating for any visitors that buy two hot drinks at Cantley Park Café. Blades on skating boots have been sharpened, and more Christmas decorations added to the rink, the council said. Temporary toilets for visitors have also been added on site. Companies and charities with stands at the event include; Pizza Addicts, Lilly White Cakes, Simply Beads, Unholy Donuts, Jewelercise, First Days Children’s Charity, Sew Natural, Eleanor Jane Beauty Gifts, Olive Tree Dental, Blue Orchid Bakery, The Cowshed, Hop in a Box, Heaven Sent, The Magpie and Parrot, Luna Ray, Get Set Pet, and Berkshire Chock Shop. The market is free and runs from noon to 8pm from Mondays to Saturdays, and noon until 6pm on Sundays. school uniforms. “For too many years the cost of school uniform has been a heavy financial burden on many families, causing money worries and even debt,” he said. “These new guidelines to make sure school uniforms are affordable are extremely welcome. “We hope schools are able to start working with the guidance, which should ultimately make it much easier for families to kit out their children for school without breaking the bank.” Ms Cantrell said uniforms should make children feel equal to their peers, well equipped and comfortable. “Schools need a uniform that encourages a good learning environment, and parents need to not be expected to spend, as is true for those with the lowest income, over three weeks full income on school uniform alone,” she said. Her charity’s school uniform project will continue to make second hand uniform and equipment available,
TEA TIME: Charlotte Prince, Robyn Nixon and Danielle Allwood serving up the refreshments All pictures: Steve Smyth
School Green centre holds open day for Shinfield THE SCHOOL Green Centre opened its doors to families at the weekend. The newly-built community facility held an open day on Saturday, for Shinfield residents to look inside. At the event, there were a range of stalls run by businesses and community groups, promoting their services. families got stuck into a variety of children’s activities, while Robyn
Nixon, from Robyn’s Nest, served up refreshments. Ms Nixon has launched a cafe in the centre. It is also home to Shinfield Parish Council, and has three large halls for hire. The centre also has smaller meeting rooms, a courtyard garden, a children’s area, a library run by the borough council and a kitchen.
Esme (6) & Maddy Manthey (7) couldn’t resist giving a giant Teddy a cuddle on one of the stalls
James Suarez promotes Shinfield Running Club
Francesca Lane, Kouy Young and Jo Marshall on the reception desk
Developer organises talks for residents RESIDENTS at two retiree communities enjoyed talks from societies last week. The public joined homeowners at Birch Place, Crowthorne to hear about the Wokingham branch of the University of the Third Age, or U3A. Wokingham U3A is open to all who are retired or no longer in full time employment. The talk was given by David Spinks, new members’ secretary. Meanwhile at Loddon House, Twyford, visitors enjoyed a talk
about the history of the village from the Twyford and Ruscombe History Society. The events were organised by the developer of both sites, McCarthy Stone. Verity McKay, divisional marketing manager for McCarthy Stone Southern, thanked all the speakers for entertaining talks. “It was wonderful that both events provided a great opportunity to bring our homeowners and locals together again,” she added.
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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‘Make town paths more accessible’ says 90-year-old man
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today
AN ELDERLY resident is calling on the borough council to make footpaths accessible for wheelchair users.
Peter Ashcroft, 90, said that many paths in Wokingham town centre have metal barriers at their start and end points. He said that this “street clutter” prevents access for wheelchair users and mothers with children in pushchairs. Mr Ashcroft said that the barriers often force him to use busier routes. “A major issue for myself is the entrance to Cockpit Path from Langborough Road,” he explained. “The barrier access to Cockpit Path prevents access to my doubleamputee son’s accommodation at Sale Garden Cottages. “I’m forced to drive my mobility scooter through the busy town centre to access Sale Garden Cottages from Denton Road.” Mr Ashcroft said that he has been calling for accessibility improvements from Wokingham Borough Council for five years — but there has been no action. He added: “For several years I have been reduced to driving a
mobility scooter. Driving it through a busy town centre is harrowing, to say the least. “Street clutter and advertising boards are a health and safety issue that need to be addressed by the council. “Plainly, WBC is offending the 2010/12 Equalities Act by not making footpaths and the town centre safe for wheelchair users, the visually impaired, and mothers with small children in baby carriages.” Cllr Maria Gee, Liberal Democrat councillor for Wescott, said that the borough council committed to resolving the issue on Cockpit Path two years ago. But nothing has happened. In an email to the borough council, she said: “I am finding it tricky to have confidence in the system, since works were promised for early 2020. I cannot tell you, without getting emotional, how absolutely disappointed I am in the council’s response to this issue.” Cllr Gee said not actioning Cockpit Path barrier replacement is a “failure” of the council’s Public Sector Equality Duty, because the council has had “sufficient notice” to address the accessibility issue. She added: “The failure to
replace this gate in a timely manner, so as to allow a man in his nineties to gain easy access to his disabled son, is both repugnant and a tragedy.” Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport, said that it is not always possible to remove barriers when there are “reasonable alternative routes are available”. She added: “The council is aware of the concerns raised about the accessibility of some footpaths and is preparing a programme of works to resolve these issues where possible. “We must take into consideration the access and safety needs of all users.” According to guidance from the Department for Transport, there are minimum pavement widths required for people with different needs. The government department advises 75cm width for a person with a walking stick, 90cm width for someone with crutches or a walking frame, 1metre and 10cm for someone walking with an assistance dog, 1 metre and 20cm for a visually impaired person being guided by someone else, and 1metre, 50cm for someone in a wheelchair and their companion.
TIDY: Residents joined the Whitegates Residents’ Association Committee and Cllr Shirley Boyt to tidy-up Town Lane Picture: Mary Bather
Earley team tidies up Town Lane
EARLEY residents teamed up this month to tidy up Town Lane. On Saturday, November 13, residents joined the ACER (Whitegates Residents’ Association) Committee and Cllr Shirley Boyt, Labour councillor for Bulmershe and Whitegates to clear the route. The group clipped back brambles, cut overhanging branches that were obscuring street lights, swept leaves and
picked litter. The aim was to make the path safer and more enjoyable anyone who uses it to walk or cycle between Pitts Lane, Earley, and Woodley. Mary Bather, from ACER, said residents have also planted bulbs along the route, which is the main access to Bulmershe Park. “ACER members have also initiated the forming of Friends of Bulmershe Open
Space (FoBOS) to press for action to protect and enhance the landscape of our open spaces at Bulmershe Field and Bulmershe Park,” she said. “[We hope] that, with the support of the town and borough councillors, the group can secure an appropriate tree planting and biodiversity regime consistent with maintaining the essential function of both green spaces and for informal recreation.”
We changed our name Dabbawalla is now called
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
LOCAL PLAN UPDATE
Pinewood proposal is ‘scary’ because it has no housing numbers, says petitioner EXCLUSIVE
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today THE CO-FOUNDER of a petition against developing Pinewood said the proposal is “scary” because it includes no housing numbers.
The site has been included in the Revised Growth Strategy, an update to the draft local plan that is currently out for consultation. The aim is for residents to share their views on all sites suggested for future development, with a deadline of Monday, January 17. Bex Brunel-Walker, who lives on Hatch Ride, said that she is
concerned that Pinewood has been included in the document, but without clear information on housing numbers. The strategy proposes “selffunded regeneration” and states: “Pinewood accommodates a number of valued community facilities, but the premises on site are of varied quality, and they would benefit from investment. “Proposals would be drawn up in consultation with the existing occupiers. Some of the income from any housing achieved on the site would be invested back into community facilities on-site, or, if appropriate, their relocation to a new home.”
Ms Brunel-Walker said the proposal is like “deja vu”, and said that a similar suggestion was made around seven years ago for Oakham Park. She said that the land was put up for speculative development, but without clear housing numbers — 113 homes were then built on site. “It feels like it’s happening again,” she said. “The council put it at the end [of the site list] so nobody would notice. That’s why we’re bringing it to the front.” But council leader John Halsall said that the wording for Pinewood in the Draft Local Plan was “pretty precise”. “We have a huge area of very
valued organisations, all of whom are crying out for some investment,” he said. “We’re saying if you want us to help, we could fund that investment by some housing. Just because you build one house on an estate of 10,000 acres it doesn’t mean you’re going to build 10,000 acres of housing. “The plan wording is very, very clear. We’re inviting people to consult on that proposal, if they disagree with the wording, then they’re invited to disagree.” Ms Brunel-Walker questioned what happened to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) from the Oakham Park development, and why it was not used to invest in the
facilities at Pinewood. “I would like to see some investment in the site,” she said. “We seem like the poor relation in Wokingham Without. We feel like we’re at the bottom of the garden. Put the [houses] there, and nobody will notice.” She is also concerned that the relocation of some or all facilities to Gray’s Farm, as mentioned in the Revised Growth Strategy, could stop people from reaching their clubs. “It’s not on a bus route, and a teenager couldn’t really cycle from Crowthorne to Gray’s Farm safely.” Ms Brunel-Walker said the site includes two existing
homes, and an application to expand one was recently denied because the land was considered to be in the countryside. She questioned what had changed since the application was denied, and the site now being considered for development. And with the number of houses unclear, Ms BrunelWalker is worried that the infrastructure cannot cope with more homes. “We’ve got to think about the sewage infrastructure, the impact of cars on the road, and the pressures on GPs,” she said. “The council is not thinking about the bigger picture.”
‘The University of Reading has turned Shinfield from village to town’ THE UNIVERSITY of Reading has been blamed for single handedly turning Shinfield from a village into a large town. Independent councillor, Jim Frewin claims that the “whole community” has changed, following a massive increase in housing and other
developments. And a furious Mr Frewin has firmly laid the blame at the university: “It is the single biggest landowner, and it is selling off land to developers. “Thousands of houses have been built and more are in the pipeline. There is also
commercial building, including a giant film studio and storage for the British Museum. “Shinfield used to be a lovely little village but now it is a large town.” Cllr Frewin claimed new residents have complained about road gridlock and a lack
NEW BUILDS: Development has turned a village into a town claims Cllr Jim frewin Picture: Phil Creighton
READING'S NEW CHAMPION
NEWS, SPOR AND WHATS T ON EVERY WEDNESDAY
of facilities. “We were promised ten sports pitches but they have not been delivered. We were promised a children’s playpark but that has not been delivered. “In the past two years, one doctor’s surgery has closed, some GPs have left and patient numbers have more than doubled. “The university owns a lot of land in the area, and it has been bequeathed more. It just sells it off without any proper thoughts to how it will impact on Shinfield. “I have lived here 40 years
and my wife has lived here all her life. “The place has completely transformed, and it is all down to the university.” A University of Reading spokesperson said: “Proposals for the Loddon Valley Garden Village are at an early stage. We want to ensure that we take a proactive, collaborative approach to this significant scheme, building on the values of positive engagement set down by the neighbouring Thames Valley Science Park and Cine Valley. “This is a real opportunity to bring forward an original
scheme for development that is employment-led, provides benefits for students, and links back to the academic centres of excellence at the University of Reading. “There is still a great deal of work to be done, with much research and technical work yet to be undertaken — however we look forward to undertaking this journey with our students, academic and professional services colleagues, Wokingham Borough Council, and members of the surrounding community to help further shape this vision.”
Clarification on Finchampstead housing numbers LAST week’s edition of Wokingham Today included a map of all sites considered for development in the Revised Growth Strategy. These are up for consultation until Monday, January 17. The report stated that there were 460 homes suggested for Finchampstead. Due to parish boundaries differing from site addresses, there are 190 homes planned
for Finchampstead. This includes five sites. There are 15 homes proposed for Jovike, on Lower Wokingham Road. Five homes are suggested for Tintagel Farm, on Sandhurst Road, with four more on land to the rear of 166 Nine Mile Ride. Also being suggested are 100 homes for Greenacres Farm on Nine Mile Ride, and 66 homes on 31 to 33 Barkham Ride. A new site being considered is Rooks Nest Farm and 24
Barkham Ride, where 270 homes are proposed. This site falls into the Arborfield and Barkham boundary, not Finchampstead. Also mentioned in last week’s Wokingham Today was the “self-funded regeneration” plan for Pinewood. This was included in the Finchampstead break-down, however the site falls within the Wokingham Without boundary.
Union issues strike notice at hospital
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today
STAFF at Wokingham Community Hospital are preparing to strike at the end over the month.
GMB, an NHS staff union, has issued notices to NHS Property Services for five days of strike action from Monday, November 29. Housekeeping, cleaning and catering staff are among those walking out over concerns that NHS Property Services is looking to change job titles, job specifications and bandings. But this has been disputed by NHS Property Services, which claimed GMB is being “misleading”. GMB said any changes could weaken and potentially break the current direct link to facility staff’s existing NHS pay rates. Asia Allison, GMB senior organiser, said: “It’s worth remembering that these staff didn’t want to leave the Berkshire Healthcare NHS family for the private sector in the first place, and they feel pretty much abandoned by the trust, despite having provided a high standard service for many years for them. “Now they find themselves facing having their NHS
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transferring terms and conditions changed by NHSPS through an organisational change program that could potentially circumvent their TUPE protection and can sever the link to their current NHS pay bandings, as it appears was always the plan with Property Services all the way along.” Ms Allison said that strike action is the last resort. But an NHS Property Services spokesperson said that they have worked closely with Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust with the transition. “There have been no changes to their job descriptions, pay or benefits,” they said. “All colleagues transferring into our organisation retain the right to maintain their existing terms and conditions. To suggest otherwise is misleading. “As is standard procedure in similar transfers, job titles will be adapted to ensure they fit with titles used at NHS Property Services. This does not impact pay and is done to ensure new colleagues feel part of our organisation from the outset and are able to access the career paths we have on offer.” Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser said: “Despite claiming
otherwise, Property Services are an outright Ltd private company seeking to take money out of the NHS under the guise of efficiency savings. “What the GMB won’t allow is for that to be at a direct detriment or cost to our members’ pay and terms and conditions.” But the NHS Property services spokesperson said: “NHS Property Services is part of the NHS and owned by the Department of Health and Social Care. Our 5,000 frontline colleagues work tirelessly in healthcare settings across the country to enable excellent patient care. “Their work is invaluable and, over the pandemic, they were responsible for over 9,000 covid additional discharge deep cleans, recommissioned 1,057 extra inpatient beds and worked to create 200 vaccination centres.” Mr Palmer said GMB is happy to meet with NHS Property Services to discuss the issue. He added: “Demotivating staff from the outset, who didn’t really want to transfer over to you in the first place, is just purposeful by property services, as staff who leave will be replaced by new starters on lesser pay rates, fewer holidays and detrimental sickness and pension schemes. “GMB remain happy to discuss but if NHSPS remain on the track they are, then this dispute will see the first round of action, with more to follow.” An NHS Property Services spokesperson added: “We continue to be in discussions with the GMB to seek to avert this unnecessary action.”
TOP THREE: Gordon Dart, Andrew Cooke and Grant Brent at the match Picture: courtesy of Earley Town Council
Earley anglers raise £375 for Thames Valley Air Ambulance
MORE than £300 was raised for Thames Valley Air Ambulance at a charity fishing match. Last month, Earley Town Council’s Water Bailiffs hosted a match at Maiden Erlegh Lake. There were 24 anglers looking for glory on Sunday,
Opening Hours – Mon-Sat 9am – 5:30pm and Sunday – 10am – 4pm General Enquiries – 0118 338 8760 Restaurant Bookings – 0118 338 8762
www.berkshiregardener.co.uk The Berkshire Gardener, Bath Road, Hare Hatch, Berkshire RG10 9SB
October 10, with medals for the top three. Gordon Dart came first place taking the gold medal and crystal tankard. Andrew Cooke took silver and Grant Brent claimed bronze. The match raised £375 for
the charity, which is enough to keep one of its emergency response vehicles on the road for a week. “[This will] bring expertise, equipment and medication to where it is needed most,” said a spokesperson for Earley Town Council.
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Honest motherhood Angela Garwood
Berkshire Bee celebrates one y By NAT BURTON news@wokingham.today
The operation
I
T has been a long week. Leo had a planned operation on Monday and, even though I thought I was ready for it, I was very much not ready for it.
Anyone who’s ever been with their toddler as they’re unwillingly put to sleep by an anaesthetist will know how distressing it is. I came away from the theatre prep room in tears, praying he’d be out of there as quickly as possible. I joined Joel in the hospital cafeteria, wishing he could have been there to see what I saw, our little boy zonked out on a tiny clinical table-bed in a hospital gown. The image taunting my restless mind. After 45 minutes I was called back up to the ward. “Is it over already?” We were naively relieved. I was led to a room where I hopefully assumed Leo would be, most likely still asleep. It was the surgeon wanting to speak with me. Leo’s diagnosis was mild but the surgery was going to be more complicated than they’d initially thought. It was going to be another three hours, with possibly another operation in six months. I returned to Joel in tears once more, annoyed that we’d got our hopes up. Joel worked as I attempted to read my book, trying hard not to let my thoughts wander back to Leo and how the surgery might be going. Every now and again one of us would look up with a face that said, “I miss him and I want to hold him now”. But then, I got a call two hours in, earlier than expected, to say Leo was out of theatre. I practically ran out of the cafeteria. Approaching theatre recovery, I could hear Leo’s cries before reaching the door. I hated the thought of not being there when he woke up. He wouldn’t know where he was or who any of these people were. He was surrounded by three nurses trying to comfort him. A laptop sat on a table with cartoons playing, a bid to distract him. He was placed in my arms and immediately settled as I nursed him. All was well again. The surgeon came to tell me the good news, that the operation had gone well; he didn’t have to perform the more complicated surgery he thought he would; and Leo most likely wouldn’t need another operation, although time would tell. There was nothing I could really say other than “thank you…” to honour just how grateful I was. I sat and held Leo in theatre recovery for more than three hours before a nurse offered for Joel to come up and see him. Still drowsy from the anaesthetic, any attempts at prompting a smile in our weary boy were met with sleepy indifference. We were transferred to a ward where we stayed overnight. I was grateful for the help in administering his medicine, particularly because he absolutely loathed the process and bawled his eyes out every time. Taking his temperature and heart rate were much of the same. I sympathised with any member of staff who had to go near him awake. He made it very clear how he felt and would sometimes cry merely at the sight of a nurse and her thermometer. Now he does the same when he catches me holding a bottle of Calpol. Taught by a nurse, I have perfected the technique of holding a screaming, wriggling toddler whilst administering their medicine and ensuring 90% of it actually goes down their oesophagus. It’s an acquired skill. There is a small carnival in my head every time I successfully get the magic stuff down him. He hates me for another 10 seconds and then it’s back to play time. We’re on the road to recovery, and once again I feel indebted to our NHS. How fortunate we are. n Angela blogs at www.colourfulkind.com
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
A SIMPLE idea born from one man’s passion for beer is winning fans across the county.
FUNDRAISING: Teachers were given a cream pie to the face in aid of Children in Need All pictures: Hawkedon Primary School
Hawkedon pupils raise £2,000 to cream pie their teachers SWEET treats were flying last week when a Lower Earley school raised £2,000 for charity. Hawkedon Primary School pupils raised money for Children In Need on Friday, with the year group that raised the most choosing which teachers to splatter with a cream pie. Throughout the day, students learnt about the charity and how it supports people across the country. They also joined a special Joe Wick’s workout. During a live virtual assembly, 630 pupils watched as head teacher, Gareth O’Shea was hit with a cream
pie to the face. Also to face the whipped dessert were Miss Field, Mrs Pibworth, Mr Partridge, Mr Gillard, Miss Downes, Miss Michael, Mr Smaje and Mrs Coulton. Year 6 pupils had the honour of splattering the pies over their teachers. Organiser of the event, Mrs Bibby, said: “Our pupils and their families did so well to raise such a huge amount of money for Children In Need, and the children roared with laughter being able to watch their teachers get splatted.”
Keep it safe as you climb FAMILIES are being urged to step up their ladder safety this Christmas. New figures show that over 51,000 people ended up in A&E departments last year after taking a tumble putting up the tinsel. The NHS survey also showed that decorating the Christmas tree, and hanging lights inside or outside the house, were common causes for holiday hazards. British safety ladder company, Henchman, lists five steps to prevent festive falls and seasonal slips. Managing director Tom Kitching said: “Nobody ever thinks it will happen to them. How often have we heard people saying, ‘It’s OK, I’ve done this loads of times — I know what I am doing’ as they balance precariously on a ladder or steps? “The sad fact is that it can and does happen. Stretch out a bit too far on an indoor step ladder or lean a ladder against a tree or bush outside that suddenly gives way, and you will fall, risking serious injury or even death.
STEADY: More than 51,000 people take a tumble with the decorations “Following basic rules and investing in the right ladder for the job could save your life.” The company’s five golden rules for ladder safety include making sure equipment is not damaged, have another person with you while using the ladder and checking the terrain and weather.
The Berkshire Beer Box is a monthly real ale delivery service. The contents vary each month to showcase a range of styles, from traditional India Pale Ales and Stouts, to modern Sours. They come from breweries across the county. And it has just celebrated its first anniversary. Jymi Plumer, the Ascot man behind Berkshire Beer Box, was a regular beer review blogger in his spare time. Finding himself out of work during the first lockdown, Jymi started curating selections of beer for friends as something to keep him busy. “I soon realised all the really good beers I was selecting came from Berkshire,” he says. “The idea grew from there.” He began approaching breweries around the county to ask about getting involved in his monthly curated box business. Among the first to say yes were Crafty Cats, Hurst, and Elusive Brewing, Wokingham. Beers from Reading’s Phantom Brewing, Tilehurst’s Double-Barrelled, Finchampstead’s Siren and Bond Brews of Wokingham also regularly feature. “They were all welcoming and helpful regarding the process I’d need to go through to get myself set up,” he adds. He was helped by Peter Feakes, a friend and professional web designer and branding consultant, to build a website and social media presence. Peter also finalised the Berkshire Stag logo. Before the first box went on sale, more than 100 people had registered interest. The busiest month saw selection boxes delivered to 120 homes across the county.
FOUNDER: Jymi Plumer was a regular beer rev Each box is assembled and packaged at Jymi’s home, which initially presented some challenges. “I had to find space for 1,000 flat packed boxes as well as all the beers,” Jymi says. His wife, daughter and mum have all been involved with the box assembling and packing process since the beginning.
How Dragons Den star is helping a Wokingham businesswoman A WOKINGHAM mum has designs on a new career after launching a recycling fashion business during lockdown. Sophie McKeown, 35, started an events company last April but was forced to close it after covid restrictions cancelled all her bookings. The enterprising mum began a new business, designing and selling organic ethically made T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies. Now Sophie has won praise from leading fashion influencers and celebrities from the hit show, Made in Chelsea. She has also won an award from Dragon’s Den star and businessman Theo Paphitis, and made the finals of a TikTok competition to find the UK’s next entrepreneur. “It has been a whirlwind 12
months,” smiled Sophie whose sevenyear-old son, Austin, helps model her designs. “I’d bought a horse box which I’d transformed into a mobile gin bar. I had bookings for weddings and parties all round Berkshire but when lockdown happened I had to return everyone’s deposits and close the business. “Rather than just sit at home and moan, I began to think of another business that I could do. I’ve always loved fashion and recycling and have a background in marketing, so I looked at the market to see if there was a gap I could fill.” Sophie was shocked to discover that around 85% of all clothes bought in Britain ended up in landfill after they wore out. She decided to launch Happi-inc. which stresses the importance of
er Box founder year in business
view blogger in his spare time before launching the Berkshire Beer Box “My daughter is really good at making up boxes now, and my mum sticks all the stickers on,” he explains. Jymi then delivers the boxes to his customers during the last weekend of the month. The business has changed since he returned to work. A subscription service was introduced earlier this year which means that box numbers shopping ethically and sustainably as well as recycling. “All our clothes are made to order in the UK so there is less waste and our packaging contains no plastic,” she says. “Our clothes are organic so no nasty chemicals and we are completely against animal testing. “Customers can wear our clothes with confidence and once they wear out, just return them to us for recycling and receive a five pound voucher on the next purchase.” Sophie was delighted when Made in Chelsea star, Tristan Phipps wore her T-shirt as part of a mental health campaign with all proceeds going to the charity Mind. She has also teamed up with leading fashion influencer, Yasmin Hadfield and her sister Eden Harvey who have over two million followers on a new brand called Wolf Apparel. Sophie now has her sights on the lucrative Christmas market: “I want to make a difference to how we buy our festive clothes. “Millions of Christmas jumpers and T-shirts just get chucked away after a few uses and go to landfill. I have
are strictly limited. But Jymi has no intention of stopping. “I 100% enjoy it, it’s a hobby which has gone crazy,” he says. “I would like to work out a way of including smaller breweries in the boxes.” n For more information, visit: www. berkshirebeerbox.co.uk
FOUNDER: Sophie McKeown’s company creates and recycles clothes a wide range of fun and colourful clothes which will brighten up any party or dark night. “They are all ethically and sustainably made and after Christmas, customers can return them to be recycled rather than end up in the bin.”
