COVERING WOKINGHAM, FINCHAMPSTEAD, EARLEY, WINNERSH, SHINFIELD, WOODLEY, TWYFORD & SURROUNDING AREAS
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Thursday, September 23, 2021
No. 330
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ANTI-SOCIAL DRIVERS TARGETED BY COUNCIL By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today
ARTISTS SHOWCASE WORK IN TRAIL P14
THE COUNCIL could change how it manages car parks across the borough in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Following complaints of late-night disturbance, the council is consulting residents on changes to the way its car parks are run. It has emphasised there will be no change to parking charges or when drivers have to pay. Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways, said: “We need to find ways to help the police tackle the ASB that has been happening in some car parks. “At the moment we can’t do that because, technically, the car parks are not operational at night - so we don’t have powers to kick people out. “The proposals would make the car parks operational 24/7 – so we could take action when needed.” Wokingham Borough Council has proposed a series of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) that would allow it to install electric vehicle charging bays in any off-street car park, extend operating hours to “at all times” including on bank holidays and launch a “check in, check out” system to eliminate a need for paper tickets. It is also introducing 15 minutes of free parking at Dinton Pastures’ activity centre, alongside 30 minutes of free parking at its Shute End offices on weekdays. A new one hour stay restriction will be brought in to support shops in the California Cross area too. More information is available on the council’s website, and the deadline for feedback is Thursday, October 7.
BLACK TIE: A glittering Henley Festival returns P32
AUTISM CAFE TO OPEN SOON Kimel Foundation project trains young people for the world of work
EXCLUSIVE
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A NEW cafe training young people with autism is opening in Wokingham this autumn.
Created by the Kimel Foundation, it will be a place for neurodivergent people to learn new skills under a guided programme of support. It will also teach youngsters essential skills for independent living.
Founder, Nic Lander, hopes to open the Kimel Cafe in November, on Evendons Lane. Work on site is currently underway, and Mr Lander is appealing to any businesses feeling charitable for help sourcing tables, chairs, fridges, freezers and display cabinets. Mr Lander said he is hoping the project will become a “super cool cafe” that serves great coffee, and supports the community at the same time. n Full story on p13
RACERS TAKE ON SOAP BOX DERBY P9
CURRY KING NOMINEE GOES FOR GOLD P11
WALKERS GLOBE INSPIRED ART P18
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Reading Road resurfaced again to improve drainage By Charlotte King cking@wokingham.today A NEW road in Winnersh was resurfaced earlier this month after it was allegedly not built to specification.
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A section of Reading Road was relaid in the week commencing Monday, September 6, in a bid to improve drainage. Cllr Paul Fishwick, Liberal Democract councillor for Winnersh, said some residents have found it difficult living alongside the construction. “I have a lot of sympathy with the residents living in the vicinity of these works, because the overnight works have been going on for quite some time,” he said. “Access can sometimes be a bit difficult, as those who want to enter the worksite need to take instructions from the supervising engineer, but the end is near.” According to Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport, work on Reading Road is almost complete.
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Write to: Wokingham.Today, Crown House, 231 Kings Road, Reading RG1 4LS Publisher • David Riley Editor • Phil Creighton Deputy editor • Jess Warren Reporters • Charlotte King, Laura Scardarella Sports reporter • Andy Preston Graphic designer • Charlotte Simpson
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between 8pm and 6am, and has not incurred additional costs for the council. “Road markings [were] being painted overnight [last] week. Final landscaping and finishing work is to come over the next few months.”
St Paul’s harvest
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HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US Due to the coronavirus, our offices are closed to the public. The best way to contact us is by email Email news@wokingham.today Newsroom: 0118 327 2662 Advertising: 0118 327 2662
“The area will also see improvements to cycleways and pavements for pedestrians, improving journeys for those who live or work nearby.” She said the recent construction in Winnersh took place overnight,
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“Winnersh Relief Road and the North Wokingham Distributor Road, which the roundabouts on Reading Road link together, will reduce queues on Reading Road in Winnersh and across the surrounding area,” she said.
