HURST’S BERYL CELEBRATES 100TH

Beryl celebrates 100 with a birthday song from Hurst pupils

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 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 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

CAKE: Hurst residents gave Beryl a birthday cake to celebrate the day 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

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 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 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.”

SUPPORT: Families can be referred Picture: Phillip Goldsberry on Unsplash 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.

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.

COFFEE: Plant a tree Picture: Oakman Inns Buy a coffee at this Wokingham pub and you can plant a tree

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 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.”

REPORT: Changes are needed Picture: Kentaro Toma on Unsplash

New community orchard takes root

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

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.”

EST: 2002 NOWRE-OPENATBOBSF&C,FINCHAMPSTEAD

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