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Will’s in car heaven every day of the year LIKE many motorists, Will Wynn faces a daily problem. However, the Wokingham driver does not worry whether the town centre will be choked with traffic or if he should avoid Reading’s IDR. Will just has to decide which of his seven cars he should take out on any given day. The problem is he loves them all. From the moment he bought his first car, a Mark 1 Ford Fiesta for the grand sum of £500, Will has never been happier than when he is sitting in some sort of vehicle. Of course, he might prefer the elegant Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta or the priceless Aston Martin DB4 Zagato as driven in a succession of James Bond films, but Will admits he just loves cars. It is also the reason why he is the founder and owner of MyCarHeaven, a specialist automotive blog full of beautiful, desirable, cool and iconic cars. The site has thousands of followers and is one of the fastest growing of it’s kind in the country. “I’ve loved cars from a young age and had the supercar posters on my wall as a teenager,” he explains. “I love cars from the perspective of the freedom they give you, the way they make you feel, as well as the technology, engineering and aesthetics.” When he is not driving cars, Will loves writing about them, visiting around 20 cars shows every year. “MyCarHeaven showcases and educates our car-loving audience in everything to do with the cars, car shows and car related stuff that we and they love. “From sharing car and maintenance tips, how and where
to buy, car advice, as well as awesome car reviews, videos and photos galore, myself and the team aim to bring our viewers closer to the almost unobtainable. “We’re here for those that dream of owning an exclusive car. The site is where you can find the latest information regarding the automotive industry and cool car stuff that really matters. We regularly attend the biggest, best and most exclusive car shows in the UK and around the world. From there we share videos and photos on our blog for your viewing pleasure.” Although climate change is rarely out of the news, Will believes people will always want to own their own car. “Yes, bus or train travel is popular, but a car gives you independence and freedom,” he says. “The covid pandemic enabled people to still travel without the fear of catching the virus. I like electric cars and have driven several. I like the Tesla, but I wouldn’t buy one. “I think one day we will see more flying cars. Whatever kind of vehicle comes in the future, people will still want to have their own.”
Will’s top three cars:
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (it has to be up there as one of the most beautiful cars ever) Aston Martin DB4 Zagato (a stunning car, beautiful) McLaren F1 (I’d be certified mad if I did not include this. I think it is one of, if not the best car ever made
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Reader travel TORQUAY
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n For more info, go to: www. mycarheaven.com
POETRY CORNER Like a bird Wokingham Today, the local newspaper where you can have your say and there’s even a space for nice things to brighten up your day That’s why I have decided to write in and say hey, because I hope to become well known on this page even though I’m sure I’m not the only who has a poetic word to say but I know sharing is caring and I am just built that way I love to write and some of what I say may give you a fright some of it will make you think or keep you smiling way into the night Whether you’re reading me with your breakfast or just simply drinking a cup of tea I hope to share with you my growth, maturity and the odd funny story. Life Like a Bird Fly away, fly away to where you want to be Home is where the heart is or wherever you want to be free High like a bird seeing all there is to see, it’s easy when you know your identity Spreading your wings gliding through the sky showering us with beauty, oh me, oh my Spending time on land with your feet you firmly stand showing us it’s
Departing Thu 28 Apr ‘22 Violin master André Rieu is back with a springtime UK 2022 tour, including a date at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. Don’t miss the chance to see the ‘Modern King of Waltz’ perform with his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra – a show to remember!
not always good to show off and be grand We see your life at its best when you build for your family a nest, a place to sleep, eat and rest In you we hold a faithful view as you always seem to know what and when to do, maybe being at peace with nature is what keeps you so true I used to be insecure, and this made me unsure and scared and couldn’t tell if things were pure, so flying away is what I did if I didn’t feel comfortable and secure My soul has wings as it has now been set free, flourished and healed by nature to feel again and breathe so hopefully next time I fly you’ll fly with me I’ll soar from the ground whilst you fly above me, and I’ll gaze at you through the window whilst you relax and wait for me in a tree.
We love sharing your poetry in this slot. Send your verse to news@wokingham.today
Nyasher Browne
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34 | VIEWPOINTS
Issue matters more than policy AT LAST Thursday’s council meeting, a motion calling for Wokingham to back the White Ribbon campaign was rejected in favour of something else. Conservative councillors said it made more sense for the issue to go through its committee stages and added to its forthcoming equalities strategy. They also argued that much of what the White Ribbon campaign calls for is either in hand or being acted on. It was a persuasive argument, but it also spectacularly misses the point. The issue of male violence against women is happening now. It is a continuous issue that we need to take an urgent stand on. Today is White Ribbon Day, and it calls on men to make a promise never to commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women. It encourages men and boys to individually and collectively take action and change behaviour. By standing together, a wholesale culture change could be undertaken. The more voices White Ribbon has, the stronger the message will be to wider society. More than 50 other councils, as well as police forces, housing associations, and Network Rail have stood up and said they back the White Ribbon campaign. Why can’t ours?
CHURCH NOTES
OSDHUWGTI
I
N Channel 4’s Countdown one of the challenges is to make long words using nine selected letters. While it is impossible to make a nine-letter word from the ones above, all of them can be used to form a most significant statement, GOD WITH US. This stupendous fact will be celebrated by Christians starting this Sunday. We call it Advent, which means ‘arrival’, and there is more to it than calendars and chocolates! It is when we prepare for Christmas, the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus. Reporting that event some 2,000 years ago, the Gospel writer, Matthew, explained they will call him Immanuel – which means “God with us”. God the divine had become human! Why? Through his death to open the door for us now to enjoy a life-changing relationship with him. But there’s more. At Advent we also look forward to Jesus’ second arrival. Not in some sleepy town like Bethlehem. No, it will be a dramatic event that no-one can miss because, as the Bible puts it, “every eye shall see him”. And not as a baby, but, to quote the Bible again, “with power and great glory”. For those waiting for that climactic event a re-arrangement of the same letters will be true, “US WITH GOD”, because from then “we will be with the Lord for ever”. Wonderful. Meanwhile, we can make a personal request using the last line of a well-known hymn: “In life, in death, O Lord, ABIDE WITH ME!” Peter Jackman of Norreys Church on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
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To the residents of Wokingham It was with sadness that the Conservatives on Wokingham Borough Council, who I had asked to second my Motion on Thursday evening, supporting White Ribbon to end all violence against women and promoting the Our Street Now campaign to stop harassment of women, kicked everything into the long grass. I was especially disappointed that the Conservative leader had asked me to withdraw the motion as being unnecessary. They said it is covered in the equalities strategy the Council is rolling out, but women and girls have not been mentioned in the equalities working group. This motion is about stopping men from violating women in any way, it is about equalities, but so much more, like personal safety, respect and education. I felt it unfair that the local Tories put their female members in a difficult position, despite the amendment being proposed by Gregor Murray, the women had to talk against the motion, supporting the amendment, but all looking very uncomfortable. An ex-police friend I talked to on Friday said about 50% of their calls out during covid were about Domestic Violence, but after the police visit much is again shoved under the carpet. As men we must stand tall and strong, saying that enough is enough, we will not have women, our wives, sisters, daughters, abused, violated, or downgraded, indeed we will confront all those who do harass or violate women, so that we start to build an equal, fair, safer society. In the hope that men everywhere can own their part in this, starting to change the treatment of women and build a better society.
Following on from Phil Creighton’s wonderful memories of his Christmas childhood [Spacephiller - Wokingham. Today, November 18], I am so pleased to hear him mention The Box of Delights - truly a wonderful [and not boring] Children’s adventure from 1984. It is always a Pre-Christmas tradition of mine to also watch The Box of Delights as it gets me in the Christmas Sprit [not the alcoholic kind of Spirit, nor one of the Three Ghosts type of Spirit either]. Another classic Children’s TV series that I also watch PreChristmas is the 1988 TV adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe [also gets me into the Christmas Spirit with it’s snowy scenes as well]. Did you know the fight sequences at the start of episode 2 against the Wolves was actually filmed – with lots of foamy bubbles substituting for Snow– in a field in Reading of all place. But The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has special significance for me in another way, in that I got to play and perform the lead role of Peter Pevensie. I was doing at the time a half-day release from my Special Educational Needs School to the local College to take part in my Drama course, which I really enjoyed. We painted a Narnian Snowy forest backdrop and even had a real working Narnia Iron Tree. A working
“I would like to remind readers what to do if they are involved in a road collision. The highway code states that “if you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you MUST: Stop - you must stop if you are involved in an accident
ad hoc office work for a couple of hours a week. Some will need to be done in CLASP’s office, however some can be done from home. The charity says it is a lovely team and can be flexible. However, it needs support with the workload as it gets busier and needs a volunteer to help with a variety of office duties, from stuffing envelopes to creating/ updating documents and ringing members and supporters of CLASP.
Its specialist team provides services so that people with this progressive disease can maintain their skills, wellbeing, creativity, and a sense of purpose in their community. YPWD provides workshops and support to those with young onset dementia. Some examples of workshops provided are art, walking, gardening, cooking, furniture restoration, choir, katakanuing, which run across the working week. It is continually adding to its range of workshops to meet the interests of those with young onset dementia. It currently works with a small team of staff and is always looking for the help of volunteers. It welcomes people, however much time they can offer, to support our attendees at our workshop out in the community, across Berkshire.
n Younger People With Dementia Berkshire supports those diagnosed with working-age young onset dementia (65 and under) across many Berkshire communities.
n Feeling connected to people is vital to our wellbeing and happiness. As a Befriender with Sue Ryder, volunteers will provide companionship to people during a difficult time in
Helena Badger
Projects include: a member-led training group who run Learning Disability Awareness Training for support staff, school children and the police; a campaigning group; and the Learning Disability Partnership Board which is a support network for the whole learning disability community. CLASP needs someone with general administration skills, and a good telephone manner, to do some
lamp that looked just like the one from the TV adaptation. To make it easier, as Peter Pevensie has the most lines of all to say [and indeed all the people playing the different parts], we did the performance in six parts to tie in with the TV adaptation. [The Snowman is also a annual tradition for me since 1982 - 40 years next year – Where has the time gone!] Meanwhile my family tradition was as I was the youngest son, that I’d choose with my Dad our Christmas tree and then would decorate it with my wonderful Mum’s help. I still have many of the Christmas decorations from those times of the 1980’s including a pink bauble
Follow the Highway Code
Volunteer Corner
C
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@wokingham.today We reserve the right to edit letters Views expressed in this section are not necessarily those of the paper
Re-opening The Box of Delights
David Hare, Proposer of the Motion, Councillor for Hawkedon Ward.
LASP is a local charity supporting adults with learning disabilities to speak up for themselves, so they can lead independent lives and create positive change in the community.
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
that dropped off the tree bounced [fortunately] in the later part of the 1980’s and partly broke inside but not outside – makes a pleasing rattle. That bauble has pride of place for me every year. Finally, like Phil Creighton I am also a Whovian – so I always have a good place that I remember where my Christmas decorations are kept before they are put up and taken down again. I leave them in The Doctor’s care. Pleasant Christmas memories are wonderful to have, very much like stepping in your mind into your own personal TARDIS to go back in time with.
Ian Hydon, Wokingham Give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them If you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours.” their lives and enable people to do the things that matter most to them. The volunteers will be helping Sue Ryder provide the best possible care to people with life-limiting conditions. Sue Ryder takes a completely person-centred approach to all our services and support, which means each befriending relationship will be different. The role commonly includes: providing regular one-to-one companionship and a supportive relationship, supporting the person to go out and access favourite activities and places, helping with small practical tasks – such as picking up groceries, offering respite by sitting with the person, so their family can take a break. n These are just a few roles on our books. Visit our website www. volunteerwokinghamborough.org.uk to find out more and have a look at all the roles we have to offer. If you would like to get in touch with us please call 0118 977 0749 or email volunteer@ wok-vol.org.
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Why am I writing this? The image is of my 11-year-old son’s bike helmet. He cycles to and from secondary school on a route that is sign posted as a safe cycle route to get to and from the school. He was hit by a car last week on his way home from school and went head first into the road. The driver did stop, removed the bike that was lying across my son, sat him up, and whacked him on his back to get him breathing. The driver offered my son a lift home, which my son declined (he’s been told never to accept a lift from a stranger). The driver then left him. He didn’t leave any details; he didn’t contact anyone; he doesn’t know if my son made it home or not. My son is OK. He had a headache, and felt very achy and sore the next day. He will be fine. His helmet probably saved his life. We have logged this with the Police. In addition to what the highway code states, there is a moral responsibility to do more than what this driver did. Don’t be that guy.
Sarah Kerr, Evendons
In the Lords Paul Clarke of Wokingham asked in last week’s Wokingham Today why Liberal Democrat peers were still sitting in the House of Lords, the second chamber of our Houses of Parliament whose principal role is to scrutinise government legislation. Mr Clarke will know that Lib Dems have supported reform of the Lords ever since we started its reform in 1911. We don’t want to see hereditary peers sitting in the Lords just because their ancestors were friends of a King or Queen. We want an elected House of Lords, elected using a fair voting system of proportional representation. Until a fair replacement is put in place we need to continue with the current House of Lords. I don’t like that situation. But I am sure readers will understand that government
business does need to be scrutinised by another chamber. If we didn’t do this, government would be totally free to trample all over the rights of our population.
Cllr Clive Jones, Leader of the Lib Dem group on Wokingham Borough Council.
Cocking a snook Last Thursday night’s Full Council Meeting saw the Mayor, Cllr Keith Baker, dismiss a challenge by Opposition leader Clive Jones (Lib Dem) for the minutes of the September Council meeting to include the written answer to a supplementary question from a resident given by council leader, John Halsall. At that meeting, Cllr Halsall had said he could not answer “on the hoof” so he promised to send a written answer. That answer was provided in an email two weeks after the meeting. Replying to Cllr Jones, the Mayor said: “I have just taken advice from Democratic Services and they say that that particular standing order you have quoted relates to the question itself and not the supplementary question so… that’s what Democratic Services are saying. Sorry.” However, the borough’s Constitution says (at paragraph 4.2.9.9) that “Written answers… shall also be recorded in the minutes of the meeting”. And there is no distinction in the constitution as to whether a written answer refers only to the original question but not to the supplementary. So why is the Council showing a complete disregard for its own constitution ? Is it because transparency and openness is dangerous and would undermine the culture of secrecy and the “we know best, you don’t” attitude, or just the constant desire to keep uncomfortable matters away from public scrutiny ?
Philip Meadowcroft, via email
From the chamber
Cllr Rachel Burgess
Don’t look the other way
T
ODAY is White Ribbon day. A day to say ‘no’ to violence against women. A day to call for the end of men’s harassment of women and girls.
And a day for men to pledge that they will never commit, excuse or remain silent about male harassment or violence against women – to never look the other way. At last week’s full Council meeting the Conservatives were presented with a Liberal Democrat motion advocating for White Ribbon Accreditation for the Council, and action against street harassment. The Conservative councillors chose to look the other way. It was one of the most disgraceful things I have seen in my three and a half years as a councillor. The Conservatives shamefully parked the motion in a subcommittee where, away from the glare of publicity, it will
be quietly rendered meaningless. Male violence against women exists on a scale. What can begin with sexist jokes, so-called banter, street cat calls and harassment, that many of us have sadly experienced, can end with serious violence. The dreadful murder of Sarah Everard earlier this year was carried out by a man whose behaviour began with sexist conduct – but ended horrifically in murder. He was known for his misogyny, but no-one called him out. And the appalling response from the police, after the event, as women were advised to “flag down a bus” if they didn’t feel safe with a male police officer, and stated that Sarah Everard “should never have submitted” to arrest. This is not a women’s problem. It’s not up to women to keep themselves safe. It’s not up to women to change their behaviour. Yet so often the
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Support Blue Cross With the countdown to Christmas in full swing, Blue Cross charity shop in Wokingham is delighted to welcome customers and offer plenty of gift ideas, from books to ornaments and household goods all at bargain prices. Shoppers can also peruse the party frocks and gladrags on offer, quality partywear is always welcome as donations ahead of the festive season. After Christmas, our shops will be accepting unwanted gifts. From yet another jumper from aunty, books you’ve already read or ornaments that aren’t your style. Please consider donating them to your local Blue Cross shop. When fate is unkind to pets, Blue Cross is there to give them the love and care they deserve. All pre-loved and unwanted items help change the fate of the thousands of homeless, abandoned sick and injured pets cared for by the charity every month.
David Palmer, Retail Operations Manager, c/o Blue Cross charity shop, Market Place, Wokingham
Help Guide Dogs: keep away I would like to request to the people who read this in Wokingham Today: Guide dogs for the blind are being disturbed by people stopping them on their way with their owner walking. People do not realise that more than 70% of dogs are being disturbed by people stroking them and the owner has many problems keeping the dog that has to be retrained and he or she loses his animal please do not stroke guide dogs who are with the blind.
Victor Rones, Justice & Rights, Bracknell.
Let’s talk money Earlier this month I spoke to students, parents, and universities, as part of the government’s Talk Money response to male violence is that it is women who should change. All men can help to prevent violence against women by speaking out against poor behaviour, by not tolerating it, by calling it out, by speaking up. Hence my utter frustration that the Conservatives did not wholeheartedly support this White Ribbon motion. Instead they passed the issues to an equalities working group. Kicking the can down the road on something so important, something that affects 50% of the population, is astounding, and insulting. Many councils already have White Ribbon Accreditation, as the importance of this issue is obvious to them. But not our council – instead ours is content with a talking shop. One of the key tenets of the White Ribbon movement is that it is men and boys who need to make a stand against violence. Yet in the chamber last Thursday, the Conservatives used their female councillors to defend their abhorrent position, thus entirely missing the point of the campaign. It is not the female Conservative councillors’ responsibility – not theirs at all – it is their male counterparts. The vast majority of violence against women is committed by men, so it is key that all men realise that they can take responsibility to think about their own actions, promote equality and respect, and are prepared to call out harassment and sexist and
Week. The conclusion? It is starkly apparent that all of us with children studying at university - or whose children one day hope to - must do more to talk about students, mental health, and money. As someone with extensive experience in the wellbeing of students, the national state of student mental health is worse than any time in my 20 years of clinical work. The recent Kortext State of UK Student Mental Health research revealed that nearly one-third of students have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. That is significantly more than the national average. And financial anxiety is playing a major part of this negative spiral. Things were already difficult prepandemic, with tuition fees rising to more than £9,000 a year, future homeownership seemingly out of reach, and hidden costs, such as textbooks, adding on thousands. This financial uncertainty had become one of the most common factors in my case work with students – leading in some cases to extreme mental health breakdowns. However, this economic pressure has massively increased since the first lockdown as, unlike other sectors, most students received no financial support. It is likely that this generation will be the one that pays for the pandemic, literally. It is time now to focus on how we can support them. As a starting point, please can we all simply start to have open conversations with our children about their education finances? If we don’t, we will be letting down a generation. We must act now. Please start those conversations with the students in your life today.
Dr Dominique Thompson, Student Mental Health Campaigner, and Clinical Advisor for Student Minds violent behaviour when they see it in others. I do not know any female friends or colleagues who have not experienced some form of male harassment. It can make the daily experience of women and girls a misery. It is time for men and boys to take responsibility for the harassment and violence that they inflict on women and girls. And finally I want to thank my 12-year-old daughter. When I explained the outcome of the Council meeting to her, and how I believed in her right to be safe, to feel safe, not to be harassed on the streets, she immediately took action by sharing our petition on this issue with all her friends and social media contacts. She is 12, yet even at that tender age she gets it. As do all her friends. Just think about that for a moment. About why a 12-year-old girl immediately understood how important this is to her, and her friends. She has more awareness and understanding than Wokingham’s Conservatives. Shame on them. To sign the petition visit www. wokinghamlabourparty.org/ endharassment
Cllr Rachel Burgess is Wokingham Labour group leader on Wokingham Borough Council and a councillor for Norreys Ward
From the vicechancellor Professor Robert Van deNoort
Investing for long-term success
T
HE University of Reading is one of the oldest in England, having been granted a Royal Charter to award degrees nearly a century ago.
But our history in the local area goes back even further to the 19th Century, with our roots in schools of art, science and agriculture. We see ourselves now, as then, as a university created by people from the local community, run by people in the community, and to benefit the local community – as well helping to advance knowledge for the benefit of society as a whole. One example of the work we have been involved with locally is the new community centre in Shinfield, which I had the pleasure of being asked to help open a few weeks ago. The School Green Centre is built on University land and is a great example of how, by working with others, we can help to benefit our neighbourhood. That area has seen lots of changes in recent years, and Wokingham Borough Council is now asking people about plans for further changes in the years and decades ahead. The council recently published its draft Local Plan Update, which includes proposals for a new ‘garden village’ including on land at the University’s Hall Farm, situated between the M4 and Arborfield. These proposals are at a very early stage. However, we have said that the University is keen to work with the council and the local community to ensure that any development that goes ahead is both suitable and sustainable for the long-term future of the area. The University has a rich history and a global reputation for the study of agriculture and food. In fact, while Reading is known around the world for our strengths in the arts, sciences and business, agriculture is the area in which we are genuinely world-class, year after year. We achieve this because of our long-running education and research into food and farming, dating back more than a century. For example, almost all the world’s international trade of live cocoa plants comes through Shinfield, via the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre. And our Centre for Dairy Research is helping to reduce the environmental impact of cattle farming, crucial if we are to curb methane emissions, as highlighted recently at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow. Our farms are where our agriculture students – the food producers of the future – get to learn first-hand about producing food, managing a business and looking after the countryside. Hall Farm is also an active working dairy farm, as well as a major research establishment. With all this rich history, we want to invest further in this success for the long-term. But there is no doubt that we will remain committed to our work, helping shape the future of farming and food – locally, nationally and internationally. I know that values are crucial when we are facing change. As a University, our core principles include focusing on people and being engaged positively in the local community. We are also committed to excellent education and research, and environmental sustainability. Those are the things that will underpin all our work, including the conversations that lie ahead. I look forward to speaking to our neighbours and hearing people’s views and opinions as we all look to plot the best course for everyone’s future.
Professor Robert Van de Noort is the vice chancellor of the University of Reading
36 | BUSINESS
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
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A business park that is changing
Get your Will in order, says law firm DON’T PUT off getting your Will in order. That’s the advice from Louise Nelson, associate solicitor at Blandy & Blandy. According to Ms Nelson, making a Will is vital for anybody wanting to care for their family after they are gone. Now, she has shared a number of tips and tricks to simplify the process. “A Will is an important legal document which explains how you wish your estate to be distributed after your death,” she said. “You can buy a ‘Will kit’ to write your own, but this can often prove to be a false economy.” Ms Nelson said there is a misconception that people need to be wealthy to make a Will. “Some of the most complicated issues often arise from smaller estates,” she explained. “But your estate could be wroth much more than you think. “If a person dies without a Will, their wishes may not be taken into account and this can have unfortunate consequences for everyone.”
n To find out more about making a Will, visit: www. blandy.co.uk
Film studios will have world’s largest virtual production LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: A CGI of the Stage Fifty studios at Winnersh Triangle
By PHIL CREIGHTON pcreighton@wokingham.today MOVE over Hollywood – the Thames Valley is taking over.
A new 120,000 sq ft of studio space is to be created at Winnersh Triangle in a blockbuster deal that will see blockbuster movies made at the popular business park. It includes the world’s largest fully encapsulated virtual production (VP) stage, making it easier to produce amazing films with eye-popping special effects. The stage easily fuses computing graphics with live-action footage in real-time. Such set-ups have been used in some of the Marvel Universe films. Production company Stage Fifty has signed a deal with Winnersh Triangle’s owners Frasers Property UK for the movie-making space, which will be supported by 25,000 sq ft of offices and 50,000 sq ft of workshops. Stage Fifty says it specialises in providing the film and TV industry
with purpose-built studio space and innovative production services. It will start using Winnersh Triangle with immediate effect, with the workshop space and offices for production use, and the first bespoke sound stages to be opened next year. Rupert Batho, commercial director of Frasers Property, was delighted to see the new studios come to Winnersh Triangle. “The diversity of accommodation
at Winnersh Triangle, combined with our market-leading facilities and integrated transport infrastructure, has been at the heart of attracting Stage Fifty,” he said. “It joins the likes of Pip Studios, Virgin Media and Evertz, thus expanding our technologyenriched, creative industry cluster and provides the film industry with much-needed capacity here in the UK.