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A CELEBRATION of harvest will take place at St Paul’s Church in Wokingham on Sunday, October 3. Following a service, there will be a lunch served in the parish rooms. It is a soup followed by a fruit crumble. Guests are asked to bring their own drinks. Entry is free, but donations will be taken for charity. To help with catering, the church asks people to register in advance by calling the church office on: 0118 979 2122, or emailing: church. office@spauls.co.uk
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PAW PATROL: Wokingham woman wants to support dogs who need a new home
Dog-loving Lorraine’s plans for new animal rescue centre EXCLUSIVE
By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today
JAILED: Stuart Woods
Coach jailed for child sex crimes
A NEW DOG SANCTUARY has been set up to help furry animals find their forever homes.
Wokingham resident Lorraine McCowatt has been a dog lover since a young age. With two dogs of her own, Ms McCowatt’s initial idea was to create a doggy day care service in the area. Now she wants to support rescue canines in gaining new family homes. “When I put out a Facebook post about my idea for the sanctuary, the support I received from the community group was amazing. “They all said what great things I’m doing,” she said. Ms McCowatt has been actively looking for a farmer who might have a field, or two for her to rent. “Lots of people also offered their help in finding a field for me and giving me equipment such as dog leads, which is a good start.” While searching for a permanent premises, she will be starting up the centre from her own home. Having teamed up with dog rescue charity Hungary Hearts in Amesbury, and Bracknell-based Responsible Dog Training Club, Ms McCowatt hopes to partner with more organisations to help with her new venture. “I want to be able to take in dogs that Hungary Hearts don’t have the capacity for,” she said. “One of my dogs I adopted was from Hungary Hearts, and I’m so pleased we are able to work together in some way once I’m up and running.” Norman McKenzie, from
DOG LOVER: Lorraine McCowatt with her own rescue dogs Responsible Dog Training Club, will be there to carry out an initial assessment. “I believe that we need many more of these sanctuaries because unfortunately there are so many dogs being abandoned and treated badly. “This often happens even in the first few months of their lives, others suffer for a much longer period of time,” Mr McKenzie said. “It is my wish to help and support Lorraine in any way that I possibly can with her very worthwhile adventure that she is embarking on.” Details on all the rescue dogs up for adoption will be listed on the
Cllrs vote to withdraw store’s alcohol licence A WOKINGHAM off-licence is no longer allowed to sell alcohol, following a hearing earlier this month. BB Wines shop owner, Parmit Singh Kapoor, 31, sold alcohol to underage teenagers a number of times. On one occasion, he was found guilty in Reading Magistrates Court of selling cider to a 15-yearold. On Monday, September 13, Wokingham Borough Council’s Licensing and Appeals subcommittee heard from Mr Kapoor’s representative, Leo Charalambides. He proposed having a minimum of two staff members at BB Wines from 3pm on each day as a way to make sure sales are processed in accordance with the law. But this was rejected by committee members Cllr Bill Soane, Cllr Chris Bowring and Cllr Ian
Shenton. Instead, they decided to revoke the licence in order to promote the licensing objective of protecting children from harm. At the hearing, Mr Charalambides said that BB Wines had passed three underage alcohol sales tests and reminded committee members that they were bound by law to deliver an “appropriate and proportionate response.” He also said Mr Kapoor and staff members Sammy Miah and Mr Banala had been trained by Surendra Panchal, a personal licence holder trainer, to refresh their knowledge of the law. Mr Kapoor can appeal the decision. If he does, an appeal would be heard at a Magistrates’ Court, with a total re-hearing conducted. In the meantime, he would be allowed to continue to sell alcohol until a magistrates court hearing.