“This is a transformational step in the continued evolution of Winnersh Triangle as one of the Thames Valley’s most dynamic economic areas.” Stage Fifty feels that the move is the perfect fit for its growth plans. IT aims to create at least one million sq ft of production space, or 50 sound stages, over the next three years. “Winnersh Triangle is the perfect site for our second film studio in the UK,” explained James Enright, the company’s CEO. “In partnership with Fin Studio Pictures, we’re building the world’s largest VP volume, which will be the centrepiece of our pioneering creative tech hub. “We have offices and workshops in use now for pre-production, and the stages will be operational next year.” For the deal, Frasers Property UK was represented by CBRE & Hollis Hockley, and Stage Fifty / Winnersh Film Studios by Haslams.
GIFTED: Co-op members have helped the NHS with their donation
READING'S NEW CHAMPION
NEWS, SPOR AND WHATS T ON EVERY WEDNESDAY
Shoppers donate their profit share CO-OP shoppers have donated thousands of pounds to charities rather than keep the cash for themselves. A total of £30,615 was donated from Southern Co-op’s 2020 Share of the Profits which were distributed to members earlier this year. The funding came from donated vouchers and members automatically donating their odd pence. The funding has been donated to NHS Charities Together, an independent NHS charity which supports a network of 240 NHS charities. These provide the help for hospitals, health boards, and ambulance, community, and
mental health trusts across the UK. It will be used in Covid-19 projects. Ellie Orton, chief executive at NHS Charities Together, said: “We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation from Southern Co-op. “The NHS is facing its most difficult winter ever, and ongoing help is needed as it seeks to recover from Covid-19. “But thanks to our amazing supporters and fundraisers we can continue to be there for staff and patients, and help the NHS go further for everyone.” Gemma Lacey, director of sustainability and communications at Southern
Co-op, said: “We’re really proud that Southern Co-op’s members have provided much needed support for causes that positively benefit our local communities. “Our NHS workers have been there for us throughout the pandemic while also dealing with the backlog of patients desperately needing treatment – all of this is on top of trying to look after their own wellbeing. “A massive thank you to every one of our NHS workers for continually being there for us.”
n For more, visit www. thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/
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A business park that is changing
Thames Valley accountancy firm’s move is pointer to future growth A NEWBURY-based accountancy that serves the Thames Valley has relocated to new offices. Azets, which offers advice to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is now working from a base on London Road in Newbury, close to its previous base. It says that it needs to do so to meet the demands of Berkshire’s booming economy. The new office is part of an extensive refurbishment programme costing around £350,000 and extends to over 6,000 sq ft. Azets says it plans to recruit in the coming weeks and months, including three new Partners and a new Director, as part of a long-term growth strategy. The firm is actively looking to hire a further seven to 10 new staff in Newbury, including several at senior level, to join the existing 53 employees who already include two Partners and a Director.
By JAMES HASTINGS news@rdg.today BUSINESS in Berkshire is booming, according to new figures.
The business is on target to employ around 65 staff over the next 12 months. Azets has a satellite office in Reading, with specialisms including accountancy and business advice for equine companies and corporate tax support. Kevin Walmsley, Azets Regional Managing Partner said: “The new space and environment means that
we now have the capacity to deliver our exciting expansion plans and continue to hire a wide range of talent from across the South East, including expanding our established graduate and trainee recruitment programme. “For clients this very much emphasises our belief in being small enough to care but large enough to count.”
Rental market remains robust A READING-based commercial property investment company says its latest results are positive, despite seeing a reduction in profits caused by the changing rental market. McKay Securities, based on Greyfriars Road, saw its adjusted profit before tax down 22.4% to £4.09 million, from £5.27 million the year before, reflecting a 12.3% reduction in gross rental income to £11.18 million (£12.75 million). The figures, released last week, relate to the trading year ending September 30, and come in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic which has seen more people work from home. The company says that rent collection remained robust, with 99.3% of amounts due for the year to March 2021 received or agreed, and 96.4% of rent for the year-todate (three quarters) already received. And it says that it continues to deliver high tenant retention levels of 73.9% at lease break or expiry, while 13 open-market lettings were completed in the same period. It made a post-period acquisition of Evergreen Studios, in Richmond-onThames for £14.75 million, which has delivered an immediate income yield of 5.8%.
Berkshire business is booming – official The county is now home to more than 75,000 companies for the very first time, with Wokingham among the most popular locations. Statistics from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics show a total of 12,706 businesses were registered in the town. Other leading centres include Windsor and Maidenhead (16,265) and Slough (13,385). John Korchak, Director of Operations at Inform Direct which compiled the figures said: “These latest statistics show that Berkshire clearly provides a supportive environment for new business ventures. “Passing the 75,000 milestone continues the
excellent transport links, as well as a wealth of purposebuilt accommodation for companies of all types, ranging from large business parks to smaller co-working spaces.” Inform Direct’s awardwinning company secretarial software, which helps users throughout the life of their business, currently supports more than 200,000 companies.
county’s success during 2020 when it achieved a record year for new company formations despite the considerable challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Berkshire is home to a wide range of industries with vibrant sectors, including software, IT, cyber security, telecoms, life sciences, healthcare, energy and environment. It offers
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YEAR: McKay Securities has announced its latest results Simon Perkins, McKay’s chief executive, said: “Our consistent focus on our core office, industrial and logistics sectors across the South East and London, combined with the intensive in-house management of our portfolio, can be credited for the delivery of another positive set of results. “The first half of the period under review saw the UK confined to a Government lockdown, so it has been encouraging to witness improving confidence as restrictions have eased and the re-emergence of the office market with
a return to the workplace.” He added: “Both occupier demand and market lettings continue to strengthen, and our portfolio is positively positioned thanks to our ongoing investment programme. “The pace of economic recovery and market sentiment will dictate the outlook for the remainder of the year, but we can look forward with the assurance of our tested resilience and the benefit of substantial portfolio potential, as well as the resources to respond as opportunities present themselves.”
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Twyford at Christmas n FLOOR STORE Flooring: what a great feeling when at the end of a redecoration or building project how the flooring just pulls the whole look together. If it’s a carpet you are looking for either 80% Wool or Manmade Fibre one of the most important additions is the underlay, to many times we look for savings the underlay shouldn’t be one of them, as this supports the carpet Luxury Vinyl Tiles LVT, if its Karndean or Moduleo you are looking for we can help, with this type of flooring is perfect throughout your home available in a Tile Effect or Wood Plank Whatever type of floor covering you are looking for we would be more than happy to visit your home with samples or just to discuss your requirements.
Twyford’s Christmas countdown starts with festive lights switch-on By NAT BURTON news@wokingham.today TWYFORD will see the return of several popular Christmas events this year.
Festivities begin with the Twyford Together Christmas lights switch on this weekend. It takes place on Bell Corner at 5.30pm on Sunday. The switch on will be followed by carol singing, drinks and mince pies around the tree. The Tree of Good Wishes will be decorated with unique wooden baubles decorated by children at The Colleton Primary and Polehampton Junior schools. Each one will have a special Christmas wish written on it. The tree will be provided by Treetop Landscapes, a Hare Hatch based garden design company. Goodall-Smith Wealth Management have funded the project, with power being supplied by estate agents Parkers.
Then, one of Twyford’s biggest annual events takes place on Friday, December 3. The Christmas street fayre runs along London Road, between the crossroads at Bell Corner and Jubilee Corner. There will be a variety of stalls for a spot of gift shopping, plus more mulled wine and mince pies. Other attractions will include fairground rides and a climbing wall, and the 1st Twyford Scouts barbecue will be serving up burgers. Santa will also be taking a break from his busy schedule to pay a visit, thanks to Twyford and District Round Table. Both events are organised by Twyford Together volunteers. To mark the end of a festive week, another favourite traditional event is also returning to the village. St Mary’s Church Christingle service will take place at the church’s monthly family service on Sunday, December 5, at 10.30am.
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Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Twyford at Christmas n THE DOLL’S HOUSE Howard and the Team are looking forward to welcoming everyone to their Blue Light event on December 3, in support of the Fire Fighters and Special Constabulary Welfare Funds. There will be special guests, demonstrations, refreshments, offers in all departments and giveaways. This late night shopping experience is a chance to shop local to find that special item for Christmas and have plenty of family fun. Howard previously served his community at a Retained Fire Fighter and has been a local business owner for more than 40 years, always supporting local charities at Christmas. He hopes you will join him in support of Blue Light workers and meet those who work hard to keep the public safe. Pop in and join in the merriment of the season. n RIGHT AT HOME Right at Home is a home care company delivering premium quality support for our clients all over Wokingham district. Based in the heart of Twyford, demand for our highly recommended services has never been greater. Our services range from being that friendly familiar face to have a chat, a game of scrabble or a cup of tea with, to more specialist support such as help with medication, living with dementia, or personal care. Helping people remain happy and independent, Right at home. We take pride in caring for our carers just as much as we do our clients, and we are hiring. If you have a passion for helping others and think you can make a special difference every day – give us a call. We’re interviewing now for a January start in our multi-award-winning team of superheroes.
Santa’s sleigh is on his way following weekend. His sleigh will depart from Victoria Road at 4pm on Saturday, December 18. HIs final visit on this year’s tour will take in the Colleton area of Twyford and around Hurst village
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AUTOMATIC CHARGING ULTRA QUIET OPERATION By NAT BURTON nburton@wokingham.today SANTA is set to visit residents of Twyford, Charvil, Hurst and Wargrave next week.
Volunteers from Twyford and District Round Table will help guide Mr Claus’s sleigh around the villages. His first appearance will be at Twyford Christmas Fayre at 7.30pm on Friday, December 3. He will then make his way around Charvil North, East Park Farm and Hawthorns starting at 4pm on Saturday, December 4. The sleigh arrives back in
Twyford at 4pm on Sunday, December 5, visiting Springfield Park and Hermitage Drive. A special midweek visit to homes around Charvil’s Gingells and Chiltern Drive will take place on the evening of Wednesday, December 8. This will begin at 6.30pm. Twyford North and the village centre will welcome St Nicholas when his tour continues at 4pm on Saturday, December, 11. He will then make his way to the Broad Hinton and Broadwater Road area beginning at 4pm on Sunday, December 12. Wargave will be the first stop when Father Christmas returns the
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n DOLPHIN SCHOOL It has been wonderful to experience a normal term at Dolphin School after an unusual 18 months. All children from Nursery to Year 8 have been out to visit places of interest as part of our day trip programme, and are thriving in school too. Our Year 6 children enjoyed their first residential trip of the year over half term, with a four day trip to North Wales, and our Year 7s and 8s spent a wonderful five days up in Northumbria in early November. All year groups have spent two full days in our forest school so far this term, with our youngest children continuing to visit ‘the copse’ on a weekly basis. Our commitment to learning outside the classroom continues to be a hallmark of a Dolphin education, and in light of recent events, has been of enormous benefit to all of our students. The school also underwent a full ISI inspection at the end of the Summer Term, with the final report published in early September. I am delighted to share the news that we were awarded ‘Excellent’ for both ‘The quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements’ and ‘The quality of pupils’ personal development’. ‘Excellent’ is the optimal descriptor available, and it is the aim of any independent school to achieve excellent in both categories.
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
I asked our teachers to relax, be themselves, not to do anything differently, and to take the usual Dolphin approach to education. As such, our visitors saw the school unfiltered and true to what we are, not an inspection-prepped environment. A Dolphin education has always been inspiring, forward-thinking and diverse, and in the current climate, this is exactly what children need. Come and see the school in action for yourselves. n THE BIA HUB – TWYFORD We often get asked what we actually are: The Bia Hub is a bike shop, workshop, café, and a cycling club at the heart of a community and eco-system that is everything cycling, with a gentle focus on women. Bia /’bee-(a)/ is the Greek goddess of strength and power, and we set out to encourage women to discover the power within themselves, through doing what they love – riding bicycles. We offer customer-specific advice with a full service backing up our sales. Other parts of The Bia Hub include indoor training (when covid allows), pilates/yoga, bike fitting, group rides as well as ‘Escapes’, or tours to different cycling destinations. We aim to be the complete solution to our wider cycling community through the advice we
give, the service we offer and the brands we trust. n STANLAKE PARK Stanlake Park is one of the oldest wine producers in England, and the largest winery in the Royal County of Berkshire. Every year our 40-year-old vines give us quality, well-ripened grapes that Nico Centonze, our Italian winemaker, expertly processes to produce our wide range that includes white, rosé, red and sparkling wine. Our winemaker’s modern and international approach is reflected in wines that are enjoyable, very drinkable and the perfect accompaniment to food, and that has been recognised in national and international competitions. Settled in 130 acres of peaceful English countryside, Stanlake Park’s heritage estate and stunning grounds are visited by thousands of guests every year. Customers are welcome to visit our Wine and Gift Shop, as well as to enjoy a glass of wine with some nibbles in our charming Wine Bar and Garden. Tours and Tastings are organised all year round. Stanlake Park’s grounds and impressive heritage buildings are also used as a unique vineyard wedding venue and are complete with a luxurious four-bedroom vineyard villa, perfect for those looking to enjoy a relaxing time away in the countryside.
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Please visit our website to learn more or contact Kate Spooner admissions@dolphinschool.com www.dolphinschool.com We are grateful to help of RG10 Maagzine in compiling parts of this special feature
0118 934 1277 | Waltham Road, Hurst, Berkshire, RG10 0FR
NEWS | 41
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Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Park and Ride moves to Thames Valley Park By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today
A PARK and ride facility is being moved to allow construction works to take place.
Buses that would stop at Winnersh Triangle will switch to the Thames Valley Park facility to ensure there is enough capacity in the runup to Christmas. The change takes place from Saturday, November 27, and Reading Buses will use a new temporary service, numbered 400, for the works. The company says it hopes to continue the service until construction work on a new two-deck car park is completed. “After conversations with Wokingham Borough Council, we are delighted to announce some good news for park and ride customers,” said Reading Buses chief executive officer Robert Williams. “The temporary Thames Valley park and ride will begin on Monday, November 27, which will allow us to maintain a park and ride in East Reading and help commuters and
Christmas shoppers get around without adding extra cars to the roads.” He added: “The car park is at the end of the A329 just before Thames Valley Park. “The existing southern Reading Mereoak park and ride may also be convenient, depending on where you are travelling from. “New Thames Valley park and ride service 400 buses will run every 15 minutes with first and last buses at the same times as at Winnersh Triangle to try and keep things as simple as possible.” Fares remain the same and customers can continue to use existing tickets and passes. He added that Reading Buses had ‘reluctantly decided to suspend the park and ride 500 service after Monday, as the temporarily reduced car park was regularly over capacity meaning bus users were finding it difficult to find a space, which led to reduced usage. He also pointed out that this meant there would be no space to accommodate the usual Christmas rush — the busiest time of year for the
service. “Regulars who use the Winnersh Triangle park and ride service to commute from town to the Winnersh Triangle business park will temporarily need to use Reading Buses lion 4/X4 to the Cavendish Gardens stop and walk underneath the railway to reach their work,” he said. Mr Williams said: “Season tickets that have already been bought for Winnersh Triangle park and ride will be valid on the lion 4/X4 and the ‘new’ Thames Valley park and ride services. “We apologise for the inconvenience that this may cause, but are pleased that we have been able to agree to keep people connected during these essential expansion works. “Once complete, there will be significantly more capacity for park and ride users, both at the car park and on the recently upgraded buses. “We thank Wokingham Borough Council for their support to help maintain this important park and ride link.” The Thames Valley Park & Ride facility has remained closed since it was
constructed, and this is the first time it has been pressed into use. There is no guarantee it will be used on completion of the Winnersh Triangle works. Mr Williams said: “The future of the Thames Valley park and ride will be assessed once Winnersh Triangle re-opens. We will have conversations with Wokingham Borough Council to see how effective the service was and whether there is any scope to maintain it.” Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport for Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Due to ongoing works at our Winnersh Triangle park and ride site, limiting the amount of visitors’ parking, we are glad to be able to offer this alternative from the new Thames Valley park and ride. “Sustainable travel is very important and we are pleased Reading Buses have been able to offer this temporary service, which will allow our residents to be able to continue to travel easily in an environmentally responsible way.”
CCF: The group set off on Thursday, November 11, and walked for 30 hours, raising more than £3,000 for The Royal British Legion Picture: Reddam House
Reddam House CCF raise more than £3,000
STUDENTS at Reddam House walked for 30 hours to raise money for The Royal British Legion. The school’s Combined Cadet Force started its first patrol on Thursday, November 11, and finished the next day. They were guided by Major Hobbs, Captain Graham, AUO Kirwan and Lt Hill. The group finished 34 laps of the Sindlesham school’s site, travelling more than 65 miles in the process. They raised more than £3,000 for the The Royal British Legion, after setting a target of
£2,500. Rfn Daisy Sibon said: “The 30-hour walk was extremely difficult, especially having to wake up throughout the night to walk. “What made it so special was the teamwork, perseverance and dedication from everyone participating. “The walks were filled with music and laughter, and everyone tried their heart out for the cause.” During the final lap, cadets were cheered on as they finished on the South Terrace. A spokesperson for
the school said: “Thank you to all of our amazing cadets for the effort and fortitude they displayed throughout. A special thanks also to parents, teachers and students for the moral and financial support.” On Remembrance Sunday, the group were on parade in Arborfield. “Our cadets did us proud with their military knowledge, ability to perform drill in front of a sizable crowd and their willingness to participate in an occasion near the heart of British citizenship, culture and heritage,” the spokesperson said.
Wokingham Advent Performances A selection box of orchestra, jazz, pop, and a Christmas tune or two Join us in December with free in person & live-streamed performances
All events 7pm to 8:30pm Saturdays 4th, 11th & 18th December Wokingham Town Hall Christmas Eve The Ship Inn Limited spaces, don’t forget to book www.wokinghamadvent.org.uk
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COUNCILNEWS Universal credit uplift
THERE ARE 3,630 Wokingham residents receiving Universal Credit of which 1,427 receive support for council tax. Cllr John Halsall shared the figures while answering a question from Labour activist Andy Croy, who wanted to know “What formal representations has Wokingham Borough Council made to the Borough’s four Members of Parliament to stress the need to maintain or restore the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift?” “I have been actively lobbying Government, particularly since the onset of the pandemic, to get the best deal for Wokingham residents and I will continue to do so,” Cllr Halsall said. Mr Croy said he was stunned to hear that the council hadn’t made formal representations about restoring the £20 universal credit uplift and added that the council’s anti-poverty strategy would be “totally inadequate” when it came to making up the difference. Cllr Halsall said the council was working closely with voluntary and community sector groups to support those most in need, with grants helping households with issues
PHIL CREIGHTON reports on a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council held on Thursday, November 18
such as rising fuel process. He added there would be a “targeted support bundle which includes working with residents to provide advice and help as residents needed during the winter months”.
signed the petition, which will now be considered by the highways department.
Waste collections review for smaller gardens
Petition calls for new crossing
RESIDENTS have signed a petition calling for a pedestrian crossing in Rectory Road and Wiltshire Road. Cllr Rachel Burgess said that residents were concerned at the speed of traffic along the road, making crossing it an ordeal. The petition also calls for traffic calming measures. “It came about because many of the residents of this area are frightened by the speed of the traffic coming down Rectory Road and along Wiltshire Road,” she said. “The speed of the traffic and the lack of a safe crossing point at this junction means that a simple walk to town can become a very unpleasant experience. What should be an enjoyable activity turns into an ordeal.” She acknowledged there was a crossing further up Wiltshire Road, but it could not be accessed without crossing Norreys Avenue. More than 60 residents had
WASTE collections for homes with smaller gardens was raised by Cllr Rachel BishopFirth, who wanted to know if smaller bags could be provided. The Lib Dem councillor said that the 240-litre size often disintegrate before they are full, and they are also difficult for people with arthritis to use. Responding, Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, said: “The Council will undertake a feasibility assessment of smaller bins for the collection of garden waste over the winter period and if agreed these will be rolled out in 2022/23.” He added that assisted help would be made available for all residents who need it.
Safe solar buying scheme
ROGUE solar traders was an issue mentioned by Cllr Sarah Kerr, the Lib Dem spokesperson on environmental issues. She wanted to know if the council would join a group-
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buying scheme for solar panels and similar technology. “Local authorities work with Solar Together to promote the scheme in the area. Homeowners register their interest; the company organises a reverse auction and installers are pre-vetted,” she said. Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for resident services, communications and emissions, said: “The Council has been exploring the Solar Together scheme since June 2021 as an opportunity to encourage residents to install solar panels and solar batteries on their homes. Your summary of how the scheme works is an accurate one. “The scheme thus provides a more affordable price for good quality installations, reduces the energy bills and carbon emissions of residents taking part, while increasing the number of solar PV installations across the Borough.” He warned: “For the scheme to be viable, it must be delivered by partnering with other local authorities to achieve the demand needed to attract a suitable and competitive offer from providers. “Essentially the scheme operates on a direct marketing approach to homeowners and requires in the region of 100,000 households to be targeted to generate the takeup required.” A trial is in place to help residents from low income households, with the council monitoring results over the winter.
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THE DELAY to building Twyford’s new library was an issued mentioned by one of the village’s councillors. Work was paused in September due to rising costs of building works and Cllr Stephen Conway wanted to know more about the causes, and what could be done to address the problems. Responding, Cllr John Kaiser, the executive member for finance and housing, said the budget had been agreed at £720,000, but costs post tender was just over £1 million, an increase of ‘almost 40%’. “As a responsible Council that takes our financial management very seriously, we are seeking to contain costs and bridge the gap through value re-engineering and exploring income generation opportunity from the overall site,” he said. “The outcome of this work will be presented to Executive in January for consideration.” The two councillors agreed to a meeting to discuss further
issues relating to the library, which would be built on the site of the former Polehampton Boys School in the village.
School run parking problems
THE PROFESSIONALISM of the council’s traffic wardens was mentioned during the meeting by Lib Dem councillor Andrew Mickleburgh. He said: “They are a key part in the strategy to help manage parking and crucially, in many locations, such as outside schools, to help make our streets safer.” However, he also wanted to know if the council had strategies in place to tackle parking-related safety issues in the borough. Responding, Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, the executive member for highways and transport, said: “We are aware of some issues with parking and as you say we have been proactively trying to manage these and keep our children safe. As you can appreciate, we have to depend on the expertise and experience of our officers and consultants in prioritising schemes and often there is a need to address those locations where there is a collision history before looking at those where others feel there may be one in future.” Action had been taken around Loddon School and Hillside School, she added. Cllr Mickleburgh said he would come back to Cllr Jorgensen with some specific locations around the Earley area.
Shinfield road scheme delays
DEVELOPMENT in Shinfield was raised by independent councillor Jim Frewin. He said that the village had been subjected to significant development, and some of the key routes are “still on semi-rural roads”, with others needing attention due to increase traffic as a result of the building works. Cllr Frewin pointed out that works for some roads had been promised since 2008, but residents were still waiting for this to start: “When will this Council give priority to the safety of Shinfield school children and other Shinfield residents by actually delivering what they promise, when they promise?” Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, the executive member for highways and transport, said: “The Council takes the safety of all residents very seriously, particularly the vulnerable; however, there are no infrastructure improvements planned for Hyde End Lane. “In the case of the Church Lane/Basingstoke Road junction improvement, the
Council is not the deliverer as the work is for Taylor Wimpey and we have been pressing the developers to complete the works. “While there have as you say been delays in progress, following our compliance initiatives the developer is due to award a contract for the work towards the end of this month for the scheme’s delivery. “The Council is working with the developer to ensure planning obligations are completed.”
Sonning road safety concerns
SAFETY on a busy road will continue to be monitored, following a series of accidents. Cllr Michael Firmager (Con, Sonning) pointed out that there had been incidents at the junction of Sonning Lane and the A4. “This is a particularly dangerous road,” he said, asking for what safety measures could be taken. Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, the executive member for highways and transport, said there had been 17 personal injury collisions reported by Thames Valley Police over the past 21 years, four of which involve serious injury. “It is worth noting that the A4 Bath Road should not be regarded as a dangerous road,” she said. “The section of A4 in Wokingham, between the Reading and Maidenhead boundaries, carries over 20,000 thousand vehicles each day including freight, commuter and leisure traffic and yet saw the number of serious collisions more than halved in a recent three year study period (2015-18).” She said the reason for this was “combination of minor improvement schemes and signing/lining measures, as well as our highway maintenance activities such as resurfacing and winter maintenance implemented in the study period”. She promised that the council would keep an eye on the junction.
Anger over fireworks at 3am
ANTI-SOCAL letting off of fireworks was raised by Charvil ward member Cllr Sam Akhtar. He said that residents had been woken up at 3am by loud banging. “What is the local authority doing to clamp down on this sort of behaviour?” Responding, Cllr Bill Soane, the executive member for neighbourhoods and communities, pointed out that fireworks are not permitted to let off fireworks between 11pm
NEWS | 43
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COUNCILNEWS
PHIL CREIGHTON reports on a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council held on Thursday, November 18
Tories vote down call to join White Ribbon campaign
A PROPOSAL that Wokingham Borough Council should join a scheme designed to limit male violence against women and girls has been dismissed by Conservatives as “needlessly duplicating existing work”.
At the council meeting held on Thursday, November 18, Liberal Democrat councillor David Hare asked the chamber to approve joining the White Ribbon UK movement which asks men to commit to never conducting, excusing or remaining silent on the issue. Cllr Hare said: “Having asked the Tories to second this motion on Tuesday (council leader) John Halsall at last got back to me asking me to withdraw it as he said the Council equalities agenda covered it all.” He added: “The truth is that often women can’t get away from violence, at work, in a controlling marriage, with family and from total strangers.” The motion was seconded by the party’s Wokingham leader, Cllr Clive Jones,
who said: “I cannot for one minute believe that any member of this council can vote against this motion.” However, Cllr Laura Blumenthal proposed an amendment to the motion pointing out that the council’s Equalities Working Group would be meeting January to explore proposed training. “I totally agree with the spirit of the motion,” she told the chamber. “This Council is committed to doing everything it can to protect its residents from violence and harassment. “The cross-party Equalities working group will scrutinise the proposed training in January 2022. “Then we can see how thorough it is and whether there are any gaps that organisations such as White Ribbon could help us with. “This is the reason for the amendment to the motion,” she said. Fellow Conservative, Cllr Rebecca Margetts, said that this was an issue that ran well beyond the boundaries of Wokingham. Labour group leader
Cllr Rachel Burgess said she was appalled that the Conservatives would not support the original motion. “It’s not a women’s problem, it‘s not up to women to change their behaviour. “It (male violence) has to stop now. She added that the Conservative, by failing to back the motion, were “kicking the can down the road again” asking them: “What do I tell my daughter about her right to feel safe on the streets?” Lib Dem Cllr Sarah Kerr said: “Almost every woman at this meeting tonight, will have survived some form of sexual harassment or assault. For some of us, it will have been on multiple occasions. “It is such a widespread, daily occurrence that it is rare to find a woman who hasn’t experienced some kind of sexual harassment or assault.” She said that she should be able to go out on an evening and not have her drink spiked, not have to hide in a shop until a stalker stops following her,
and 7am, except for Chinese New Year, Diwali and New Year’s Eve – until 1am on the night – and Bonfire Night, where it is permissible until midnight. He added that air bombs are banned and there are strict controls on mini-rockets. “If the fireworks are being let off in the street or outside the permitted times, then this is a matter for Police enforcement,” Cllr Soane said.
rising in all areas of life we must keep pace and make some tough decisions on pricing the services we provide across the borough which have been relatively low compared with what other councils charge.” He cited car parking as a “classic case”, pointing out that some councils raised prices last year during the pandemic. “Any increase in fees or charges will be measured and only designed to help the council keep pace with costs.”
WOKINGHAM’S finances are “among the finest in the land” according to the executive member for finance and housing. Cllr John Kaiser was giving an update during the meeting of Wokingham Borough Council held on Thursday, November 18. He said it was “thanks to the Conservative administration’s careful budget monitoring, prudent borrowing and shrewd investments”. The council, he added, regularly monitored and reported on the expenditure throughout the year. “Last year, the budget came in slightly underspent, and even though it’s been a very tough year we are currently on a good track this year.” With inflation rising at 4.2%, Cllr Kaiser said: “as we see prices
THE MAYOR’S presence at the opening of the new synthetic ice rink at Cantley Park was welcomed by the executive member for environment and leisure. Cllr Parry Batth said that the rink “mimics the characteristics of real ice, creates a smooth and even surface for residents to skate on with low frictional resistance”. It is also eco-friendly, he said, using a fraction of the energy. He added that the rink is opening daily until January 7 next year. “Residents of all ages had fun skating the afternoon away while showing off their best figure eights,” he told the chamber. “Adjacent to the rink, the new Cantley Park Café hut is open, serving a selection of warm drinks including hot chocolate, tea and coffee, light
Finances are ‘among the finest in the Mayor thanked for land’ visiting ‘ice’ rink
end the lewd gestures. The council’s actions are, she said, “a positive step forward but it barely scratches the surface of what needs to be done. “The council have adopted an equalities plan, which doesn’t mention women or girls in it even once,” she said. “I am so angry actually, I am really angry,” she ended her speech looking at the Conservative benches. The debate had to end at 10.30pm, as the Conservatives had earlier in the meeting voted against extending it by half-anhour. In a named vote, the Conservative amendment was passed, despite opposition parties voting against. Immediately after the meeting, Wokingham Conservatives issued a statement saying the proposals “needlessly duplicated existing work” as they were either already being implemented or planned. The party said the Council will launch a new Domestic Violence Strategy in the
snacks, waffles, nachos and mince pies.” The boxing hub, he added, opens on November 26 and would include a training ring, a storage rig, three fitness stations, and a range of punchbags. “This offers a range of fantastic boxing facilities available to everyone, whether you are looking for one-to-one training, membership, adhoc classes or facility hire,” Cllr Batth said. “This brand new leisure facility packs a punch and will support our community to help complement an active lifestyle.”
Property company’s £30 million assets
LODDON HOMES currently has 123 homes in its portfolio, with 19 more due to be delivered by the end of the financial year, with a total asset value of £30 million. Rents and service charges bring the council an income of £570,000 per year. The figures were shared by Cllr Norman Jorgensen, a non-executive director of the council-owned housing company. He added that the company have a five-year business plan which will be revealed in the new year. On Gorse Ride, he said: “I met residents who had already moved into their new homes and they could not speak more highly of the properties or of the service and support they received since moving
new year, and employ a new staff member specialising in domestic abuse. The party said that Cllr Blumenthal had called on the Liberal Democrats to support her amendment to refer the matter to the Equalities Working Group, and to work constructively on that cross-party group to shape the Council’s strategies. Instead, they said, “the Opposition refused to do so, putting politics before working cross-party on practical help for women”. Cllr Blumenthal said: “I totally agree with the spirit of the motion, and the Council is committed to doing everything it can to protect residents from violence and harassment. “However, the motion would spend taxpayers’ money duplicating work already being done by Conservatives on this Council and in Government, and for that reason, we put down an amendment for a working group to examine whether there were any benefits to what the motion proposes.”
in, from Loddon Homes and from the developers RJ Leighfield and Sons.”
Extra motions
IN ADDITION to calls for the council to have White Ribbon status (see above), the meeting considered two motions. Cllr Ian Shenton (Lib Dem) wanted to declare an ecological emergency, saying that “I am proposing that this Council goes beyond the ecological considerations that are currently incorporated in some activities . “In that way, in our small fragment of this planet we can protect our existing biodiversity and potentially even increase it. “Nobody will do it for us; the responsibility is ours, and we will not be forgiven by future generations if we fail to take that responsibility.” The motion was rejected, with Cllr Gregor Murray saying the motion had been submitted with the best of intentions but it was premature. “I can’t help but feel that our residents would be better served by referring this motion to the Cross-Party Working Group on Biodiversity to consider in context of their recommendations.” However, Cllr Murray’s motion on planting 250,000 trees was given approval. This means that the council will commit to achieving Tree Cities of the World status.
Options Bath & Tile Studio
The ‘forgo�en room’
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part of the home that I fondly call the ‘forgotten room’ is the downstairs cloakroom - a room that is probably used the most, by the family of the home, friends and even the Waitrose Delivery Driver. It is generally located towards the front of the house with the door closed almost as if to hide the room. The question is why this room is hidden away and why we don’t take much notice of it but, as part of updating your home this room is a perfect start to practice in.
How to make ‘small spaces’ look good If, you want to experiment with colours and patterns my first choice would be the ‘downstairs cloakroom which I call the ‘forgotten room’so, lets re introduce this room and make it a real feature in the home. Inject fun by having a funky radiator, quirky tiles and clever storage to complete the look. This could be an opportunity to express your decorating style in this smaller area of the house. Traditionally, we use this room as storage so why not introduce clever ways of storing your essentials. Don’t choose large items of bathroom furniture but, furniture with items that suit the size of the room. Perhaps even choose some vibrant wallpaper that expresses your favourite themes. Add photographs and pictures to create a family feel about the room. Focus too, on a mirror; this is where ladies will go to check on their appearance so perhaps having lighting around the edge to soften the look. Lighting in your small space Lighting is a key part of the room and does not just provide the functionality of having light it adds atmosphere and mood. Having just one light in the form of a lamp ceiling light will just cast a single pool of light in the middle of the floor. By using multiple lighting sources it will give the room elements of light in all areas of this small space. This will make the room feel bigger and more relaxing. Even the wall hung toilet adds to the look of the room and coupled with lighting underneath creates a warmth to this room. The cloakroom below is a beautiful cloakroom that really shows how lighting works in this small space by using a ‘chandelier’ type light. If, you are looking to be creative and start off somewhere small then take a look at our website where we have a page dedicated to ‘cloakrooms’ if that inspires you then please do contact us to arrange an appointment to visit our showroom. Email us at sales@optionsstudio.co.uk or, call: 01344 627500.
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Email: advertising@wokingham.today PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES WOKINGHAM’S INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL This statement is from Wokingham’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). The Panel is made up of local residents chosen, via an interview process, for their skills, independence, and objectivity. Panel members give up a considerable amount of their time to consider and make recommendations regarding the allowances that your local Councillors receive for the time they give to Council related duties. The contents of this statement are based on the work carried out by the IRP in 2020 and 2021. How well do we know our local Wokingham Councillors? How much do we know about the work they carry out on behalf of the community?
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
213686
Cutbush Manor, Cutbush Lane, Shinfield
(Affect setting of) Listed Building
Householder application for the proposed replacement of chimney pot, works to guttering, plus renovation of kitchen.
213687
Cutbush Manor, Cutbush Lane, Shinfield
(Affect setting of) Listed Building
Application for Listed Building consent for the proposed replacement of chimney pot, works to guttering, plus renovation of kitchen.
213704
West Court, Park Lane, Finchampstead
(Affect setting of) Listed Building
Application for Listed Building consent for the proposed replacement of 10 no. windows to second floor dormers.
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. Any comments must arrive on or before the 9th December 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: 25th November 2021
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 (KENTONS LANE. WARGRAVE) (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:
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that on the 18th November 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:
Sandford Lane, Hurst between its junctions with Mohawk Way and B3030 Davis Street.
Kentons Lane, Wargrave between its junctions with A321 Wargrave Road and Culham Lane.
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 Robin Hood Lane and B3030 Davis Street or by this route in reverse
The alternative route for all vehicles affected by this restriction shall be via Culham Lane, Upper Culham Lane, A4130 White Hill and A321 Wargrave Road or by this route in reverse.
Works requiring this restriction will take place between 14th December and 15th December 2021.
The reason for these prohibitions is to allow Gigaclear contractors to undertake excavation and installation of fibre optic cable and associated work in safety.
The reason for these prohibitions is to allow BT contractors to undertake pole testing 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 December 2021 and shall continue in force for a period not exceeding 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.
Works requiring this restriction will take place between 30th November and 15th December 2021.
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 30th November 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: 25th November 2021
Dated: 25th November 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
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We tend to learn a little more about our councillors around the time of local elections, but in the interim period how much do we know about what they are doing on our behalf, and how they are shaping the way that our local community is served? The role of Councillor is a demanding one, requiring a good deal of commitment and a sense of community spirit. Councillors are expected to attend a wide range of meetings whilst also dealing with a variety of issues raised by residents. Councillors are expected to either live or work in their community and while most are affiliated to a political party this is not a necessity, and some are independent of any political party. The role of a Councillor centres on community leadership and engagement with a variety of responsibilities, including: > representing the ward for which they are elected; > decision-making such as developing and reviewing Council policy; > assuming responsibility for legal functions of the Council, for example health and wellbeing; > scrutinising decisions taken by the Executive – for example key strategies and policies such as the local plan; > regulatory, quasi-judicial and statutory duties – for example determining major and sometimes controversial planning applications at Planning Committee. All elected members of the Council, irrespective of their politics, are expected to work together to provide us with the community and facilities that we expect and make use of on a daily basis. Councillors are rarely 'off duty' in that many are contactable by phone or email day or night. This could include responding to a sudden or even an ongoing problem that residents do not think is being dealt with satisfactorily. So what are some of the issues and tasks they accomplish on our behalf, and just how much of their time is given to serving us? A Councillor’s role and remit depends on their position at the Council. Some Councillors have no additional responsibilities and instead focus almost solely on dealing with issues and complaints from residents within their ward. Other Councillors sit on a variety of boards and Committees, whilst some take on the legal responsibility for certain areas of the Council such as Finance, Leisure, or Highways. Councillors have talked to us about a range of issues that they deal with, including highways matters for example roadworks, environmental concerns such as fly tipping and bonfires, and those issues relating to planning applications and housing developments. The latest national census of local councillors revealed that on average the number of hours given to Council business by those elected was equivalent to 22 hours per week, with 8 hours of that spent in Council meetings. Are Councillors reimbursed financially for their time and effort? Councillors receive Members’ allowances to recompense for 50% their time spent on council matters, with the remaining time being provided on an unpaid basis. Many will say the real reward is the job satisfaction that comes from contributing to the local community. A number of Councillors have told us that were not aware of any allowances when they chose to stand for election. Every two years the IRP reviews the Members’ allowances scheme, and makes recommendations about the level of allowances to be paid in future. These recommendations are presented to the Council for approval, or rejection. Historically, Wokingham Councillors have taken a cautious approach to accepting recommendations to increase allowances, which remain at the same level as they were in 2017. The IRP are due to make their next set of recommendations in relation to Wokingham’s Councillors remuneration between May 2022 and May 2023, which will be presented at a meeting of the Council. The report will be available on the Wokingham Council website: www.wokingham.gov.uk
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PUBLIC NOTICES WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (GENERAL PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT) (ENGLAND) ORDER 2015 (AS AMENDED) NOTICE OF THE MAKING OF AN IMMEDIATE DIRECTION UNDER ARTICLE 4 RELATING TO LAND ON THE WEST SIDE OF WARGRAVE ROAD OPPOSITE BEECH TREE FARM RG10 8PJ NOTICE IS GIVEN that WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL made an Immediate Direction on 22 November 2021 under Article 4(1) of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) (the Order).
It’s good news for every one
The Immediate Direction relates to development comprising any building operation consisting of the erection, construction, maintenance, improvement or alteration of a gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure being development comprised within Class A of Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the said Order. The Immediate Direction removes permitted development rights for this type of development from the date when the Direction comes into force on 22 November 2021. Planning permission will therefore be required for such development referred to above on over or under the land shown edged in red on the plan attached to the Direction. A copy of the Direction, including the plan defining the area covered, can be viewed at the ground floor reception of Wokingham Borough Council Offices, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 IBN, from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (apart from Bank Holidays) between 22 November 2021 and 7 January 2022 Representations may be made concerning the Article 4 Direction between 22 November 2021 and 17 December 2021 inclusive. If you wish to make representations you may do so by email to planning.enforcement@wokingham.gov.uk or by post to the Service Manager, Wokingham Borough Council, Council Offices, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 IBN.
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Any representations must be received by 5pm on 17 December 2021. The Immediate Direction comes into force on 22 November 2021 and will expire at the end of the period of 6 months from that date unless confirmed earlier by the Council. Dated: 25th November 2021 Director of Place and Growth Steve Moore
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LEISURETODAY LEISURE TODAY
25.11.21
Your guide to what’s on across Reading and Wokingham
It’s been Christmas every day for Karl Lockdown has been a busy time for Beauty and the Beast panto star Karl: he’s been busy singing around the world, without leaving the country. PHIL CREIGHTON finds out more
‘I
T’S AMAZING to be back,’ says Karl Lokley – keen as mustard for Saturday, December 4, to come round.
It’s the date of the first performances of The Hexagon’s 2021 pantomime, Beauty and the Beast. Postponed from last year, Karl has had to wait a whole 12 months to become the titular Beast of the show. Alongside him are Reading favourites Justin Fletcher and Paul Morse, a double act that makes everyone howl with laughter. Also returning are Sarah Giorgina as Beauty, Rachel Delooze as the Enchantress, and David J Higgins as Mr Crust – all have appeared in previous shows for Imagine Theatre, who produce the show for The Hexagon.
Karl, who was the handsome prince in 2016’s Snow White, as well as appearing on the ITV show The Voice, is raring to go. We’re chatting at the photocall for Beauty and the Beast, held a few weeks ago, as life was starting to return to some kind of normality. After the various lockdowns and shutdowns that have seen many theatres fall silent for much of the past 18 months, it was a bit of a culture shock for Karl. “As soon as I walked into The Hexagon today, opened the door into the auditorium, I saw all those seats, it was a sight I hadn’t seen for so long,” he said. “It really does feel like coming back home. Seeing the team from Imagine was a great comfort, and I felt completely at ease.”
Just as well, as he was having his photo taken over and over and over again to help promote the show. While this is his second Christmas working with Paul and Justin, he has appeared in three other shows with Sarah, which will make the chemistry between them easier, as it’s already there. “It will be so nice to be back on stage, doing what we love – entertaining great audiences who, for many young kids, this will be their introduction to theatre,” he says. “For a lot of people it will be like an introduction to theatre again, as they haven’t been for so long. “This is a great way to bring people together again, especially after last Christmas when there was no entertainment. It was probably the strangest Christmas we’ve all had.” Beauty and the Beast is Karl’s favourite panto: “It’s just got everything: the magic, comedy, great music and action,” he promises. Being a singer, he’s looking forward to his big numbers, not least as they will be a change of pace from his lockdown
project: a Christmas-themed classical crossover album, which has just been released. “We’ve been recording in Moscow and Bulgaria, but I haven’t been there,” he says. “We use a session choir in Bulgaria, and Sarah has performed some backing vocals for it. “My Christmas has been happening all year: I was singing Christmas songs in April.” The reason for his classical crossover stems from success he’s had before, reaching number three in the classical album charts, and he’s determined to make it magical, and accessible. “I wanted to release this, as it has songs we all know and love, but has a hint of a classical style. I Believe In Father Christmas is done like this, it’s not a full-on opera, but it’s got a little bit of it,” he explains. It will have its own video as well, and Karl has been globetrotting from his home, working with a Canadian animation team to create a three-anda-half-minute masterpiece.
“As soon as that’s done, it’s straight into panto,” he says. “It feels strange to have had this massive break and then suddenly … it’s like waiting for a bus. It’s very exciting to be thrown into the world of entertainment again, full throttle.” Karl loves pantomime, not least for the audience interaction – “they’re a big part of the show” he says – and working with the rest of the cast. “It will be great to see people excited to be in a building, where they are going to see a great pantomime with the incredible Justin Fletcher. He’s an absolute megastar,” he says. n Karl’s album, Christmas, is available now from his website, karlloxley.com, or from all the usual streaming sites. n Beauty and the Beast is at The Hexagon in Reading from Saturday, December 4, through to Saturday, January 3. Tickets cost from £15, and there are relaxed and signed performances during the run. For more details, call the box office on 0118 960 6060 or log on to whatsonreading.com
18 | LEISURE
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Swinging 60s at South Hill Park
Dickens from the Man In the Moon
A MUSICAL production is twirling into South Hill Park next February. Audiences will swing into the 1960s to watch dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad become a celebrity overnight. She goes on to using her new status by bringing racial integration to The Corny Collins Show. Presented by Rare Productions, this family-friendly show has fun, humour and a lot of big hairstyles. Performances run from Thursday, February 3 to Saturday, February 5. Adult tickets cost £20.50, concessions are £19.50 and child tickets are £18.50. n For more details, call the box office on 01344 484 123, or visit: Southhillpark. org.uk
AN ADAPTATION of Charles Dickens’ Christmas tale is heading to Guildford next month. The Man In The Moon brings A Christmas Carol to stage at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre’s The Mill Studio from Thursday, December 16, to Saturday, December 18. Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas. But one Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley and the spirits or Christmas Past, Present and Future. Performances times are 3.30pm and 7.30pm Adult tickets cost £15 and under 25’s are £12. n For more details, or to book tickets, call the box office on 01483 440000, or visit yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
Not every trick can go the way it’s planned
Everyone’s talking about pop music
A POP concert experience is celebrating female singers with a special gig at South Hill Park next year. Pop Divas Live will step onto the stage at the Bracknell arts venue’s Wilde Theatre on Saturday, February 12, at 6pm. Songs from Little Mix, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and more will have audiences dancing the night away. Tickets cost £17. n For more details, call the box office on 01344 484 123, or visit: Southhillpark. org.uk
Who’s the monster?
A DRAG night is getting its glam on at the Rising Sun Arts Centre this festive season. The Reading venue, on Silver Street, presents its S.O.S Drag Night Christmas edition on Saturday, December 18 at 7pm. The line-up will be announced soon and the event will run at fully capacity. Suitable for aged 18 and over, tickets are available on a pay what you can basis. n For more details, call the box office on 0118 986 6788, or visit: risingsunartscentre.org
A THRILLING adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece will be shown at South Hill Park next year. Blackeyed Theatre is heading to the Bracknell arts venue for a revival of its 2016 production, Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein obsesses in the pursuit of nature’s secret, a potion of life itself. And nothing can prepare him for what he creates. The production will run from Thursday, January 27, to Saturday, January 29. Tickets cost £21 for adults, £18 for members, and £19 for concessions. n For more details, call the box office on 01344 484 123, or visit: Southhillpark. org.uk
Glam up for Rising Sun’s drag night
MOCK The Week special guest Gary Delaney is diving into a rabbit hole of jokes in Reading next Winter. The Live at the Apollo star has been through the laughing glass to deliver his new show, Gary in Punderland, at the Concert Hall on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Audiences are promised hit after hit of the kind of one-
AT THE THEATRE
Every week, we bring you a round-up of all shows taking place in the region’s theatres. It covers this weekend and next, so you can plan ahead and book tickets to the shows that you want to go and see. As ever, coronavirus means that shows could be cancelled, postponed or rearranged at short notice. Check with theatres to avoid disappointment.
Bracknell – South Hill Park
www.southhillpark.org.uk 01344 484123 Coach House Christmas Parties. Thurs. Cinderella. From Fri-Jan 3. Conservatoire International Concert Series: Amit Yahav. Fri. The Comedy Cellar. Fri. Spirit Chasers Paranormal UK. Sun. Swing Into Christmas With the Down For The Count Concert Orchestra. Mon. Liza Pulman: The Heart of It. Wed. An Evening of Amerciana: Sandy McLelland, The Lost Trades and Tomorrow Bird. Wed. Coach House Christmas Parties. Thurs 2. Bracknell Jazz: Blue Town. Fri 3. The Comedy Cellar. Fri 3.
Camberley – Theatre
www.camberleytheatre.biz 01276 707600 Live at Camberley Theatre. Fri. An Evening of Burlesque. Sat. The Noise Next Door: Run Wild. Sat 4.
Nursing back to Elf with Snow White
Buble meets Sinatra for showdown
A PANTOMIME with a twist will be performed in Basingstoke in January. Hampshire Hospitals Pantomime Players present Snow White and the National Elf Service at The Haymarket on Saturday, January 8. Snow White, a newly qualified nurse, meets Dr Charming, the new junior doctor who falls instantly in love with her and must stop the Wicked Matron from poisoning Snow White. Standard tickets cost £20 and £15 for the 2.30pm performance. And under 16 tickets cost £8. n For more details, or to book tickets, call the box office on 01256 844244, or log on to: anvilarts.org.uk
A SHOWDOWN between two singing icons will let audiences decide who’s the best at The Anvil this January. Michael Buble’s tribute performer, Jamie Flanagan, and Frank Sinatra impersonator Kevin Fitzsimmons will battle it out with an evening of live music celebrating their greatest hits. The performance takes place on Sunday, January 23, at 7.30pm. Standard tickets cost £27.50. n For more details, or to book tickets, call the box office on 01256 844244, or log on to: anvilarts.org.uk
Guildford – Yvonne Arnaud
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk 01483 440000 Poirot and More: A Retrospective. Fri-Sat. Dick Whittington. Fri 3-Jan 9.
High Wycombe – Wycombe Swan
www.wycombeswan.co.uk 01494 512000 Heathers The Musical. Tues-Sat. Hellfire Comedy Club. Thurs. Mamma Mia and More Dinner Dance. Sat. Carl Hutchinson Live. Sun. Coldplace. Sun. Russell Watson. Tues. Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Living Dangerously. Mon. Fairytale of New York. Wed 1. Christmas Hellfire Comedy Club. Thurs 2. Ed Byrne. Thurs 2. Christmas Cracker Party Night. Fri 3-Sat 4. That’ll Be The Day. Fri 3. Rick Wakeman. Sat 4.
Henley –
liners only a master could craft – and plenty of snark. He has previously played to sold-out theatres. Suitable for aged 16 and over, the performance begins at 7.30pm and tickets cost £22. n For more details, or to book, call the box office on 0118 960 6060, or visit: whatsonreading.com
Kenton
www.kentontheatre.co.uk 01491 525050 The Take That Experience. Thurs 2.
www.watermill.org.uk 01635 46044 The Jungle Book. Until New Year’s Eve.