Woodley hosts French market A TASTE of Paris is coming to town. On Friday, a French market will be in Woodley town centre from 9am until 5pm. Hosted by France at Home, it will offer regional cheeses, fresh bread, patisserie, olives and dried fruits. There will also be fashion items.
website. Fosters and adopters will need to follow the application process by filling out a form and a home visit. To be considered, applicants must already have some knowledge or past experience with dogs. “I’ll provide as much information as I can on the website on the dogs that we have so that people know what to expect.” “It’s so important for people who are interested to have a garden or an easy access to an outdoor space,” she added.
n For more details, follow Dog Rescue Sanctuary on Facebook or visit: dogrescuesanctuary.co.uk
A GYMNASTICS coach from Sandhurst has been jailed for child sex offences. Stuart Woods, 34 and from Wellington Road, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment. Half of the sentence will be in jail, with the remainder of the term on licence. At a sitting of Reading Crown Court on September 17, he was also given a 20-year sexual harm prevention order, and a restraining order to protect his victims. Woods must also sign the sex offenders register for life. On Thursday, August 12, the nationally recognised gymnastic coach was found guilty by a unanimous jury of two counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child. The contact offences were against a boy. The communication offences were against the same boy and two other victims who were children. Investigating officer Detective Constable Sukhpreet Singh of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit from Thames Valley Police said that Woods had used his position to groom his victims. “This led to Woods sexually abusing a boy and abusing two other children by sexual communication for his own sexual gratification,” he said. “Woods was supposed to be someone who was supportive and someone for children to rely on, however his conviction and sentencing shows he is a dangerous and predatory paedophile. “I would like to pay tribute and commend the victims for coming forward. This has led to Woods being jailed, and means he is no longer a threat to children. “I hope this case shows other victims that they can report, they will be believed, and Thames Valley Police will work to bring offenders to justice.”
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Council given covid powers for ‘Plan B’ FACE MASKS and social distancing could be reintroduced by the borough council, under new powers granted by the Government. Local authorities will have the ability to introduce covid safety measures, in a bid to prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed. It does not allow councils to introduce a lockdown, but does let them respond to “respond to serious and imminent threats to public health”. This includes social distancing in public spaces, buildings and transport, the ability to close premises, cancel events and introduce mask-wearing again. Cllr Charles Margetts, executive member for health at the borough council, said this would only happen under Plan B, of the Government’s winter plan. The ambition, it to follow Plan A, which relies on booster vaccines and jabs for 12- to 15-yearolds to control Covid cases, hospital admissions and deaths. But Plan B would include working from home, social distancing, and mask-wearing. Cllr Margetts said it is good for the council to have “tools in its toolbox” should covid cases increase to a point of concern. “If the situation declines, we have the legislation in place to take steps to jump on cases,” the councillor said. He said it was helpful to give councils this power, and that it would be a case of “making sensible precautions”.
Thames Hospice raises £25,000 WALKERS have raised £25,000 for Thames Hospice. Following the charity’s annual Sunflower Walk on Saturday, September 11, the donations have been totalled up. Alison Evans, heads of events and community fundraising at the charity said it was a memorable day for all. “For many family and friends, it was emotional as they walked to remember a loved one,” she said. “For us, it was so special to welcome many of our loyal supporters to the Hospice for the first time to pick up their well-deserved medals and enjoy some refreshments.” It was the charity’s first big fundraising event in almost two years due to the pandemic. “We have really missed all our supporters, and it was great to see them again,” Ms Evans added. “We are so grateful for their continued support. “Every penny raised from the Sunflower Walk will help us continue to provide compassionate care to local families who desperately need us.” She thanked staff, volunteers and suppliers for helping with the event. This year, Hospice supporters choose their own walking route. And all who signed up were invited to the site by Bray Lake to collect their medal and enjoy an afternoon of celebration and relaxation. There was live music from The Grafters, a barbeque supplied by The Langley and Iver Rotary Club, massages and Reiki from the Hospice’s complementary therapists, and lots of entertainment.
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
FUTURE PARALYMPIAN JOINS BERKSHIRE VISION
SUPPORT: Soul Bah is training to compete in the 2023 Paralympic Games, and is now working with Berkshire Vision
A READING charity has welcomed a future Paralympian as one of its patrons. Berkshire Vision, which supports children and adults who are visually impaired, has revealed it is working with Souleyman Bah. The 22-year-old athlete, who was diagnosed with Retina Pigmentosa at age six, is currently training for the Paris 2023 Paralympics. He is also helping the Reading charity on its Eyes On Our Futures project, which supports visually impaired people obtain employment, volunteering and training opportunities. “I am absolutely honoured and delighted to be presented with the opportunity to be a patron for such an incredible organisation as Berkshire Vision,” Mr Bah said. Laura Mitchell, Berkshire Vision CEO, said she was delighted he is joining the charity.
Historic moment: New cricket ashes created at village match By Sue Corcoran news@wokingham.today PLAYERS burned their cricket bails for a new version of the famous “Ashes” urn – the symbol of English and Australian cricket test match battles.
The players from Hurst Village Society (HVS) and the PTA at St Nicholas Primary School, Hurst, wanted to create their own historic tradition at a match at the village cricket ground last Saturday. HVS chair Jo Newbold said: “In an act from a bygone age, the bails [small sticks atop each wicket’s three stumps] used in the match were burnt on the barbecue and ‘the ashes’ will now be part of a trophy to be played for, on an annual basis.” Stanlake Park Wine Estate at Twyford provided an “urn/wine bottle” for the Hurst Ashes. The England/Australia Ashes, going back to the 1880s, are said to be inside a small terracotta urn kept at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London.
The new Hurst event attracted more than 200 people and included old fashioned children’s garden games, archery and a bouncy castle. There was a barbecue, traditional English teas and the cricket club bar was open. HVS chairman Jo Newbold came up with the idea for everyone to “come together as a village and celebrate the lighter side of life”. She and members of HVS and the PTA worked to create Saturday’s event. “What a cricket game it turned out to be,” she said. “Batting first, the PTA XI amassed 141 runs in their allotted 20 overs; only for the HVS XI to score 143 with the winning four coming off the last but one ball,” she said. “I can’t thank enough all the people who gave their time and effort, and those companies who very generously provided financial support. “Special thanks goes to Hurst Cricket Club for allowing us to host
Check if you have a Child Trust fund, says HMRC YOUNG people could be sitting on a pot of gold, according to HM Revenue and Customs. It is urging young people to check if they have a Child Trust Fund (CTF). It is now a year since the first account holders started turning 18 and, every month, around 55,000 Child Trust Funds mature. It means their owners can withdraw funds or transfer savings into an adult ISA. While hundreds of thousands of accounts have been claimed so far, many have not. They were set up for all children born between September 1, 2002, and January 2, 2011, with a live Child Benefit claim.
Parents or guardians set up these accounts with Child Trust Fund Providers – usually banks, building societies or investment managers – using vouchers provided by the government. If an account was not opened by the child’s parent, HMRC set one up on the child’s behalf. John Glen, economic secretary to the Treasury, said: “It’s fantastic that so many young people have been able to access the money saved for them in Child Trust Funds but we want to make sure that nobody misses out on the chance to invest in their future. n For more information, visit:www. gov.uk/child-trust-funds/find-a-childtrust-fund
ASHES: The St Nicholas PTA cricket team (above) played against Hurst Village Society the event.” She and PTA chairman Simon Farrar, praised those who came: “It was the enthusiasm and friendliness of all those local families and individuals who were prepared to turn up and enjoy themselves, that made it such a memorable day. We owe everybody a very big thank you.”
Winner of a competition to design the event’s poster was Zara, six, of St Nicholas Primary School. Local sponsors included: HiPP Organic, Twyford’s Davis Tate Estate Agents, Waitrose Plc, RGB UK of Hurst, CGI, Flame BBQ, Hewett’s Menswear of Marlow, The Castle Inn at Hurst, Ed’s Garden Services and Hurst Studios.
More solar power for borough buildings WOKINGHAM could see a rise in solar energy schemes, according to the borough council. It has suggested installing more solar panels across the area in a bid to become carbon net zero by 2030. Part of its offerings include the Barkham solar farm, which was approved by the planning committee earlier this month, and smaller sustainable energy schemes. For example, it suggested installing solar panels on schools, offices and community sites. Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for resident services, communications and emissions, said: “The climate emergency is one of the biggest issues facing us
globally, and it’s important that we all do our bit. “We all need to work together to make changes to the way we live and work and, as a council, we’re a big part of this and want to take an active role in tackling our properties and carbon footprint.” Wokingham Borough Council said it is planning to retrofit some of its buildings with panels to generate sustainable, renewable energy on site. It said this could then power buildings or be sold back into the national grid. At the moment, solar panels have been installed on three quarters of the council’s schools, some shops, Bulmershe Leisure Centre, and Dinton Activity Centre.