Maidenhead – Norden Farm
Reading – South Street
www.nordenfarm.org 01628 788997 Ahir Shah: Dress. Fri. The Alter Eagles. Sat. Kipper’s Snowy Day. From Tues until Dec 30. Anything Goes The Musical. Wed. Youth Theatre Sharing. Wed. Jess Robinson: The Twelve Days of Christmas. Thurs 2. Mig Kimpton’s Tale of the Golden Goose. Fri 3. The Thinking Drinkers: Pub Quiz. Sat 4.
Newbury – The Corn Exchange www.cornexchangenew.com 0845 5218 218 Cinderella. Fri-Sun, Jan 2.
Newbury – The Watermill
www.whatsonreading.com 0118 960 6060 The Snow Queen. From Dec 3-Christmas Eve.
Reading – The Hexagon
www.whatsonreading.com 0118 960 6060 The Darkness. Fri. Katherine Ryan: Missus. Sat. Beauty and the Beast starring Justin Fletcher and Paul Morse. Dec 4-Jan 3.
Reading – Concert Hall
www.whatsonreading.com 0118 960 6060 NEXT SHOW: Lunchtime Organ Recital. Jan 17.
A COMEDY play will present a wanderfully spectacular show to get Guildford laughing all night long. From the creators of The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre is pulling all the rabbits out of the hat for its upcoming show, Magic Goes Wrong, at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. The rabbits will be pulled out of hats from January 18 through to January 30. n For more details, or to book tickets, call the box office on 01483 440000, or visit: yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
All we hear is ... The Mill is the place to be
WE WILL Rock You fans can enjoy a special tribute show at The Mill at Sonning in January. The Freddie and Queen Experience will celebrate the life and talent of the band through a live concert. The five-piece group is set to perform with replica outfits, instrumentals and perform a full recreation of Queen’s greatest hits. The show takes place at the Sonningbased theatre on Sunday, January 22. Tickets cost £55.50 and include a preshow two-course meal. n For more details, or to book, call the box office on 0118 969 8000, or log on to: millatsonning.com
Reading – Progress Theatre
www.progresstheatre.co.uk 0118 384 2195 Clark Tracey Sextet. Fri 26. NEXT SHOW: Babe The Sheep-Pig. Dec 8-11.
Reading – Reading Rep Theatre
Windsor – Theatre Royal
www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk 01753 853888 Jack and the Beanstalk. Fri-Sun, Jan 9.
Wokingham – Theatre
www.readingrep.com 0118 370 2620 NEXT SHOW: A Christmas Carol. Dec 3-New Year’s Eve.
www.wokingham-theatre.org.uk 0118 978 5363 NEXT SHOW: The Government Inspector. Wed, Dec 8-Sat, Dec 18.
Shinfield – Shinfield Players
Wokingham – The Whitty Theatre
Sonning – The Mill
Woodley – Theatre
www.shinfieldplayers.org.uk 0118 975 8880 NEXT SHOW: Youth Group Revue. Dec 3-4.
www.millatsonning.com 0118 969 8000 Top Hat. Until Jan 8. The Rat Pack at Christmas. Sun, Sun Dec 5.
www.thewhittytheatre.org 0118 974 3247 NEXT SHOW: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Jan 17-18.
www.woodleytheatre.org 07488337838 Talking Heads Part 2. Wed-Sat Dec 4.
Who better to wish you a Merry Xmas than Slade?
First acts announced for Printworks
D
J YODA, OSP and Ash The Author will take to the decks for Market Yard Printhouse’s launch event this Friday.
C’mon, feel the noize! Dave Hill’s Slade are coming to SUB89 early next month to help Reading get ready to party. LAURA SCARDARELLA is hanging her stocking on the wall
The entertainment-led food and drinks market, inside the former Reading Post printing plant in Tessa Road, has been transformed into a 1,200-capacity events space with three rooms and an outdoor terrace. Market Yard will now run until Thursday, December 23 with a full line-up of acts and events. The five-week run features DJs, live music artists and bands, including East 17, drag queen dancers, stand-up comedy and a power ballad sing-a-long night. DJ Yoda will also be joined on opening night, starting at 7.30pm, by The Big JT and DJ Cypress Phil. Every Saturday from noon until 3pm, Market Yard Printhouse is set to run a themed brunch, starting with its first one, led by Disco Shed. From 7.30pm, Hacienda, Ministry of Sound and Ibiza Rocks resident DJ Paulette, will step onto stage to celebrate all things disco, with supporting DJ’s Pete Wheeler and Ben Narbatus. The first of weekly Cinema Club screenings kicks off at noon on Sunday, November 28. This features singalong favourite Mamma Mia. The same evening from 7.30pm, there’s comedy with Josh James and Carl Donnelly, alongside Tom Ward & Emmanuel Sonubi, both of whom appear on the upcoming series of Live At The Apollo. Bingo Lingo, the character-led bingo night, bring their crowd participation on Monday, November 29. To kick off December, Dua Lipa remixers Horse Meat Disco will headline the second week on Friday, December 3 from 7.30pm. Brixton Radio DJs take centre stage on the Saturday afternoon, ahead of a set for RAW SILK. On December 5, Smooth Sundays launches at 3.30pm, with a live set of soul covers from Eat At Joe’s and DJ duo Twin Sun. Highlights throughout December include UK’s best known pop night Guilty Pleasures bringing DJ Lady Lloyd and the Dream Team dancers on Friday, December 10. Glitterbox DJ Natasha Kitty Katt will be joined by Twin Sun on Saturday, December 11 and tribute act Abba Magic Duo entertains fans with the band’s all-time favourites on the Sunday. Pop legend Adele will be celebrated by one of the UK’s tribute acts on Wednesday, December 15. Glastonbury regulars Ultimate Power providing a power ballad singalong on Friday, December 17. And 90s chart-toppers East 17 take to the stage on Sunday, December 19. We hope they’ll sing their Christmas number one, Stay Another Day. n For more details, log on to: marketyard.co.uk
S
LADE is set to bring the house down with a rock ‘n’ roll Christmas spectacular at Reading’s Sub89 next Sunday.
Band member Dave Hill said audiences can expect that “feel good factor” when coming along to the show. First hitting the road in 1966, the group’s career has since spanned over six decades touring across the UK and Europe. With 23 Top Ten hits, and six of those making it to number one in the charts, Slade brings a unique blend of pop rock ‘n’ roll, outrageous flamboyance and fun. And the group are still performing, with founding member Dave Hill on lead guitar, John Berry on lead vocals, Russell Keefe on vocals and keys, and Alex Bines now joins on drums. The band will perform hits, including In For A Penny, Let’s Call It Quits, We’ll Bring The House Down, My Oh My, Run Run Away, and, of course, Merry Xmas Everybody. At the start of the 80s, Slade played at the annual Reading Rock Festival, as it was then, to 100,000 fans, and Dave Hill said he can’t wait to be back in the borough next week. “It’s been a while since we played in Reading, but it’s a place I know quite well,” he says. “We really want to give audiences what they want, which is to play what they all know and love. “You can guarantee there’s always going to be a surprise at our shows along with songs that everyone knows and can sing along to.” Dave has missed being on the road and said it’s always been in him to perform. “I’ve never been at home for such a long time, so missing playing in shows was a big deal for me,” he explains.
OLD SONGS ARE THE BEST: Dave Hill’s Slade will be at SUB89 with a Christmas show “I’ve definitely missed seeing all our fans, not just in our country, but abroad, too, and it’s great being back up on that stage and performing to a big crowd of people again.” After many years, Dave says he doesn’t get nervous in front of an audience. He said: “I feel a mixture of things when I get up on stage but, having played to immense crowds, I’m just used to it now, and after loving it as long as I have, nothing frightens me.” Dave adds that the concert is all about bringing people together this festive season. “With it being a Christmas show, our goal is to lift people’s spirits up, especially as we all didn’t get to celebrate properly last year, and to just give them something they love.” So, here it is … merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun. That’s just the way Dave likes it. The concert starts at 7pm, on Sunday, December 5. Tickets are £26.95. n For more details, or to book, log on to sub89.com
THE MILL AT SONNING PRESENTS
Hoosiers to headline FiFest
LINE-UP: Reef, Dodgy and the Hoosiers will be part of the line up for next year’s Fi Fest 2022
LEISURE | 19
To advertise, call 0118 327 2662
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
THE HOOSIERS will be among the headliners at next year’s Maidenhead music festival. They’ll be joined by rock band, Reef, and Dodgy to perform at Fi Fest 2022 on Saturday, July 9. The family-friendly music festival, held at Stroud Farm, Maidenhead, will entertain the crowds with a whole day of live entertainment, food and drink. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Dodgy’s album Free Peace Sweet will be performed on stage with hits, including If You’re Thinking Of Me, Found You and Good Enough. Hoosiers will be making an appearance on Saturday evening
playing singles such as Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr. A. Other acts announced include The Leylines, Queen tribute act Mission to Mercury, The Brit Pop Boys, Daft and Back to the ‘50s. Fi Fest’s Kidzone will be open for families to enjoy a range of rides, shows, a sand play park and more. Children will see a roaring appearance from Baxter the T-Rex across the day. A food village with stall holders will also be there to serve up drinks, ice creams and treats for visitors. Fi Fest organiser Lee Page, who has been running the event
for four years, said: “As someone who works in the entertainment industry, the last two years throughout the Pandemic have been really hard. Being able to host Fi Fest 2021 last year felt like a dream come true because we were finally able to bring friends and families together to dance, socialise and party. “We were blown away by the support from the local community and the popularity of Fi Fest means we can make it even bigger and better in 2022.” Tickets start from £25 and allday child tickets are £15. n For more details, or to book, log on to: fifest.co.uk
TOP HAT
16 OCTOBER 2021 TO 8 JANUARY 2022 BOOK ONLINE AT MILLATSONNING.COM
THE MILL AT SONNING THEATRE LTD SONNING EYE, RG4 6TY READING
20 | LEISURE
To advertise, email advertising@wokingham.today
Playwriting opportunities WRITERS can get their creative juices flowing in Progress Theatre’s free playwriting course. The Reading-based theatre company is hosting a five-week online course in November on how to write a short play. Individuals will work towards submitting the plays to Progress Theatre’s Scratch Reading nights, Writefest and other competitions. The workshop dates are every Monday evening starting from Monday, November 1 until Monday, November 29. Classes will run from 7pm until 9pm via Zoom. n For more details, log on to: progresstheatre.co.uk
Live music at South Hill Park this Sunday AN AFTERNOON of live acoustic music will welcomes visitors to South Hill Park this Sunday. Classic singer-songwriter and storyteller Jim Cozens, will be joined by folk artist Damian Clarke and Reading-based singer Jess Tuthill will provide two hours of non-stop music. Tickets cost £8.50 and the event will run from 2.30pm until 4.30pm. n For more information, or to book, log on to 01344 484123, or log on to: southhillpark.org.uk
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Forecast for winter: snowy in South Street
T
ICE MAGIC: The Snow Queen is coming to Reading this Christmas, thanks to RABBLE Theatre
HE FAIRY tale that inspired Disney’s Frozen will whisk audiences on a magical journey at South Street Arts this Christmas.
A story all about overcoming difficulties with love and support, Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen seems like the perfect show for RABBLE Theatre to put on. After the Reading-based company’s previous show, Who Killed Alfred Oliver?, was cut short due to covid, general manager Emma Lawrence said they all need a “good laugh”. She said: “We’ve seen some tough times recently, but I can’t wait to watch this show with family – young and old – and enjoy the beauty of imaginative, live theatre.” Written by Anna Wheatley, who wrote RABBLE’S former festive shows, this family-friendly adaptation includes lots of puppetry and humour. Audiences will see heroine Gerda, be greeted by a talking reindeer, Bae, and meet the evil Ice Queen on her travels. John Luther, director of South Street Arts Centre, said having RABBLE back at the venue for a third year is exciting. “Their A Christmas Carol was unforgettable, and Hansel and Gretel also received amazing
BACK ON TOUR: Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox
Together again after 11
praise from our audiences. We’re looking forward to this epic adventure,” he said. “Everyone’s had a tough time with the pandemic, but none more so than RABBLE, and we’re delighted to be hosting them at this important time.” The company also offers a pay-what-you-can performance, discounts, a signed performance and free tickets to those who can’t afford to attend. Dani Davies, RABBLE’s executive director, said: “RABBLE
RAYMOND GUBBAY PRESENTS
is Reading’s theatre company and we will always do what we can to keep theatre accessible for all. “Local people have got us through these dark days, and we can’t wait to welcome our friends back for this heart-warming piece of spellbinding theatre.” The production will run from Friday, December 3 until Friday, December 24. n For more details, or to book tickets, log on to: whatsonreading. com/snow-queen
LAURA SCARDARELLA
THE NEXT act at Nettlebed Folk Club is a rare opportunity to see a duo come together again after years of solo work. Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox will be visiting on Monday, November 29. The pair, fine singers, are said to be masters of vocal harmony and musicians of stunning ability who can weave magic to any auditorium. Billy is familiar as frontman of Lindisfarne, while Bob is a member of Warhorse. They are currently touring with a show called Five Star B&B, and this is their first such enterprise together since 2010, where they enjoyed sell-out performances and glowing reviews. The pair are so busy, that this is the first time they have had the
opportunity to get back together again. The set list will include Lindisfarne classics and traditional folk arrangements such as Sally Wheatley, Meet Me On The Corner, Dance To Your Daddy, and Clear White Light. Add in Billy and Bob’s close rapport, and lashings of wit, and this is sure to be a warmhearted show ideal for audiences of virtually any age or musical persuasion. The club is on the High Street in Nettlebed, and is currently operating at 80% capacity due to covid. Doors open at 7.50pm and tickets cost £15. n For more details, or to book, call 01628 636620 between 10am and 8pm, or log on to www. nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk
CATS Crowthorne ready to turn village into Sherwood Forest CATS Crowthorne will be travelling to Sherwood Forest for its upcoming pantomime, Robin Hood. The amateur dramatics society will perform the show from Friday, November 26 until Sunday, November 28 at the Crowthorne Parish Hall at 7.30pm. Written by Pumpkin Pantos, the story takes audiences on a journey following the highlyskilled archer and swordsman, Robin Hood. Living in Nottingham, he enjoys a good life with his lover, Marian, before he is drafted by
the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham to fight the Third Crusade against the Saracens. “The Parish Hall, like so many
other venues, has been a quiet and sad place for the last couple of years without the annual Crowthorne Amateur Theatrical Societies Christmas pantomime,” directors Sam Gillett and Sophie Levine said. “However, with much excitement, we welcome you back to the venue to enjoy the boo’s and hisses and the endless ‘behind you’ gags.” Tickets cost £10 and a family of four ticket is £35. n For more details, or to book, log on to ticketsource.co.uk/ crowthornecats
All-day music festival? Sounds Heavy
Join the nation’s favourite ballroom couple to celebrate some of the greatest icons of entertainment. With stunning costumes, fabulous live vocals, a high-energy West End dance ensemble and a sensational 23 piece orchestra.
Friday 4 March at 7.30pm
The Hexagon, READING
whatsonreading.com
0118 960 6060
antonanderinlive.co.uk
AN ALL-DAY festival will have individuals dancing the night away in Reading this Saturday. Music promoter Heavy Pop will present Beat Connection at South Street Arts Centre from 3pm until 11pm. Jane Weaver, Animal House, Home Counties, Laundromat, The Lounge Society and Youth Sector are among the acts to be performing across the day. Food stalls will be open from Tutu’s Ethiopian Table and We Are Friends. Advanced second tier tickets cost £20 and £25 for on the door tickets. n For more details, or to book, log on to heavypop.co.uk
LEISURE | 29
To advertise, call 0118 327 2662
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
LIVEMUSIC
To advertise in this section, call Claire on 0118 327 2662
RaW Sounds Today
WORK UP AN APETITE: Crooked Shapes on stage at Wokingham Festival Picture: Andrew Merritt
Chris Hillman
bit.ly/ rawsoundstoday
W
Crooked Shapes – Appetite This three-piece rock band with members from Reading and Wokingham have just released their debut self-titled album Crooked Shapes. This track is their latest single and is one of nine to enjoy, so if you like your classic rock updated to
GIG GUIDE
Friday, November 26
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. Buried Treasure. Details: www.theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. Pure Queen. Details: 01344 303333. CHARVIL – Heron on the Ford, Landsend Lane RG10 0UE. Monkey Shock. Details: 0118 934 0700. EARLEY – The Roebuck, Auckland Rd RG6 1NY. Band. Details: 0118 966 7153. EMMBROOK – The Dog and Duck, Matthewsgreen Road RG41 1JT. Live music. Details: 0118 978 0544. EMMBROOK – Emmbrook Sports & Social, Lowther Road RG41 1JB. Wokingham Music Club presents Sarah Jane Morris: Sweet Little Mystery, songs of John Martyn. £17.50. Details: www.wokinghammusicclub.co.uk READING – The Butler, Chatham Street RG1 7DS. Open mic night. Details: 0118 959 5500. READING – The Face Bar, Ambrose Place RG1 7JE. Metal Fridays. Details: 0118 956 8188. READING – The Hexagon, Queens Walk. The Darkness. Details: 0118 960 6060. READING – Market Yard, Tessa Road RG1 8HH. Opening party with DJ Yoda. Details: www.marketyard.co.uk READING – The Palmer Tavern, Wokingham Rd RG6 1JL. Marvellous Fridays. Details: 0118 935 1009. READING – Progress Theatre, The Mount RG1 5HL. Clark Tracey Sextet. Details: www.jazzinreading.com READING – Sub89, Friar Street RG1 1EP. The Wedding Present. Details: 0118 959 5395. RISELEY – The Bull, Basingstoke Road RG7 1QL. The Turn. Details: 0118 343 0565. WOKINGHAM – Broad Street Tavern, Broad Street RG40 1AU. Live music. Details: 0118 977 3706. WOKINGHAM – The Roebuck, Market Place RG40 1AL. The Midnight Rebel Band. Details: 0118 979 6486.
Katie Ellwood – More Than Perfect It’s another wonderful indie-pop single with an infectious melody and chilled beats from Katie who is from Wokingham and who writes, records, plays and sings on her releases. Very talented. – https:// www.katieellwood.com/
Moth Man – Nutter
E’VE GOT two great new entries in this week’s RaW Sounds Today playlist.
Crooked Shapes, who have featured in the playlist before, are back as we celebrate their new album. And The Joy and the Wonder is the track from Reading-based Last Picture Show. These are just a couple of the 10 great tracks in our list, all with connections to the area. You can listen, for free, thanks to our Spotify playlist. The RaW Sounds playlist is a terrific way to explore a wide range of brilliant artists, discover some new music and keep dancing. To tune in, simply head to https://bit.ly/ rawsoundstoday and get ready to rock. There’s also a Facebook page and group chat that bands and music fans can tap in to. You can search for RaW Sounds Today and it will come up.
grooves, strong vocals and even a guitar solo at the end – https://www.hoopyfrood.co.uk/
This band, with members from Reading and Manchester, have released a new video of this track from their latest album. It was filmed by Gigshotz from Reading and reflects the moody atmospheric feel of the song and the album - https://mothman. band/ the present day with melody and power check it out. The band have refined their sound with live appearances at many venues and festivals including a recent appearance at the renowned Hard Rock Hell Festival as well as Wokingham Festival – https:// www.crookedshapes.com/
Last Picture Show – The Joy and the Wonder
A Reading-based band, Last Picture Show are interested in combining visual imagery with their music and that shows with the award-winning video they created for this single which is well worth a look. The four-piece band have an indie feel reminiscent of U2 and Coldplay and this song showcases that style with its gradual atmospheric build and it’s melodic and uplifting aspects – http:// www.last-picture-show.com/
Saturday, November 27
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. Dumgalism: return to the jungle with DJ Nicky Blackmarket. Details: www.theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. The Originals. Details: 01344 303333. BRACKNELL – The Royal Oak, London Road RG12 2NN. Self Preservation Society. Details: 01344 422622. BRACKNELL – The Silver Birch, Liscombe RG12 7DE. Blue Hayz. Details: 01344 457318. LOWER EARLEY – Maiden Place Social Club, Maiden Place RG6 3HA. Stephen Roper. Details: 0118 926 0850. READING – The Face Bar, Ambrose Place RG1 7JE. Club Velocity presents King Kurt. Details: 0118 956 8188. READING – The Jazz Cafe, Shooters Way, Madejski Stadium RG2 0FL. The Chain Gang. Details: 0118 968 1442. READING – Market Yard, Tessa Road RG1 8HH. Disco Brunch, Disco Shed, DJ Paulette. Details: www.marketyard. co.uk READING – The Retreat, St John’s Street RG1 4EH. The Shufflepack. Details: 0118 376 9159. READING – Salisbury Conservative Club, Kings Road RG1 4HX. Move It. Details: 0118 926 5804. READING – The Turks, London Road RG1 5BJ. TBC. Details: 0118 957 6930. READING – The Weather Station, Eldon Terrace RG1 4DX. The Lost UK Showcase Tour. Details: 0118 958 6048. TILEHURST – The Royal British Legion Club, Downing Road RG31 5BB. Mythicals. Details: 0118 942 9606. TILEHURST – The Victoria, Norcot Road RG30 6BP. Live music. Details: 0118 941 5064. WINKFIELD ROW – Carnation Hall RG42 7PA. The Supertonics Big Band. Booking essential. Details: www. thesupertonics.co.uk WOKINGHAM – The Roebuck, Market Place RG40 1AL. Garage night. Details: 0118 979 6486.
Sunday, November 28
EARLEY – The Roebuck, Auckland Road RG6 1NY. Karaoke. 2pm-6pm. Details: 0118 966 7153. READING – Community Hall, Watlington House, Watlington Street RG1 4RJ. Readifolk presents: Jim McLean. Details: www.readifolk.org.uk READING – Market Yard, Tessa Road RG1 8HH. Mamma Mia singalong cinema from noon. Comedy night with Josh James. Details: www.marketyard.co.uk READING – The Retreat, St John’s Street RG1 4EH. Jazz at the Retreat: Stuart Henderson, Simon Price, Simon Allen, Peter Billington. 3.30pm-5.30pm. Details: 0118 376 9159. READING – Queens Head, Christchurch Road RG2 7AZ. Northern Soul Social Sunday. 2pm-5pm. Details: 0118 931 0232. READING – Sub89, Friar Street RG1 1EP. Hayseed Dixie. Details: 0118 959 5395. SONNING – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye RG4 6TY. The Rat Pack at Christmas. Details: 0118 969 8000. WOODLEY – La’De Kitchen, Crockhamwell Road RG5 3JP. Tenor Ethem Demir, pianist Yunuscan Kaya. Details: 0118 969 2047.
Monday, November 29
BRACKNELL – South Hill Park, Ringmead RG12 7PA. Swing Into Christmas with the Down For The Count Orchestra. Details: 01344 484123. NETTLEBED – Village Club, High Street RG9 5DD. Nettlebed Folk Club presents: Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox. Details: www.nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk STOKE ROW – Crooked Billet RG9 5PU. The Animals And Friends. Details: 01491 681048.
Tuesday, November 30
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. New Music Tuesday. Details: www.theacousticcouch.co.uk STOKE ROW – Crooked Billet RG9 5PU. The Animals And Friends. Details: 01491 681048. WOODLEY – La’De Kitchen,
Valeras – Let Me Go
Mike Wagner – Face of Light
Reading-based indie rock duo, Valeras, with a single from their four track EP, Tell Me Now. Following their Sub 89 show they will be at Wokingham’s Beyond the Download ‘in store’ event on Saturday, November 27 – https://www.facebook. com/valerasband
This song is an uplifting sing-along anthem that showcases the talents of this local singersongwriter. It’s taken from Mike’s Life… A Seven Day Journey mini album – https://www.facebook.com/ mikewagnermusic
Mordecai Smyth – Sinister Cyclist Mordecai’s 2011 album, Sticky Tape and Rust on Wokingham-based Mega Dodo Records, has been re-issued as a special 10th anniversary two CD. Psych pop with clever lyrics – https://www.facebook. com/stickytapeandrust/
Hoopy Frood – Horse with No Name
Here’s a Wokingham-based band with a very cool cover of a classic 70’s hit by America. It’s a great interpretation of the song with good Crockhamwell Road RG5 3JP. Ayce Abana and Yunuscan Kaya. Details: 0118 969 2047.
Wednesday, December 1
BRACKNELL – South Hill Park, Ringmead RG12 7PA. An evening of Americana: Sandy McLelland, The Lost Trades and Tomorrow Bird. Details: 01344 484123. STOKE ROW – Crooked Billet RG9 5PU. The Animals And Friends. Details: 01491 681048. WOKINGHAM – Hope and Anchor, Station Road RG40 2AD. Open mic night. Details: 0118 977 0918.