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Register for comeand-sing event A CHANCE to sing Handel’s Messiah is coming to Twyford next month, but places need to be booked by this Saturday. Twyford Singers are holding the one-day workshop on Saturday, October 16. The group will rehearse choruses from the famous work, before performing them with an orchestra and soprano Angela Good. The event starts at 10am, and takes place at St Mary’s Church in Station Road. The performance will take place at 4.15pm. Places cost £25, and the performance is £5 per guest. n For more details, log on to twyford-singers.org.uk
Equinox celebration A CELEBRATION of the autumn equinox takes place in Earley on Saturday, September 25. Oakwood Forest Church will meet in the community garden of St Nicolas Church from 4pm, as part of a special Big Green Fair event. The event is fully accessible to everyone, and organisers say it’s suitable for people who like to stay seated or enjoy jumping and running. After Saturday, the group’s next meeting will be in November to mark Samwain, the shedding of leaves. n For details, log on to oakwood forestchurch.wordpress.com
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School run distress for autistic pupil EXCLUSIVE By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A WOKINGHAM mum is concerned that the handling of school transport has caused unnecessary distress for children with autism.
June Byron, whose name has been changed, said her seven-year-old son’s taxi arrangements were not organised until the week that term began. And on the first day, she said she took him to school herself, leading to a £60 taxi fare. Since then, his pick-up and drop-off times have been varied, she added. Each morning, Wokingham Borough Council’s contractor, School Express, takes him to Queensmead House School, in Windsor. But Ms Byron said the eightseater taxi has been arriving at various times, ranging from 7.45am to 8.40am. On the occasion it arrived at 8.40am, it meant that all three of Ms Bryon’s children were late to school. With two other children to take to school in Wokingham, the changing times have occasionally left
her running late for the school run. “My son is autistic and needs routine,” she said. “It’s upsetting when things change; he must be really confused.” Ms Byron said her son has also been greeted with a variety of drivers each morning, adding more “unnecessary changes” to the mix. “There is something seriously wrong with the SEND provision this year,” she said. “I don’t think they can use the pandemic as an excuse. “It’s such a stressful process for parents. All I can say is it fills me with dread.” On Wednesday, August 18, the borough council said it had contacted all parents on how the transport changes would impact their children. At the time, a spokesperson said SEND pupils may also have new staff taking them to school, be travelling with different pupils or be in different vehicles. Cllr Graham Howe, executive member for children’s services, said the council has
contacted families to explain the situation and apologise for the delay and the lack of early information. “We are also reviewing the process of assessing and allocating school transport, in order to avoid any similar problems in the future,” he said. “As part of this review, we will be working with travel providers on issues such as consistent timings and consistency of staff.” Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport at the borough council said that this year the contracts were re-tendered, and some routes “optimised”. With 320 pupils to coordinate travel for, Cllr Jorgensen said there was some delay from families about their child’s needs. “We could not confirm routes and procure the service until we knew what was needed,” she said. “We are sorry that this led to some families being informed of travel arrangements later than they should have been.”
NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Organisers Helen Snell, Emma Clapham and Maria Dyball celebrating with their children. Picture: Graham Maybanks
Party for class of 2021 OAKBANK School students dressed up for their end-of-yearprom earlier this month, thanks to a team of determined parents. Helen Snell, Emma Clapham, and Maria Dyball organised the event at The Shinfield Arms, Shinfield – the new name for The Black Boy. The ball was planned after covid nixed the original event. A disco, red carpet, food and drink were all part of the celebrations before the students parted ways for the next step in their educational journeys. Pupils arrived in special cars and some enjoyed rides on a classic two-wheeled motorbike,
thanks to resident Toni Young. They all danced the night away thanks to DJ Stuart Wright from Events Lounge. With more than 40 pupils at the event, Mrs Snell said it went really well. “All the students were so well-behaved and I had people thanking me for organising the prom, and how much they had enjoyed their time,” she added. “The pub did a great job and decorated indoors beautifully. The bar staff were so friendly, and we even had balloons donated to us by Morrisons in Reading, and an arch made by Balloon Boutique, which was lovely.”