Thursday, December 2
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. Gogo Juice. Details: www.theacousticcouch.co.uk READING – The Butler, Chatham Street RG1 7DS. Jazz singers night with Fleur Stevenson. Details: 0118 959 5500. BRACKNELL – South Hill Park, Ringmead RG12 7PA. Coach House Christmas Parties. Details: 01344 484123. READING – The Face Bar, Ambrose Place RG1 7JE. Pozi and Speedboat. Details: 0118 956 8188. WOODLEY – La’De Kitchen, Crockhamwell Road RG5 3JP. Buzuki Serkan and Cem Iyibardakci. Details: 0118 969 2047.
Friday, December 3
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. New hot Bands double bill: Rila’s Edge, Simple Fiction. Details: www.theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. Luther Vandross. Details: 01344 303333. BRACKNELL – South Hill Park, Ringmead RG12 7PA. Bracknell Jazz: Blue Town. Details: 01344 484123. EARLEY – The Roebuck, Auckland Road RG6 1NY. Live music. Details: 0118 966 7153. EMMBROOK – The Dog and Duck, Matthewsgreen Road RG41 1JT. Live music. Details: 0118 978 0544.
Rocket Kings – The Green Zone Check out the video of this song filmed in Reading. It’s taken from this local five-piece ‘uke pop’ band’s new album Everyday Adventures, which is worth a listen with its cheerful fun feel - https:// www.facebook.com/rocketkings
The Paradox Twin – Sea of Tranquility Following their recent live tour which included Wokingham Festival, this Reading-based band released their eagerly awaited second album, ‘Silence from Signals’ from which this track is taken – https://www.theparadoxtwin.com/
EMMBROOK – Emmbrook Sports & Social, Lowther Road RG41 1JB. Wokingham Music Club presents Geno Washington and The Yo Yo’s with TR5’s. £18. Details: www. wokinghammusicclub.co.uk EVERSLEY – The Frog & Wicket, The Green RG27 0NS. Garry Nock. Details: 0118 973 1126. READING – The Butler, Chatham Street RG1 7DS. Open mic night. Details: 0118 959 5500. READING – The Palmer Tavern, Wokingham Road RG6 1JL. Marvellous Fridays. Details: 0118 935 1009. READING – Market Yard, Tessa Road RG1 8HH. Afterwork, Horse Meat and more. Details: www.marketyard.co.uk READING – The Rising Sun, Silver Street RG1 2ST. Club Velocity: Attila The Stockbrocker. Details: 0118 986 6788. WOKINGHAM – Broad Street Tavern, Broad Street RG40 1AU. Up2NoGood. Details: 0118 977 3706.
Saturday, December 4
BURGHFIELD – The Six Bells, Reading Road RG30 3TH. The Bootlegs Band. Details: 0118 983 2220. BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. Coronation Kings, Rise of the Machine. Details: www. theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. Ultra 90s: 90s Tribute. Details: 01344 303333. BRACKNELL – The Royal Oak, London Road RG12 2NN. White Light. Details: 01344 422622. CROWTHORNE – The Crowthorne Inn, High Street RG45 7AD. The Cherries. Details: 01344 530615. CROWTHORNE – Royal British Legion, Wellington Road RG45 7LJ. Gary Roman as Elvis. Details: 01344 772161. READING – Grosvenor Casino Reading, Rose Kiln Lane RG2 0SN. Totally Tina. Details: 0118 402 7800. READING – The Jazz Cafe, Shooters Way, Madejski Stadium RG2 0FL. Evolutiond. Details: 0118 968 1442.
HOLDING A GIG, QUIZ OR GAMES NIGHT? SEND DETAILS TO EVENTS@WOKINGHAM.TODAY
READING – Market Yard, Tessa Road RG1 8HH. 90s/00s brunch, Brixton Radio Takeover, Raw Silk. Details: www. marketyard.co.uk READING – The Palmer Tavern, Wokingham Road RG6 1JL. Sam and the Gang. Details: 0118 935 1009. READING – The Purple Turtle, Gun Street RG1 2JR. Proper Ammo DNB: DJ Rap, Dope Ammo, Jumpin Jack Frost. Details: 0118 959 7196. READING – The Queen’s Head, Christchurch Road RG2 7AZ. P’Jam. Details: 0118 931 0232. READING – Salisbury Conservative Club, Kings Road RG1 4HX. The Skavengers. Details: 0118 926 5804. READING – The Turks, London Road RG1 5BJ. Highwasters. Details: 0118 957 6930. TILEHURST – The Victoria, Norcot Road RG30 6BP. Far Away Trains. Details: 0118 941 5064. WOKINGHAM – Hope and Anchor, Station Road RG40 2AD. Red Hoax Chilli Peppers. Details: 0118 977 0918. WOKINGHAM – The Roebuck, Market Place RG40 1AL. Garage night. Details: 0118 979 6486.
Sunday, December 5
READING – Community Hall, Watlington House, Watlington Street RG1 4RJ. Readifolk presents: Singers night. Details: www.readifolk.org.uk READING – Market Yard, Tessa Road RG1 8HH. Greatest Showman Singalong, Details: www.marketyard.co.uk READING – Queens Head, Christchurch Road RG2 7AZ. Northern Soul Social Sunday. 2pm-5pm. Details: 0118 931 0232. READING – Sub89, Friar Street RG1 1EP. Slade. Details: 0118 959 5395. READING – South Street. Shimmering Oasis. Details: 0118 960 6060. SONNING – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye RG4 6TY. The Rat Pack at Christmas. Details: 0118 969 8000. WOODLEY – La’De Kitchen, Crockhamwell Road RG5 3JP. Tenor Ethem Demir, pianist Yunuscan Kaya. Details: 0118 969 2047.
No. 5389
Your weekly puzzle challenge
30 | LEISURE
To advertise, email advertising@wokingham.today
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
TO ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE, CALL CLAIRE ON: 0118 327 2662
Quiz Challenge
CROSS CODE
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2. The original Wembley Stadium was built in 1924 for which event?
7. The BBC TV drama series The A Word deals with what subject matter?
3. A midwife is a type of which European amphibian?
8. Which brand of corned beef took its name from a South American seaport?
NONAGRAM
24 6
6. How many stars comprise the constellation of the Plough, also known as the Big Dipper?
A B T
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1
2
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D
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L
7
E
20
8
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Each number in our Cross Code grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and control grid. Check off the alphabetical list of letters as you identify them.
MAGIC SQUARE
NIP TO SLEEP CLINIC
T
I
N
How many words of four letters or more can you make from this Nonagram? Each word must use the central letter, and each letter may be used only once. At least one word using all nine letters can be found. Guidelines: 26 Good; 31 Very Good; 36 Excellent.
Any word found in the Concise Oxford Dictionary (Tenth Edition) is eligible with the following exceptions: proper nouns; plural nouns, pronouns and possessives; third person singular verbs; hyphenated words; contractions and abbreviations; vulgar slang words; variant spellings of the same word (where another variant is also eligible).
Using all 16 letters of the phrase above, form four words each of four letters which will fit in the grid to form a magic square in which the words can be read both horizontally and vertically.
Spell out a 15-letter word or phrase by moving from one chamber to another within the pyramid. You may only enter each of the chambers once and may only proceed D through openings in the walls. The L first letter may appear in any chamber. G O
IA
SV
EA
ET
ML
AI
OU
GH
WT
EI
RE
Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box.
1 5 6
3 1
8 5 9 3 7 8 1 3 3 8 6 9 4 2 5 3 1 9 2
9 1 2 8 6
5 7 6 5 6
2 2
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Here are two miniature fivesquare crosswords using the same grid – but the letters have been mixed up. You have to work out which letters belong to which crossword.
YS
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DOWN 1. Girl may damage new hat (6) 2. Nathaniel and Alan found in South Africa (5) 3. Convenience food coming from coalfields (6,4) 4. Doctor leaves laundry machine in Sussex (3) 6. Keep secrets of state once inside (7) 7. He is in the finest order (6) 10. Sign of omission (10) 12. Food for party produced by Hazel? (5) 15. Removed a French garment on day one (7) 16. I cry in front of the Spanish girl (6) 17. One who is inclined to be slimmer? (6) 20. Endless anger over his recipe for this stew (5) 23. Pair do go round the bend (3)
QUICK CROSSWORD 1
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This puzzle page is supplied by Sirius Media Services Ltd.
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To try our new puzzle, Zygolex, go to www.zygolex.com
1
© Sirius Media Services Ltd
29
30 31
32 5 2 8 6 1 7 4 3 9
7 6 4 5 9 3 2 1 8
9 1 3 4 2 8 6 7 5
1 7 5 8 6 9 3 4 2
2 3 9 1 4 5 8 6 7
4 8 6 7 3 2 9 5 1
WORD PYRAMID: Golden retriever. EQUALISER: Clockwise from top left – multiply; subtract; add; divide. Total: 9.
SOLUTIONS
14
ACROSS 1. Skirts attempt made by government department (8) 5. Only a crust for the strikebreaker (4) 8. One who keeps a family servant (8) 9. Not far from Finchley (4) 11. Had accepted pound hesitantly for an axe-like weapon (7) 13. Crowd of journalists (5) 14. & 25. Regain self-control after cracking up? (4,7,8) 18. One is returning having year in the country (5) 19. Revolutionary means of transferring power (7) 21. Graduate alongside very young child (4) 22. Taking trouble to point out (8) 24. Title that Gladys holds (4) 25. See 14 Across
Perform the first calculation in each line first and ignore the mathematical law which says you should always perform division and multiplication before addition and subtraction.
3 7 4
7
17
Place the four signs (add, subtract, multiply, divide) one in each circle so that the total of each across and down line is the same.
6 4 2 9 7 1 5 8 3
4
7
8 9 7 3 5 6 1 2 4
2 9
6 4
9 2 1 8 4 3 5 4 8 1
6
13
EQUALISER 6 7 2 6 3 3 1 8 2 5 2 3
Hard
12
24
E
KR
MA
5
10
11
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TE
OM
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EN
NG
4
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RE
IE
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FIVE ALIVE BG
2
8
10. Hanna Glawari is the main character in which famous operetta?
SUDOKU Easy
1
WORD PYRAMID
O E S
23
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
9. Which country is nearest to the North Pole?
5. In the 2014 psychological thriller Gone Girl, who played actress Rosamund Pike’s husband?
26
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1. Which dramatist wrote the1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest?
4. What is the name of Rio de Janeiro’s famous beach ?
7
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8 3
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PZ1P5389
20
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3 5 1 2 8 4 7 9 6
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3 7 5 9 1 4 2 8 6
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2 6 4 3 7 8 5 1 9
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9 8 1 6 5 2 4 3 7
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8 1 3 5 2 9 6 7 4
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4 2 6 8 3 7 9 5 1
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5389
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disease (7) ACROSS 1. Stiffened fabric (7) 26. Insurgent (5) 29. Think out loud (5) 5. Bodily secretion (5) 30. Amaze (7) 8. Beer (3) 31. Opening (3) 9. Vexation (7) 32. Cash (5) 10. Speak slowly (5) 33. As a group (2,5) 11. Famous (5) DOWN 13. Historical 1. Cured pork (5) document (7) 2. Intone (5) 15. Formerly (4) 3. Altar screen (7) 17. Glorify (6) 4. Person running 19. Liveliness (6) amok (6) 22. Weaving yarn (4) 5. Doctor (5) 24. Deficiency 6. Early piano (7)
7. Prominent (7) 12. Belonging to us (3) 14. Coral ridge (4) 16. Small amphibian (4) 17. Act (7) 18. Public sale (7) 20. Rock layer (7) 21. Frozen water (3) 23. Elude (6) 25. Lament (5) 27. Musical style (5) 28. Soup spoon (5)
QUICK CROSSWORD: Across – 1 Buckram; 5 Mucus; 8 Ale; 9 Chagrin; 10 Drawl; 11 Noted; 13 Archive; 15 Once; 17 Praise; 19 Esprit; 22 Weft; 24 Rickets; 26 Rebel; 29 Opine; 30 Astound; 31 Gap; 32 Money; 33 En masse. Down – 1 Bacon; 2 Chant; 3 Reredos; 4 Maniac; 5 Medic; 6 Clavier; 7 Salient; 12 Our; 14 Reef; 16 Newt; 17 Perform; 18 Auction; 20 Stratum; 21 Ice; 23 Escape; 25 Elegy; 27 Blues; 28 Ladle.
FIVE ALIVE: QUIZ CHALLENGE: 1 Oscar Wilde; 2 The British Empire Exhibition; 3 Toad; 4 Copacabana; 5 Ben Affleck; 6 Seven; 7 Austism; 8 Fray Bentos; 9 Greenland; 10 The Merry Widow. (1) Across – Baste; Light; Weary. Down – Below; Sigma; Entry. CRYPTIC CROSSWORD: CROSS CODE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Across – 1 Ministry; 5 Scab; 8 Retainer; 9 Inch; 11 Halberd; 13 (2) Across – Giver; Mange; Times. X W Q D U L E C N G F J S Press; 14 & 25 Pull oneself together; 18 Syria; 19 Turbine; 21 Down – Gamut; Venom; Reeks. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Baby; 22 Adoption; 24 Lady. R H B Z M K V I P Y A T O Down – 1 Martha; 2 Natal; 3 Sliced loaf; 4 Rye; 6 Conceal; 7 NONAGRAM: abet; absent; bait; bane; base; basin; Behest; 10 Apostrophe; 12 Donut; 15 Unrobed; 16 Isobel; 17 basinet; bast; baste; bastion; bate; MAGIC SQUARE: EASY SUDOKU HARD SUDOKU slip; lice; icon; pent. Leaner; 20 Irish; 23 Duo. batiste; baton; batt; batten; bean; beano; beast; beat; bent; best; beta; bias; bine; bint; biota; bison; bite; bitten; boast; boat; boatie; boîte; bone; boniest; bonsai; botanise; botanist; botte; ebon; obeisant; obit; OBSTINATE; obtain; sabot; snib; snob; soba; stab; stob; tabes; tabi.
WHAT’SON Thursday, November 25
EARLEY – St Nicolas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue RG6 7JN. Over 50s club. All Things Bees, talk and sale. 2.15pm-4.15pm. Details: 07493 784091. LOWER EARLEY – Trinity Church, Chalfont Close RG6 5HZ. Re:fresh wellbeing drop-in cafe, 2pm-4pm. Details: 07493 784091. WOKINGHAM – The Cornerstone, All Saints Church, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham RG40 1UE. Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club meeting: Image Improvement. 7.30pm. Details: www.webcc. org.uk.
Friday, November 26
EARLEY – St Nicolas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue RG6 7JN. Re:fresh wellbeing drop-in cafe from Earley Help Hub. 10am-noon. Details: 07493 784091. READING – Broad Street Mall. Enjoy Christmas Carols by local choir ‘Moving On’ next to our Christmas tree in Central Square. 1pm-1.30pm. Details: broadstreetmall.com READING – Rising Sun Arts Centre, 30 Silver Street, Reading RG1 2ST. StrikeUp Forum Theatre Workshop. 7.30pm. Details: www. risingsunartscentre.org WOKINGHAM – St Paul’s Church Parish Rooms, Reading Road RG41 1EH. Coffee and Chat: a warm welcome, a listening ear and refreshments. 2pm4pm. Details: 0118 979 6267.
Saturday, November 27
BARKHAM – Village Hall, Church Lane RG40 4PL. Barkham Village Residents Association quiz evening. 7pm. Fish n Chip supper. £12. Details: 0118 978 3373 or social@barkham. org.uk EARLEY – St Nicolas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue RG6 7JN. Christmas Wreath making and crackers. 11am. Details: 07493 784091. READING – Broad Street Mall. Letters to Santa: visit Santa’s little helpers, write a letter, post it and receive a free personalised letter from Lapland. 11am-4pm. Details: broadstreetmall. com READING – Rivermead Leisure Complex RG1 8EQ. Reading Comiccon. Details: www. creedconventions.com READING – St Laurence’s Church, Friar Street RG1 1DA. Reading Festival Chorus in concert: Haydn’s Little Organ Mass, Monterverdi’s Cantate Domino, Telemann’s Laudate Johovam, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. 6pm. £15, students £5, under 18s free. Details: www. readingfestival.org.uk WOKINGHAM – Baptist Church, Milton Road RG40 1DE. You Too Music
presents a workshop for people who used to play, aimed at people with grade three and above. 9.30am. £20. Details: www. youtoomusic.org.uk WOKINGHAM – WADE, Reading Road RG41 1EH. WADE Christmas fair. Raffles, tombolas, Christmas gifts, cakes and preserves, refreshments. 11am-2pm. £1, children free. WOODLEY – Crockhamwell Road precinct. Woodley Town Centre presents Saturday market. 9am-3pm. Details: 07861 654674 or www. woodleytowncentre.co.uk WOODLEY – Crockhamwell Road precinct. Woodley Town Centre presents Christmas light switch-on. 4.30pm-5.30pm. Details: 07861 654674 or www. woodleytowncentre.co.uk
Sunday, November 28
BRACKNELL – The Lexicon. Bracknell Vegan Market. 11am-4pm. Details: www. sparkleveganevents.com PANGBOURNE – Village Hall RG8 7AN. Pangbourne Twinning French Film: The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (12). £6. Doors 6.45pm. Details: 0118 984 4401. READING – Broad Street Mall. Letters to Santa: visit Santa’s little helpers, write a letter, post it and receive a free personalised letter from Lapland. 11am-4pm. Details: broadstreetmall. com READING – Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road RG1 5EX. MERLY Christmas Shopping event. 11am3pm. Gifts, produce, crafts and more. Carols from a school choir. READING – Rivermead Leisure Complex RG1 8EQ. Reading Comiccon. Details: www. creedconventions.com TWYFORD – Bell Corner. Twyford Together Christmas light switch-on. 5pm-6pm. Featuring Tree of Christmas Wishes decorated with baubles from the children at The Colleton Primary and Polehampton Junior schools. Details: www. twyfordtogether.org WOKINGHAM – Across town centre. Wokingham Winter Carnival. 11am-5pm. On street entertainment, Comedy jugglers, morris dancing, Mr Twizzle. Santa’s Grotto in Wokingham Library. Carol service 4.30pm. Details: www.wintercarnival.co.uk WOKINGHAM – St Paul’s Church, Reading Road. Advent carol service. 6.15pm. WOODLEY – Crockhamwell Road precinct. Woodley Town Centre presents car boot sale. 8am-1pm. Cars £10, vans £15. Details: 07861 654674 or www. woodleytowncentre.co.uk
Monday, November 29
EARLEY – Brookside Church, Brookside Close RG6 7HG.
LEISURE | 31
To advertise, call 0118 327 2662
Thursday, November 25, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Holding a community event? Send your listings to events@wokinghampaper.co.uk Re:fresh wellbeing drop-in cafe from Earley Help Hub. 10am-noon. Details: 0118 966 4474
Tuesday, November 30
ONLINE. Wokingham Borough Council libraries online meeting the author session: Gill Mann. For adults. Free. 7pm. Details: libraries@wokingham. gov.uk EARLEY – St Nicolas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue RG6 7JN. Board games cafe. 10am-noon. Details: 07493 784091. LOWER EARLEY – Trinity Church, Chalfont Close RG6 5HZ. Re:fresh wellbeing drop-in cafe, 2pm-4pm. Details: 07493 784091. READING – Rising Sun Arts Centre, 30 Silver Street, Reading RG1 2ST. BAlive LifeDrawing Workshop. Details: www. risingsunartscentre.org WOODLEY – Bulmershe Leisure Centre, Woodlands Avenue RG5 3EU. Wokingham Borough Council presents Life Drawing and Portraiture with Mick McNicholas. Noon-1.45pm. Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk
Wednesday, December 1
DUNSDEN – Dunsden Green Village Hall RG4 9QG. Dunsden Green Country Dancing Club: country dancing with a caller. 8pm10pm. £4, first evening free. Details: 07714 226723. WOODLEY – Crockhamwell Road precinct. Woodley Town Centre presents Artisan market. 9am-2pm. Details: 07861 654674 or www.woodleytowncentre. co.uk
Thursday, December 2
ONLINE. Wokingham Borough Council libraries online virtual storytime. 4pm. Details: libraries@ wokingham.gov.uk EARLEY – Reading Film Theatre, Palmer Building, Whiteknights campus, University of Reading RG6 2AH. Reading Film Theatre presents: Cinema Paradiso (PG) 50th anniversary film. 8pm. Details: www. readingfilmtheatre.co.uk WOKINGHAM – The Cornerstone, All Saints Church, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham RG40 1UE. Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club meeting. Round 2 Print competition: open, judged by Niall Fergusson. 7.30pm. Details: www.webcc. org.uk. WOKINGHAM – Wokingham Baptist Church, Milton Road RG40 1DE. Wokingham Literary Society meeting: Christmas party with words and music, plus a seasonal quiz. 7.30pm. £2 non-members. Details: wokinghamliterarysociety. org.uk
WOKINGHAM – The Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School, Luckley Road RG40 3EU. Wokingham Film Society presents: Another Round (12a). £6.50, £4 members. 7.30pm. Details: wokinghamfilmsociety.com
Friday, December 3
CROWTHORNE – Across village. Late night shopping evening, light switch-on and carols. 5pm-9pm. Free entry. EARLEY – St Nicolas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue RG6 7JN. Re:fresh wellbeing drop-in cafe from Earley Help Hub. 10am-noon. Details: 07493 784091. READING – Broad Street Mall. Enjoy Christmas Carols by local choir ‘Moving On’ next to our Christmas tree in Central Square. 1pm-1.30pm. Details: broadstreetmall.com READING – Forbury Gardens and Abbey Ruins RG1 3BB. Reading Twilight Trail 2021: bigger, better and biscuitier. 5pm-8pm. £8, concessions £6, families £26. Continues to New Year’s Eve. Details: ticketing@artstickets.co.uk SINDLESHAM – The Walter Arms, Bearwood Road RG41 5BP. Art and music festival with Beth Morris, Midnight Rebel Band and painters Daniel Adrianov, Brad Kenny, Vanessa Lavy, Martyn Wood. Details: 0118 977 4903. TWYFORD – Across village centre. Twyford Together Christmas Fayre. Stalls, entertainment, jugglers, choirs, brass band and more. 6pm-9pm. WOKINGHAM – St Paul’s Church Parish Rooms, Reading Road RG41 1EH. Coffee and Chat: a warm welcome, a listening ear and refreshments. 2pm4pm. Details: 0118 979 6267.
Saturday, December 4
BURGHFIELD – The Cunning Man, Burghfield Road. Christmas market: decorations, gifts and more. Noon-5pm. CAVERSHAM – The Weller Centre, Amersham Road RG4 5NA. Plastic Free Caversham’s Festive Fundraiser: eco-friendly crafting workshops, raffle, family-friendly activities. 2pm-6pm. Suggestion donation £1. EARLEY – St Nicolas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue RG6 7JN. Oakwood Forest Church meeting. Darkest Night: nature sleeps. 4pm. Details: oakwoodforestchurch. wordpress.com HURST – Village halls. St Nicholas Church Christmas fayre and outdoor market with stalls, refreshments and a visit from Father Christmas. 11.30am-3pm. READING – Broad Street Mall. Letters to Santa: visit Santa’s little helpers, write a letter, post it and receive a free personalised letter from Lapland.
11am-4pm. Details: broadstreetmall.com READING – The Biscuit Factory, Queens Walk RG1 7QE. Christmas market: stalls, refreshments and more. 11am-4pm. Free entry. Details: https:// readingbiscuitfactory. co.uk/ WOKINGHAM – The Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School, Luckley Road RG40 3EU. Stageability presents Robin Hood and The Golden Arrow. 3.30pm and 6.30pm. Details: stageability.ticketsource. co.uk WOKINGHAM – Town Hall, Market Place RG40 1AS. Wokingham Living Advent Calendar performance: Redlands String Quartet, Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band, Thames Valley Chorus. From 7pm. Booking essential. www.ticketsource.co.uk/ wokingham/4th-decwokingham-advent/eojdele WOODLEY – Crockhamwell Road precinct. Woodley Town Centre presents Saturday market. 9am-3pm. Details: 07861 654674 or www. woodleytowncentre.co.uk
Sunday, December 5
READING – The Biscuit Factory, Queens Walk RG1 7QE. Christmas market: stalls, refreshments and more. 11am-4pm. Free entry. Details: https:// readingbiscuitfactory. co.uk/ READING – Broad Street Mall. Letters to Santa: visit Santa’s little helpers, write a letter, post it and receive a free personalised letter from Lapland. 11am-4pm. Details: broadstreetmall. com READING – Rising Sun Arts Centre, Silver Street RG1 2ST. Dreading Poetry Slam. 7.30pm. Free entry. Details: www.risingsunartscentre. org SHINFIELD – Shinfield Players Theatre, Whitley Wood Lane RG2 9DF. Christmas Wishes and Misletoe Kisses, a charity show for all the family. 7pm. £5. Details: 0118 975 8880. TILEHURST – DoubleBarrelled Brewery, Unit 20 Stadium Way, RG30 6BX. Reading’s Indie Market: Christmas Gifting. Noon-5pm. 20+ incredibly talented local craftspeople, delicious street food from The Fat Tabby, coffee and cake from Anonymous Coffee Co., and plenty of fresh DB beer. ACROSS WOKINGHAM BOROUGH – From Foster Wheelers building in Whitley Wood Lane. Reading Toy Run. Road closures in place from 1.30pm. WOODLEY – Crockhamwell Road precinct. Woodley Town Centre presents Christmas Extravaganza. 10am-3pm. Details: 07861 654674 or www. woodleytowncentre.co.uk
FAMILY LAW:
ARE PRE-NUPTIAL AGREEMENTS UNROMANTIC? People often wonder why they should consider entering into a pre-nuptial agreement ahead of their wedding as some believe it kills all the romance at a time when they’re in love and are planning their big day. Naturally, there are always advantages and disadvantages of doing something, but … “Do the advantages of entering into a pre-nuptial agreement outweigh the disadvantages?”. The advantages of entering into a pre-nuptial agreement: • Protection of assets - You can list your assets in a pre-nuptial agreement, stating which have derived from gifts or have otherwise been acquired by you prior to your marriage. These may include inherited assets, family heirlooms, gold, an interest in a family business, or a property. • Protection of family members - for cultural reasons, it may be difficult for a party to make provision during their second marriage for their children from a first marriage. However, a pre-nuptial agreement can protect the financial interests of children from a previous marriage by providing for certain assets to be ringfenced for them. • Clarity - you and your spouse-to-be can make it clear to one another that certain property belongs to you or your family and will not be shared during the marriage or on any future divorce. • Certainty - you and your spouse to be can agree at the outset of your marriage how you intend your assets and income to be shared if you later separate. This could save you both the uncertainty, time and stress of a potential dispute which could lead to court proceedings. • May save money - the legal cost of preparing and advising on the terms of the pre-nuptial agreement, will be much less than the cost of settling a dispute should you later separate or divorce. • Debt protection - if your spouse-to-be has significant debts, either now or in the future, the pre-nuptial agreement can be used to protect you from any liability arising as a consequence of those debts. • Compensation for being a homemaker - if during the marriage, either of you give up a good career to care for your family, that person should be entitled to a greater share of the assets on the breakdown of the marriage to reflect their loss of earning power going forward. • Minimises acrimony on divorce - setting out how assets are to be divided on divorce in the pre-nuptial agreement should lead to fewer arguments about finances should you later divorce and result in a more amicable relationship after divorce, not just between you and your spouse, but also your extended families. • Protection of business partners - if you have an interest in a family business, the pre-nuptial agreement can protect that interest and prevent disruption to the business if the marriage breaks down. • Provision on death - the pre-nuptial can set out what should happen to your assets on your death. This can support the provision contained in your Will and clarify what is to become of certain assets for example that they pass to your children or grandchildren. • Marrying for money - a pre-nuptial agreement will ease concerns that your spouse-to-be is motivated to marry you due in part to your financial circumstances. Committing to a pre-nuptial agreement will provide reassurance. If you would like to know more about the above article then you can contact one of our specialists.
01276 686222
info@herrington-carmichael.com
www.herrington-carmichael.com
32 | LIFE
To advertise, email advertising@wokingham.today
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
Jerusalem Artichokes and Rosemary Butter In the kitchen Freely Fruity
H
Serves 4 as a side
OME-GROWN Jerusalem artichokes have just arrived on our shelves for a short but sweet window over winter. They can be eaten raw for maximum nutrition, pureed for a risotto or soup, roasted or braised to name just a few. Here they are baked to make a lovely alternative to jacket potatoes. Although they have a reputation for causing gas in some, they are incredibly good for our
gut bacteria and their delicious nutty, smoky flavour is like nothing else; perhaps we just need to eat them more often.
Ingredients n 500g Jerusalem artichokes n 1 tsp olive oil n Salt n 2 sprigs rosemary, very finely chopped n 50g butter, at room temperature
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C 2. Wash the
Jerusalem artichokes well and half any big ones. Pat them dry and then rub with oil and salt and place them in a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until soft throughout 3. Meanwhile mash the rosemary into the butter with a pinch of salt 4. Serve the artichokes cut open and dotted with butter
Brian Turner helps Fullers fine tune their Sunday
Recipe by Charlotte Simpkins for Freely Fruity www. facebook.com/ freelyfruityuk
F
PlasticFreeHome David Lamont
Let’s make Black Friday green
I
N the 1860s the term “Black Friday” was used in reference to stock market crashes in the United States.
Since the 1950s it has been recoined to describe a day of shopping and so-called sales, in a trend that had thankfully eluded the UK until recently. And who else have we to thank for introducing Black Friday to these shores than good old Amazon, which first brought Black Friday to the UK in 2010. Clearly keen to eke things out even further, over the past decade retailers have also treated us to the likes of Black November, Black Friday Weekend and Cyber Monday. According to research by PwC, the UK is set to spend an astonishing £21 billion on Christmas presents and celebrations this year, “driven by a combination of people looking to get together for an extra special Christmas and a resurgence of interest in Black Friday, perhaps spurred on by inflation and rising prices.” That’s up 12% on last year. PwC also says that 21% of people in the UK are looking to shop earlier than usual, particularly those in younger age groups, and Millennials. A quarter of everyone polled said they will definitely be buying during Black Friday this year, with the majority of the remainder suggesting that they are interested and may buy. But, it seems many of us shop like Homer Simpson and will more often than not be buying for ourselves, with 74% of men set to do so on Black Friday.
come first and second in the waste hierarchy and well before ‘recycling’. Simply put, try to avoid buying things that you and others don’t really need – often impulse or last-minute buys. Where you do make purchases, wherever possible look for things that are well made and long-lasting, produced close to home, in the UK or Europe, using sustainably sourced materials or ingredients. Consider the lifetime impact of those items and how they might be disposed of or recycled in the future. For the second time this year, we are forced to quote Dr Seuss’ fictional creation, the Grinch: “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means just a little bit more.”
The report also explains: “The majority of us will buy less than a quarter of our Christmas presents during Black Friday, with a mere 3% using the event to buy all their gifts.” This is where we get ‘boring’. Bah humbug if you will. As your granny, auntie, mum, dad or someone wise no doubt once told you: “A bargain is only a bargain if you need it.” Yes, incredibly, they were right about something. Whether you are forking out for the latest tech, updating your wardrobe, or shopping for a special something for an even more special someone, don’t get sucked in. As consumer giant Which? perfectly puts it: “The hype around Black Friday creates the impression that every offer is worth trampling
over fellow shoppers to get to, with retailers slashing prices to historically low levels for one day only. “Our research has found that’s rarely the case.” Its findings showed that 98% of the advertised discounts in 2019 were available at the same price or for less during the six months following Black Friday. Which? also highlighted that 85% of items had also been on sale at a cheaper price beforehand. A 2019 report, Building a Circular Economy, released by Green Alliance, warned that up to 80% of Black Friday purchases, not to mention the deluge of (often plastic) packaging, will end up in landfill, being incinerated or as low quality recycling within a relatively short space of time. Remember, ‘refuse’ and ‘reduce’
n 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
OR many, it’s the culinary highlight of their week. Now, thanks to the help of a top chef, it’s going to get even better. Brian Turner has been drafted to give Fuller’s pubs a boost when it comes to creating the best dishes to go with the Yorkshire puddings. The pubs include The Bull in Sonning, the Hind’s Head in Aldermaston, the Ship Inn in Wokingham and The Victoria Arms in Binfield. Brian says he has been working with Fuller’s Executive Chefs to find out what goes on the plate: he says it’s the best seasonal ingredients from local suppliers, with everything cooked fresh in each pub kitchen. This includes gravy, vegetables, roast potatoes, and a towering inferno of a Yorkshire pudding. Some Fuller’s pubs also offer sharing roasts for families or groups of friends. And some pubs also serve Fuller’s own label English sparkling wine. Brian says: “Fuller’s works with the very best suppliers, ingredients, recipes, and chef talent. It has been a real pleasure to witness the pride that everyone takes in the Fuller’s food offer. “Every Fuller’s chef works to the highest of standards and has the perfect customer experience in mind in everything they do. “Fuller’s food offer is in a league of its own, and its Sunday Roast is just one example of the amazing work the team is doing.” The praise was welcomed by the brewery’s director of food, Paul Dickinson. “To work with a hero of the industry whose career has been all about putting Britain on the culinary global map is an absolute privilege,” he says. “Brian is proving to be a real inspiration to our people, and I have long admired his career and expertise as a chef. He is the perfect partner to showcase our Sunday Roasts. “Our local ingredients, hand-picked by our carefully selected suppliers, are the perfect building blocks for our Sunday Roasts. However, it is the mastery of our chefs that really sets our Sunday Roasts apart. “Our Chefs are all part of Fuller’s Chefs’ Guild, which supports them with the learning, development and classical cookery skills they need to advance their mastery and craftsmanship as chefs.” n For more details, log on to www.fullers.co.uk
SPORT TODAY
WOKINGHAM EDITION
NO ONE CHRONICLES THE ACTION BETTER THAN US
25.11.21
READING FIRE BACK TO HOLD FOREST
SUMAS GET BETTER OF CITY
RAMS BATTLE TO BEAT LEADERS
DEFENCE BLUNTED
BLADES GET BETTER OF ROYALS
By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
Published by The Wokingham Paper Ltd, Crown House, 231 Kings Road, Reading RG1 4LS. Printed at Reach Watford © The Wokingham Paper Ltd, 2021
READING manager Veljko Paunovic believes fatigue played a part in the Royals’ Tuesday night defeat to Sheffield United.
The Royals fell to their 10th Championship defeat after Jayden Bogle scored the only goal of the game. “Everyone knew this was a game of one goal,” said Paunovic. “Both teams suffered from fatigue and everywhere around the league, you see that with not many goals and lots of draws. “First half, we defended well but didn’t create the right momentum and it was a very flat game. “Second-half we were good until we conceded and that was they key to change the game. Not defending that cross cost us points. “We’re 19 games in now and we have had to drain all the atoms of energy from our team because of injury.” The match was paused for a long delay in the second-half after a concerning incident saw United’s John Fleck collapse to the ground and receive extensive medical attention. Paunovic continued: “The experience we all had today was dramatic and horrible. “I hope John will return as soon as possible in good shape and to his normal life to play football like he did before. We send him the best regards and to all his family and friends.” Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic added: “I cannot comment a lot but John Fleck is conscious, talking with the doctors in the hospital. He’s in good hands and we hope everything is ok.”
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FC BRACKNELL IN ACTION
PAUNOVIC ‘NOT HAPPY’ WITH POINTS DEDUCTION READING FC manager Veljko Paunovic admitted he was ‘not happy’ but ‘relieved’ after the Royals were deducted six points.
Reading were finally handed their punishment by the EFL for breaching profit and sustainability rules, with an immediate six point suspension and a further suspended penalty of six points if they don’t comply with the EFL business plan. “First of all, I’m not happy about it, but I’m glad it is over,” said Paunovic. “It now depends on our reaction how we will move forward. We have to remind ourselves how many lessons this club has faced in the past and we want this challenge to be part of a great future for this club. “We all want to be part of the solution. “Nobody who is right now at the club is guilty that this happened. “It’s now our duty and responsibility to accept this challenge and deal with it. “We don’t want anyone who is not on the same page and doesn’t want to fix this situation and give their best for the club. “Nobody is happy about it, there were moments of uncertainty, but when we addressed the team and the employees of the club, and explained our vision and approach we are now turning the energy for everyone to be part of the solution.” “We don’t want to make excuses,” he continued. “We have enough quality to deal with this and fix the situation and that is our immediate response to get out on the field and get points back. “It could have been worse. This is better than 12 or nine, and it was out of our control. “The club did a good job to get to this point to accept the punishment. We need to simplify things, narrow our focus to our performances in training and games.”
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
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Saturday, November 20
FOOTBALL Sky Bet Championship Reading 1-1 Nottingham Forest Combined Counties Premier North Reading City 2-3 Sumas FA Vase second-round Harefield United 2-3 Berks County Combined Counties Division One Hillingdon Borough 3-4 Woodley United Rayners Lane 2-2 Eversley & California Thames Valley Premier League Finchampstead 2-0 Yateley United Maidenhead Town 1-2 Reading City U23’s Mortimer 3-4 Woodley United Royals Westwood Wanderers 2-0 Reading YMCA Thames Valley Division One Eldon Celtic 13-3 Henley Town 2-2 Hurst Holyport Reserves 10-2 FC Imaan Lions RUGBY UNION National Division One Rams 22-20 Cinderford South West 1 East Bracknell 21-30 Newbury Blues HOCKEY Men’s National Division 1 South Reading 4-2 Oxford Hawks
S4K Berks County 1-0 Newbury Development
Tuesday, November 23
FOOTBALL Sky Bet Championship Reading L-L Sheffield United (report online rdg.today)
AFTER the disappointment of last weekend’s away defeat to Canterbury, Reading got back to winning ways in their last fixture before the mid-season break.
FA Trophy second-round Binfield v Truro City
RUGBY UNION National League One Birmingham Moseley v Rams
They had already identified their opponents as likely to be rather better than their league position and adopted a strategy of patience, hoping to wear down the Hawks’ with quick and precise passing. The cagey start saw few chances at either end, with only sporadic danger to either goal caused by an unexpected loss of possession, none of which was taken. The stalemate was convincingly broken when Reading regained possession deep in their own half, drove up the pitch with blistering speed, executed three inch-perfect passes, and Ryan Crowe delivered an emphatic finish for what would be the best goal of the game by far. The game resumed its attritional nature with Reading beginning to dominate the play without creating too many openings, and Hawks repelling incursions into their circle. Better chances were always likely to come as the game wore on and Fred Newbold found himself with space and time to spare in front of goal.
South West 1 East Marlborough v Bracknell
HOCKEY ROUND-UP
Combined Counties Premier North Wembley v Reading City Sumas v Holyport Combined Counties Division One Kensington & Ealing v Eversley & California Rayners Lane v Berks County Woodley United v AFC Hayes Thames Valley Premier League Reading YMCA v Reading City U23’s Wargrave v Wraysbury Windlesham & Chobham v Finchampstead Woodley United Royals v Yateley United Thames Valley Division One FC Imaan Lions v Goring United Hurst v Eldon Celtic
South Central Men’s Premier 2 Basingstoke 3-1 South Berkshire
South Central Men’s Division 1 Sonning v Milton Keynes 2s South Central Women’s Premier 1 Sonning v Fareham
South Central Women’s Premier 1 Bournemouth 8-1 Sonning
South Central Women’s Division 1 South Berkshire v Maidenhead 2s
Sunday, November 21
Sunday, November 28
Berks & Bucks Women’s Cup Woodley United 0-5 Abingdon United Berks & Bucks Women’s Trophy Wallingford Town AFC 1-3 Wargrave Holyport 1-7 Caversham United Mortimer 2-0 Shinfield Rangers Thames Valley Women’s Division 3S Caversham AFC 3-5 Taplow United
By RONAN DAFFEY sport@wokingham.today
FOOTBALL Swansea City v Reading
HOCKEY South Central Men’s Premier 2 South Berkshire v Marlow
FOOTBALL Women’s Super League Reading 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
READING CLIP HAWKS WINGS Reading Men 4 Oxford Hawks Men 2
Women’s National Division 1 South Wimbledon 2s 0-2 Reading
South Central Men’s Division 1 Berkhamstead & Hemel Hempstead 1-3 Sonning
HOCKEY
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 27
FOOTBALL Southern Region Women’s Premier Division Wycombe Wanderers v Woodley United Southern Region Women’s Division One South Chichester City v Eversley & California Thames Valley Women’s Division One Tilehurst Panthers v Penn & Tylers Green Wargrave v Caversham United Thames Valley Women’s Division 3S Eversley & California Reserves v Caversham AFC Women
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Ryan Crow in control of the ball
Andy Oxburgh makes a storming run Pictures: Helen Ritchie
Tom Minall celebrates his goals
Unfortunately for him, he completely mis-hit his shot and the ball speared slowly away, but luckily it fell at the feet of ace goal poacher Tom Minall who made no mistake from two yards out. Hawks grew into the game again in the third quarter, winning a succession of penalty corners which were all well saved by Reading’s keeper, Chris Wyver. Reading earned their own first penalty corner of the game this was successfully defended by Hawks, at
the expense of another corner and, when this was executed, there was a sense of déjà vu as the scuffed shot fell once again to Tom Minall who buried the chance from close range to make the score 3-0. This brought Hawks further out of their shells, and Reading started to defend deep to protect their advantage. Players received temporary suspensions for breaking down play, making the team even more nervous in defence, and Hawks
SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES EARN AWAY CLEAN SHEET VICTORY By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
Men’s National Division 1 South READING responded from last week’s defeat as they got back to winning ways against Oxford Hawks with a 4-2 victory.
South Central Men’s Premier 2 SOUTH BERKSHIRE fell to an away loss at Basingstoke. The 3-1 defeat leaves them in fourth in the table.
South Central Men’s Division 1 SONNING climbed up to sixth after they saw off Berkhamstead & Hemel Hempstead with a 3-1 victory. READING 2s added a point to their tally as they took a point in a 1-1 draw at Henley.
South Central Men’s Division 2
South Central Women’s Division 1
SOUTH BERKSHIRE 2s came away with three points in a seven goal contest against Thame 1s. The win sees Berks move up to 10th in the standings after their first win of the season.
SOUTH BERKSHIRE earned a clean sheet and three points on the road at Leighton Buzzard. Goals from Charlotte Reid and Ella Martin earned them a 2-0 win to put them in eighth. SONNING endured a heavy defeat at Bournemouth as they were beaten 8-1.
Women’s National Divison 1 South READING picked up a win and a clean sheet with a 2-0 away triumph against Wimbledon 2s. The victory keeps them in second position with 20 points from nine matches.
South Central Women’s Premier 1 League leaders READING 2s maintained their status as they put on a solid performance as they put four past Havant without reply.
South Central Women’s Division 2 SONNING 2s picked up a point in a 2-2 stalemate at home to Wallingford 2s.
South Central Women’s Division 3 SOUTH BERKSHIRE 2s were defeated by a solitary goal away against Bicester. The loss sees them drop down to eighth.
took advantage of their numerical superiority to score twice. Reading’s nerves were calmed when Connor Beauchamp threw an aerial pass from midfield into the circle where it was met by striker Any Oxburgh, who skilfully turned the ball past the Hawks’ keeper. The drama was not quite over as Hawks were awarded a succession of controversial penalty corners in the last few minutes, all of which were well defended, until the final whistle blew. Wth half the season gone, Reading remain top of their division by six points and in pole position to return to the National Premier League two years after they were relegated just before the first lockdown. Of particular significance is that current league rules state that the league table will be used to determine promotion now that each team has played the others at least once, even in the event of another lockdown. The squad now moves on to the indoor season in which they have retained their National Premier League status, so it will be a good test of how they currently compare against the squads that have been playing at the higher level during the outdoor season, and the standards that they will need to reach if they are eventually promoted. They will be back playing outdoors again in February.
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
KINGS DEFEATED BY OWLS IN RETURN MATCH THAMES Valley Kings first-team suffered defeat at the hands of the Owls in their Premier Division clash.
TV Kings faced the Owls in the BWB National League Premier Division at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester this past weekend. In a game where shooting percentage was key, Kings struggled at times to find the baskets when needed as their shooting percentage was outmatched by the Owls. Kings hit just 32% of their shots, while Owls finished with an impressive 63%. Kings saw three players hit 10 points with brothers, Liam and Reece Barker, joining Charlie McIntyre as tied top scorers. The defeat sees the Kings drop to 6th place in the league level on points with the Owls. They next face seventh placed Exeter Otters on Saturday, December 4 as part of the next home triple-header which will also feature Kings 2nd against Swansea Storm in Division 2 South and in Division 3 South, Kings 3rds will face Hampshire Harriers.
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RUGBY UNION
REACTION
RAMS TOPPLE TABLE LEADERS By RICHARD ASHTON sport@wokingham.today
Rams 22 Cinderford 20 RAMS edged out National One table-toppers Cinderford 22-20 in a pulsating clash at Old Bath Road.
While the first half resembled something of a chess match with the sides trying to work out each other’s weaknesses, the second proved a full-throttle affair in which the hosts just defied their opponents in front of a passionate crowd. Rams regathered the restart, though, and after Ben Henderson’s grubber kick forced Cinderford to concede a line-out near their line, a series of home drives ended with Ollie Taylor squeezing over in the right-hand corner. Cinderford then hit back in equally fine fashion, some quick-thinking from experienced prop George Porter resulting in him
Rams beat top of the table Cinderford in National League One Pictures: Paul Clark claiming a short line-out before burrowing over from five metres out. The Foresters unsurprisingly went back to the corner, and this time hooker Nathan Taylor dotted down to put his side 13-8 up at half-time. Rams replaced starting props Jack Steadman and Sean McDonnell-Roberts at the break, bringing on
London Irish loanee Tarek Haffar and James Baker to add further impact at the scrum and in the loose. And it proved a useful ploy as they began the second period in powerpacked fashion, blasting away at the line before wing Henry Bird cut a fine line to cross for his sixth score of the season.
Humberstone added the extras and Rams continued to dominate the third quarter, moving further in front when three consecutive scrum penalties on their opponents’ five-metre line ended with a penalty try being awarded. As the half progressed it was the away side who started to inflict more and more pressure, with Rams conceding a string of penalties which ultimately led to vicecaptain Tom Vooght’s yellow card shortly after the hour mark. Some heroic defence from the home side kept their opponents out for those 10 minutes, but a second try at the back of a rolling maul from Taylor set-up a grandstand finish. And while Rams conceded another penalty which allowed Cinderford to clear to midfield, the visitors then conceded one which allowed their opponents to finish victorious.
REYNOLDS DELIGHTED AS RAMS EARN COMEBACK WIN RAMS Director of Rugby Seb Reynolds hailed ‘a brilliant game’ after his side edged out tabletoppers Cinderford 22-20 in a fabulous National One encounter.
“It was an arm-wrestle which could have gone either way and we’re chuffed because they are so good - it started as chess and turned into chequers.” He continued: “They’re such a good side – you can’t switch off for a second and if you don’t maintain the discipline in the middle third the next thing you know you’ll be on your five-metre line conceding either a maul penalty, scrum penalty or penalty try. “I thought we did very well combatting that and then our defensive energy was very good – in the second half we did a really good job of upping the ante and grabbing a couple of good scores.” Despite trailing at the break, Rams overturned the deficit and Reynolds was encouraged by the progress on show. He said: “We’ve got a high-energy defence and we’re learning to go longer and longer into the game with it, which we did.
Rams v Cinderford pictures: Paul Clark He added: “The leadership unit have been doing it for a number of years now – Ben was outstanding for the Titans a couple of weeks ago so it was lovely to have him back in the side for 80 minutes. “Robbie, after injury and not being able to train loads, I’m not quite sure how he does it, but he gets it done.”
National League Rugby is back @ RAMS National One Rugby returns to Old Bath Road on 04th December 2021 K.O. 3pm 1st XV v Blackheath FC A Pie ‘n Pint or a pre-booked sit down meal in the clubhouse? The choice is yours! Contact steven@RAMSRUGBY.com to book a pre-match two-course meal and stay for LIVE music after the final whistle! E tickets can be pre-purchased via our Ticket Office at: Entry is £15 for over 18s for non-season ticket holders, FREE for under 18s.
FREE Park and Ride available for this fixture.
Rams Rugby, Old Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire RG4 6TQ © RAMSRUGBY 2021
160mmx8 columns (265mm) Blackheath Home 04th December - Wokingham and Reading Paper 24.11.21 copy.indd 1
22/11/2021 12:18:28
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 25, 2021
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ROYALS SINK SEA
Reading City v Wokingham & Emmbrook Pictures: Andrew Batt FootballinBerkshire
Reading Women are four league games unbeaten Pictures: Neil Graham By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
Reading 2 Brighton 0 FOOTBALL
SUMAS HURT CITYZENS WITH LATE WINNER
By Billy Cox @CoxJournalism
Reading City 2 Sumas 3 WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK left it late to take three points in an enthralling contest at Reading City.
The Cityzens welcomed the Sumas to the Rivermoor for another league fixture in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North. It took until the 10th minute for the first chance of any significance, when Wokingham’s Charlie Tuttle tried his luck from outside the box on the left-hand side of the D, but his effort flew high and wide of the target. The hosts tested the Wokingham keeper Sean Woodward’s alertness when a Calam Gallimore cross from the left flew dangerously across the opposition’s box, but He managed to tip the ball clear and away from his goal. Shortly after, Wokingham received a free kick in a great position on the edge of the box to the right. Tuttle whipped the ball into the box at the keeper but City’s Tyler D’ Cruz cleared for a corner with a defensive flying header. Wokingham again created
another chance on goal when Nathan Mindomba went through on goal but looked frustrated as he dragged a weak effort wide. Wokinghams number 19 cut in from the right in the 20th minute but the ball trickled to the keeper with another weak effort. A few minutes later, Ezio Touray produced a shot on goal but it never troubled the keeper as it was too central and the keeper collected with no trouble. The half an hour mark saw Luis Lepaih pull off a fantastic effort when he let fly at goal with a thunderous volley but he could only watch on as the ball flew considerably wide. The referee brought the first half to an end with both sides going in goalless, with quite a few questionable decisions from the officials only added to the cagey atmosphere. It only took a minute into the second half for the first piece of action to continue, and came when Brandon Curtis reacted quickest to an aerial ball as he found himself one on one with Charlie York, he hit it on the half volley but it flew wide of the post. Ezio Touray beat his man to the ball but his follow-up shot was fluffed as he didn’t get the desired connection and the Wokingham goalkeeper collected with ease. Three minutes later however, Wokingham opened the scoring when Curtis tapped in at the back post
unmarked after a cross from the right. On the hour mark, Reading Luis Lepaih hit the crossbar on the half volley and Calam Gallimores follow up was skied over. The Sumas made it 2-0 when Curtis cut through the Cityzens defence with a welltimed through ball to Mindomba who fired into the top left hand corner. Two minutes later, Cityzens captain Alfie Grant headed home after a long throw into the box from Calam Gallimore to pull one back to make it 2-1. The 77th minute saw Reading City find the anticipated equaliser when Josh Baines inswinging corner cleared the keepers reach and Ezio Touray leaped highest to head home from close range to level the game. The game then took a turn for the worse when City manager Simon Johnson was given a red and asked to make his way to the dressing room, after he expressed his frustration at the referee’s decisions. During this Ezio Touray was also sent off the pitch as he was sin binned for 10 minutes. With one of the last kicks of the game, Wokingham found the winner in the 90th minute. Will Shaw fired a cross in from the left flank and that man again Clark tapped a volley into the net at the back post to make it 3-2. Full time saw the Sumas snatch a win in a high tempo, all-action fiery encounter.
NATASHA Dowie and Emma Harries struck for Reading Women to gift them three points against highflying Brighton.
Dowie scored the first goal of the game in the third minute when she latched onto a rebound from close range. Reading held off the Brighton pressure in the second-half and sealed the points late on when Emma Harries raced away from the defence to score in consecutive matches. The win sees the Royals climb up to eighth in the table as they made it four matches unbeaten in the Women’s Super League with three wins from their last four. Reading came into the game with a three match unbeaten strike having salvaged a late point away at West Ham last weekend as Emma Harries’ goal saw them overturn a two-goal deficit. Meanwhile, Brighton were in fantastic form with five wins from their opening seven matches putting them third in the WSL prior to kick-off. There had been just three minutes on the clock when Reading took the lead to give themselves a perfect start. Spotting the goalkeeper well off her line, Faye Bryson tried an audacious effort from long range, and after forcing a parried save from Megan Walsh, Natasha Dowie used her predatory striker’s instinct to follow up the rebound and tuck the ball in from close range.
Using the momentum from their early goal, the Royals showcased some positive attacking play in the opening stages as they enjoyed the majority of possession. Reading were happy to keep the ball at the back and pick and choose their moments to break forward as they looked to use the pace of Deanne Rose to get in behind. It almost worked when Rose burst into the box but was well ushered out by a strong piece of defending from Danique Kerkdijk. Danielle Carter, who spent last season at Reading, then came close for Brighton when she hit a fierce strike at goal but Royals goalkeeper Grace Moloney made a smart stop. Moloney came to the rescue again with another excellent piece of goalkeeping as she rushed out at the feet of Felicity Gibsons to smother the ball. The away side finished the half with a corner but Reading cleared to take their lead into the break. Reading started the half positively and won an early corner. From the aftermath, Brooke Chaplen played a clever reverse ball to Tia Primmer who sent in an inviting cross, but Brighton managed to swipe the ball clear. Brighton came close to an equaliser in the 54th minute when Carter picked out the run of her teammate who put the ball across the face of the goal mouth, but to Reading’s relief it whispered past the far post. Brighton midfielder Emma Koivisto would have found herself one-on-one with Moloney had it not been for an expertly timed crunching tackle in the box from Harding to snuff out the danger.
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AGULLS TO GO FOUR UNBEATEN
From the middle
Dick Sawdon-Smith
Abuse from parents and coaches
T
Deanne Rose strikes at goal
Harries celebrates her late goal
The hosts struggled to find much attacking threat in the second-half and had plenty of defending to do to protect their lead, but they kept their shape to frustrate Hope Powell’s team. With just four minutes to go, Reading wrapped up victory as Harries held her run brilliantly in her own half to stay onside and raced on goal, rounded the goalkeeper and tapped the ball into the empty net. Reading host champions Chelsea at the SCL in their next WSL fixture on Saturday, December 11.
Harries picks a pass
Lily Woodham sends in a cross
Reading: Moloney, Bryson, Evans, Vanheaevermaet, Woodham, Harding, Eikeland, Primmer, Chaplen, Rose, Dowie Subs: Peplow, Harries, Woodcock, MacDonald, Roberts, Lister, Stewart Brighton: Walsh, Koivisto, Le Tissier, Kerkdijk, Williams, Gibbons, Kaagman, Connolly, Whelan, Geum-Min, Carter Subs: Brazil, Simpkins, Nokuthula, Bance, Green, Robinson, Bowman, Cordier, Angel Goals: Dowie 3’, Harries 86’
Tia Primmer made her league debut
FOOTBALL
SUMAS BOSS HAILS MOMENTOUS AWAY WIN AT READING CITY By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today WOKINGHAM & Emmbrook manager Eliot Whitehouse was ‘delighted’ after his time nicked a late winner against Reading City.
The Sumas went two ahead but were pegged back as Reading showed their resilience to get back into the match. But in the dying embers of the match, the Sumas ensured they
would take all three points back to Wokingham as Clark notched a decisive goal. “I’m delighted with the result,” said Whitehouse. “There were ups and downs throughout the game and the spectators saw that. “We took a two-nil lead and then two sloppy moments saw us concede two from set pieces which let them back in the game.
But I’m delighted that we turned out to get the win. “It was a concern because I thought we’d given up the game and given it away. “But that’s what happens at this level, there are ups and downs, swings in momentum. “When the momentum is going your way, you have to take advantage of it and that’s exactly what we did.”
Meanwhile, Reading City manager Simon Johnson said: “We weren’t at the races today. Did well to get back into it but didn’t do enough to win the game.” The win pushes Wokingham up a place into 16th, while the Cityzens are in 12th. The Sumas are back at home at Lowther Road on Saturday when they host bottom of the table Holyport.
HIS is a column I wish I didn’t have to write, but it is a topic that must be discussed and I believe be resolved, as it could affect the very future of football. This was highlighted by young football referees in County Durham going on strike. They took to the pitch and after one minute walked off. They were protesting against the aggressive and belittling attitudes of parents and coaches. We are talking about 14 and 15-year-olds being the target of abuse and even, sadly, physical assault, from the very people who should be safeguarding them. It’s not just in County Durham, it happens across the country and not just this country. Two Dublin youth leagues recently cancelled all fixtures when their young referees made a stand against abuse and threatening behaviour, which left one young boy so petrified he was afraid to pick up his gear after the game. In Holland, parents have on occasions been banned or had to obey ‘silent Saturdays’, with no shouting allowed even from coaches. An American woman referee at the Woman’s World Cup finals, described her early days saying parents screamed at her. She continued refereeing, but many don’t. I know from mentoring new, often young, referees that the same happens here. I confronted one group of parents giving the young referee hell. “This is a 14-year-old boy, refereeing his first ever match,” I told them. “Who do you think is going to referee your children’s games, Howard Webb?” Incidentally, Howard Webb started refereeing at 15, along with his school mate, who was physically assaulted by a parent in his second game. He never refereed again. I say this could affect future football simply because most of those attending referee courses are young boys and girls, only about a fifth are adults. In years to come the present shortage of referees could escalate and many more matches could be without referees. This in itself could reduce the number of games played. So my advice, my plea to parents and coaches in youth football, is to act your age, be adult, encourage your players but leave young referees to learn the game and stop anyone else from giving them abuse.
26 | SPORT
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SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
HOW THEY RATED
ROYALS BEATEN BY BLADES IN READING 0 SHEFF UTD 1
LUKE SOUTHWOOD
Made a very good stop early in the second half to deny Jayden Bogle, but was beaten at his near post by Bogle not long after.
ANDY YIADOM
A solid enough display from the right-back who still managed to get forward effectively despite playing in a back four.
LIAM MOORE
Not his finest night, and in hindsight was fortunate to be picked ahead of Holmes. Went up top at the end and was caught offside twice.
SCOTT DANN
Won plenty in the air, came close with a header from a corner in the first-half and was composed on the ball.
BABA RAHMAN
Caught out of position on a few occasions which left Reading vulnerable defensively, but was better going forward.
JOSH LAURENT
Struggling to find the consistency he displayed for so much of last season but still worked tirelessly in midfield.
TOM DELE-BASHIRU
Very disappointing display having returned to the starting line-up. Hooked off on the hour mark for Andy Carroll.
DANNY DRINKWATER
Clipped in a an inviting ball in the first-half that almost led to a goal and found some nice passing range.
OVIE EJARIA
Really off form at the moment, struggling to have any real influence in the attacking third, looks off the pace.
JOHN SWIFT
A few very bright moments on the ball where he created for his teammates but to no avail as Reading failed to find the net.
GEORGE PUSCAS
Another frustrating night for the goal shy forward. Dropped deep to try and get involved but didn’t have any joy.
6 6 5 6 5 5 4 5 4 7 4
SUBS ANDY CARROLL: Brought some intensity and desire to Reading’s attack in the final half an hour and had a couple of attempts on goal. 6
By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today READING fell to a home defeat as Jayden Bogle scored the only goal of the game to gift Sheffield United three points.
Bogle volleyed in at the back post in the 56th minute in a secondhalf that was paused for a long period of time after a significant injury to United’s John Fleck. After the match restarted, the Royals couldn’t find the net in a lacklustre attacking display.. The result leaves Reading in 20th position in the Championship after 19 matches. Veljko Paunovic made one change from Reading’s draw to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Tom Dele-Bashiru returned to the starting line-up in place of Tom Holmes as the Royals switched to a back four. Meanwhile, Alen Halilovic, Femi Azeez and Dejan Tetek returned from injury to be named among the substitutes. .Sheffield United started the better of the two sides as David McGoldrick made an early burst down the left to win a corner. The delivery caused chaos in the Reading box as they scrambled to try and clear the bouncing ball before a misfired shot was hit well wide. McGoldrick won the Blades another corner a few minutes later and Luke Southwood was left stranded when he came for the cross after a short routine but missed his punch,but to his relief he managed to deflect the ball behind at the second attempt.
Reading v Sheffield United
Reading v Sheffield United pictures: Steve Smyth
Reading v Sheffield United
MATCH STATS Reading: Southwood, Yiadom, Moore (c), Dann, Rahman, Laurent, Drinkwater, Dele-Bashiru, Ejaria, Swift, Puscas Subs: Halilovic, Carroll, Holmes, Tetek, Azeez, Rafael, Ashcroft Sheff Utd: Foderingham, Egan (c), Basham, Davies, Stevens, Bogle, Norwood, Fleck, Brewster, McGoldrick, Gibbs-White Subs: Osborn, Hourihane, Verrips, Burke, Sharp, Freeman, Berge Goals: Bogle 57’
Reading v Sheffield United The first big scare of the game came for Reading when United struck the bar from a free-kick. Morgan Gibbs-White hit an arrowing shot which looked to have got the better of Southwood, but he was rescued by the frame of the goal. The Royals began to find their feet in the match and enjoy some possession after a slow start. John Swift stamped his influence in midfield as he drove through the heart of the Sheffield midfield,
Reading fell to home defeat again played the ball out wide to Andy Yiadom whose cross was put behind for a corner. The resulting corner saw Reading have their first shot as Scott Dann’s header looped over the bar. Swift showed an outrageous piece of close control to keep the ball against the pressure of two United players before he hooked a long crossfield ball out wide to Yiadom. After Swift and Ejaria’s link up on the right-wing, Danny
INTERVIEW
CARROLL RELISHES ROYALS CHALLENGE AFTER FREE TRANSFER NEW signing Andy Carroll expressed his excitement to get back to playing after he signed a short term deal with Reading FC.
Carroll has been a free agent after he was released by Newcastle United at the end of last season, but will be with the Royals until mid-January. “I’m really pleased to be here, coming in seeing the training ground and the lads has been enjoyable and I’ve enjoyed the first few days,” said Carroll. “I’ve been keeping myself fit. I had a break at the end of the season then came back and got stuck in to getting fit. “I worked with a few guys in London, then went over to Dubai to train one-on-one with two intense
sessions a day. Then I went to Spain to work with some guys over there and worked here to maintain my fitness. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to come around, and now I’m here and I’m loving it. “It’s important to have the two weeks at the end of the season of doing nothing and enjoying time with your family then the mentality switches to eating the right stuff, drinking the right stuff and going to bed at the right time.” Having kept himself fit over the summer, Carroll is now determined to get some minutes of the pitch to help the Royals in their Championship campaign. “I’ve got the right people around me and know exactly what I need
to do,” he continued.“The training ground is brilliant. The facilities and pitches are brilliant, you’ve got absolutely everything you need here. “We’ve got to focus on getting them points back with the games this week. “It’s a completely different type of fitness when you talk about match fitness. “I’m not match fit without playing matches, but that will come in the next few weeks playing games and training every day.
“I want to focus on playing the games I’m here for and then see what happens at the end of the contract. “I’d like to, if I can, give experience and advice to any of the lads. That’s part of my upbringing to share as much as I can “I’m just looking forward to being back playing football, it’s a league I’ve played in before and I can’t wait to be back involved. “The first two or three days of being back out on the pitch I’ve loved it, just being around the lads.”
SPORT | 27
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From the Tilehurst End
TENTH CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS
Olly Allen Reading fall behind
Can Carroll prove his worth?
P Drinkwater picks a pass Baba Rahman
Reading go close Rahman tries to get on the end of a cross
nst Sheffield United Pictures: Steve Smyth
Moore grapples with Sharp
Drinkwater sent in a teasing delivery that was almost reached but the onrushing Baba Rahman who was just beaten by the bounce of the ball. But there was little in the way of chances for either side as the half ended goalless with both teams failing to register a shot on target. The first chance of the secondhalf fell the way of the away side as they worked the ball neatly across the box to Jayden Bogle, but Southwood rushed off his line to narrow the angle and make a smart stop. The deadlock was broken in the 57th minute when Bogle was left Andy Carroll wins the ball in the air
free at the back post and volleyed in at Southwood’s near post to give United the lead. Going behind sparked Paunovic to make a change as Andy Carroll replaced Dele-Bashiru. There was a significant delay to the match after United’s Fleck went down in serious distress and received extensive medical attention and was eventually taken off on a stretcher. The match restarted again after around a 10-minute pause while Fleck received treatment. Rhian Brewster picked up a yellow after he hauled down Swift just inside the Reading half to break
up an attack. Reading’s first shot on target came in the 84th minute when Carroll let fly from distance and forced a save from Wes Foderingham. There were 13 minutes of added time after the long injury delay. Reading struggled to create many clear cut chances as Carroll headed a half chance over the bar, while Halilovic entered the field for the final 10 minutes. But the hosts failed to find an opening as the Blades took the points. Reading are away at Swansea City on Saturday.
PREVIEW
READING LOOK TO WIN IN WALES AS SWANS TEST AWAITS READING FC look to get back to winning ways when they travel to Wales on Saturday.
The Royals are down in 20th in the Championship after their Tuesday night defeat to Sheffield United. However, if Peterborough or Hull City win on Wednesday night (matches after paper goes to press), Reading could drop down into the relegation zone. Saturday’s opponents, Swansea City, are currently in 13th position, seven points above the Royals after the Berkshire club were handed a six point deduction last week for
breaching profit and sustainability regulations. The Swans have had a very mixed run of results in their opening 18 matches, with six wins, six draws and six defeats before their Wednesday night visit to Barnsley. Russell Martin’s team have picked up seven points from their last five fixtures They picked up an impressive 2-1 away win at high-flying Coventry City at the start of the month with goals from Jamie Paterson and Joel Piroe. However, they have also been
on the end of a heavy defeat to promotion chasing Bournemouth, who they lost to 4-0 at the Vitality Stadium. They returned to action from the international break with a 1-1 stalemate at home to Blackpool. Swansea have scored two less goals than the Royals having played one less match, but have a much tighter defensive record and have conceded 23 goals compared to Reading’s 30. Piroe has been their most clinical forward and is currently fourth in the top goalscoring charts with 10 goals and three assists to
his name from 17 matches. Reading’s last visit to the Liberty Stadium, in December 2020, ended goalless The last league meeting between the sides at the SCL, in Reading’s final home game of the 2020/21 season ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Yakou Meite put the hosts in front before Jamal Lowe and Andre Ayew rescued the game for Swansea. But the Royals stole a late point as Tomas Esteves snatched a 93rd minute leveller.
LENTY of eyebrows were raised last week when it was announced that Reading had signed free agent Andy Carroll on a two-month contract. Some of this scepticism came from within our fanbase – after all, you’re entitled to be a little concerned when your club signs a striker with just one goal in his last 1,495 minutes of league football – but a lot of it came from onlookers mocking the move. Carroll was once hot property in football. 17 goals to fire Newcastle United to Championship promotion and then 11 goals in half a season in the Premier League made the striker one of the most promising attacking talents in the English game. However, ever since his failed £35m (a then British record) move to Liverpool, Carroll has been near-constantly ridiculed. His name has become a synonym for ‘flop’. Maybe it’s his shoddy history with injuries. But it’s fair to say he has earned an unfair reputation as a lazy centre forward. Indeed, his salary has also been derided since his move to the Select Car Leasing Stadium. ‘How much is he costing?’ other fans have cried. The reality of course is very different. We must assume that Carroll’s wages are no more than £8,500-per-week, in line with the club’s transfer embargo rules. There was a noticeable buzz among supporters that signing Carroll brought. It seemed to give everyone a lift in a week in which, as mentioned, the club were docked six points by the EFL. There was real excitement to see him potentially make his debut on Saturday against Nottingham Forest. When he came on as a substitute just after the hour mark, his name was sung around the Select Car Leasing Stadium. He offered Reading something different. George Puscas seemed to relish playing with a partner. Forest’s defence looked a bit panicked about having to deal with him and Steve Cooper was forced into a tactical substitution. For Reading’s equaliser, the visitors were too focussed on Carroll to stop Scott Dann sweeping in with a shot. His dogged determinedness was really encouraging. On an initial two-month deal, the striker is a risk-free signing. He may even end up proving more of a benefit to the team than anyone could have imagined.
Andy Carroll against Nottingham Forest
28 | SPORT
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FOOTBALL ROUND-UP
BERKS COUNTY CONTINUE HISTORIC FA VASE RUN AS FAWKES FIND LATE WIN S4K Ladies in league action against Newbury Pictures: Andrew Batt
By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
FA Vase second-round
BERKS COUNTY continued their historic run in the FA Vase as they progressed through to the third-round. In their away tie at Harefield United, there was a manic start to the game with two goals in the opening two minutes. The hosts took the lead in the first minute but Berks came up with an instant response as Ebby Opoku-Ware scored from close range. The frantic football continued as the Swords got their noses in front in the 13th minute when Luke Hayden put them in front. Berks goalkeeper Harris made a vital save to keep his team in the lead before hayden struck again in the 36th minute with his second of the day. Harefield grabbed a goal back early after the restart to put the pressure on on the 49th minute. But that was the end of the scoring as the Swords held on to make history and advance in the Vase in their debut campaign in the competition.
Combined Counties Division One WOODLEY UNITED picked up three vital points on the road in an entertaining sevegoal contest at Hillingdon Borough. Ben Anderson gave the Kestrels an early lead after just four minutes, but Hillingdon got back on level terms in the 13th minute. The game burst into life in the second-half as Gary S Restored Woodley’s lead before an own goal three minutes later put them further in front. Hillingdon hit back with two
Winnersh battle against Woodley
Berks & Bucks Women’s Trophy CAVERSHAM UNITED booked their place in the next round with an emphatic 7-1 triumph over Holyport as Holly Swan netted four. WARGRAVE advanced with a 3-1 win over Wallingford Town, while SHINFIELD RANGERS were beaten by Mortimer 2-0.
Thames Valley Women’s Division 3S
goals to level the game but woodley found the winner in the 67th minute as Anderson notched his brace. EVERSLEY & CALIFORNIA recovered a two-goal deficit to take an away point against Rayners Lane. Paras Gill and Chris Robson scored to put the Boars on terms with four goals in the opening half an hour. Eversley had a chance to steal the points in the 90th minute but had a penalty kick saved.
Woodley United’s keeper takes a catch first-team with a 4-3 away win. READING YMCA suffered defeat on the road as they were beaten 2-0 by Westwood Wanderers.
Thames Valley Division One
HURST stay top of the table after their 2-2 stalemate away at Henley Town. FC IMAAN LIONS were subject to a heavy defeat on the road as they were beaten 10-2 by Holyport Reserves.
Thames Valley Premier League FINCHAMPSTEAD continued their reign at the top of the league with a win and a clean sheet over Yateley United. Joel Day gave Finch a lead in the first-half and Alex Woodhead sealed the points
Berks & Bucks Women’s Cup
S4K Ladies stay top with a late victory with a second in the 76th minute. READING CITY U23’s earned an away win against
Maidenhead Town to put them in eighth WOODLEY UNITED ROYALS matched the result of their
WOODLEY UNITED exited the cup after they conceded five without reply to Abingdon United.
S4K BERKS COUNTY remain at the top after they snatched a late winner against Newbury Development. The Fawkes left it late as Charisse-Ellouise Tregear ensured they earned maximum pints with the only goal of the game. Bracknell & District Sunday League Premier: Bracknell Rangers 0-1 Raglan, Finchampstead Athletic 2-3 Crowthorne Inn, Woodley Saints Kites 3-2 William Twigg One: AFC Dukes 7-2 Finchampstead Reserves, FC Showcase 3-0 Panthers, Freeman Royals 0-5 Bigshot, Winnersh Rangers 5-1 Woodley United Sunday Two: Bracknell Cavaliers 1-4 Braybrooke, Bracknell Spartan Vets 5-1 Sandhurst,Harts o Bracknell 1-3 Woodley Saints Tigers Three: Bracknell Royals 2-6 S47, Bracknell Saint Germain 1-1 Finchampstead A, Crowthorne A 3-3 Ashridge Park, Silver Birch 1-0 Newbold, William Twigg Reserves 1-2 Bracknell Bisons
YOUTH FOOTBALL
FC BRACKNELL U13’S HIT SIX TO GO TOP FC Bracknell U13s took home a 6-3 victory as they soared to the top of the table.
The Man of the Match award was given to Mikey, who scored a hat-trick. It was a tough match for the U12’s who lost 6-0 on their travels to FC Holyport while the U12 Youth put six past Twyford Comets. It’s been a difficult season for U14 Youth with recent promotions putting them in an unforgiving
division and this week was made harder with absentees. But they worked harder than ever against one of the top sides in the division and thoroughly deserved their 3-2 victory. All were superb with Jack scoring twice and Daniel with the other. After the U14 Colts scored 10 in their previous match, they were on a high facing Burghfield Buffalos, but after a tight match the Buffalos pipped the Blues 2-1.
The U15 Youth made it back to back wins putting three past Caversham Rangers. The U16 Colts played Whitegrove & Warfield in a local derby, still without a full time goal keeper the Colts battled throughout but lost out losing 6-2 against the Greens. U17’s continued their strong string of results by putting eight past Moormead. Finishing 8-2 to the Blues with Will scooping Man of the Match.
U17 Youth also put in a strong performance against a tough Twickenham team who they lost to the previous week. After going is goal down Blues were on the right side of the result this week winning 3-1, Josh, James and Jamie were Man of the Match with a special mention for the whole defence, Leo, Shane and GK Archie U17 Colts were on their travels to Windsor, after a tough match the blues lost 10-0 in a battling display. The U18 faced a tough Burghfield team and lost 8-0.