Craft sessions at Cantley Park ARTS AND crafts workshops will be held in Cantley Park this autumn. The venue above the new café is hosting a series of crochet and printmaking sessions. Crochet workshops will be held from 9am to noon on Thursday, September 23 and 30, and Thursday, October 7. Beginners can learn how to create basic stitches, chaining,
working in rows, trebles, and crochet a baby’s hat. Improvers will learn how to crochet a poppy with a leaf or a flower brooch, a string shopping bag, mosaic crochet and a front post, back pose trebles leading to cable stitches. All yarn and patterns are included. The printmaking workshop will take place from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Thursday, October
14. It will cover mono-printing, linocuts, and lithography, and attendees with create a set of prints to take home. All materials are provided. There will be festive wreath making sessions on Thursday, December 2, 9, 16 and 23. Tickets cost £33 per workshop, or £30.80 for over 60s. n For more, visit: eventbrite. co.uk/o/wokingham-boroughcouncil-28570284781
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Morrisons donate gardening goods to school children FREE gardening tools are to be donated to schools, thanks to supermarket chain Morrisons. Part of the store’s It’s Good To Grow scheme, it aims to help children reconnect with nature and eat more fruit and vegetables. Customers get one token in their My Morrisons account for every £10 they spend. Customers can then donate the token to any participating school to redeem for gardening tools, composting bins and seeds. Morrisons hopes the initiative will help build a connection between children and homegrown healthy food. New research by YouGov found children aged six to 15 don’t understand how fruit and vegetables are grown. And 56% of children aged six to 10 in the UK are not eating their recommended five-a-day. Rachel Eyre, chief customer and marketing officer at Morrisons, said she is “really proud” of the work they do for British food and with farmers. “It’s great to be able to launch a campaign that will give our youngest customers the knowledge and equipment to gain a better understanding about where food comes from and how to grow it,” she said. “We want children to engage with nature as it will help them to start eating more healthily now and in the future, because they are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when they understand them or have grown them themselves.” The scheme aims to help 14,000 schools. n For more information visit: itsgoodtogrow.co.uk
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
Can you be a flying ace? Club’s £1,000 reward for new home HIGH FLYING: South East Berks Radio Model Club (SEBRFC) meeting – the club now needs a new venue
By PHIL CREIGHTON pcreighton@wokingham.today
A MODEL aircraft club is hoping it will be chocks away for a new venue – after they’ve been asked to fly away from their home of 35 years.
The South East Berks Radio Model Club (SEBRFC) has used Birchin Inhams Farm for an airfield, but say that the family business needs to use the space for other reasons. The farm, off Heathlands Road in Wokingham, has been a popular spot for the model flyers, and they are hoping that a new venue can be found. They are even offering a £1,000 reward to anyone who can successfully introduce them to the right home. The club, which uses radiocontrolled planes, has 70 members, with lots of younger people involved and even a former Black Arrows display pilot. It says one of the reasons for this success is that its encourages adults to bring interested children to try flying using a dedicated training model. Instructors are on hand to train
people to fly safely, and there is a simple flying and knowledge test, administrated by the British Model Flying Association, to which the club and all members are affiliated. And the BMFA arranges valuable insurance cover for all members, including students, that provides cover against personal injury and third-party property damage up to £25 million. Fortunately, current and past safety officers have ensured that no claims have
ever been made by the club. On the need to move, the club’s chair, Ken Owen, said: “It’s such a shame, we understand that the needs of the family (who own the farm) must come first.” A spokesperson for the club added: “Now we are looking for a new location where we can hopefully build a similar, great relationship with a new landlord. We need a field, or area of a field, which measures around 150 metres
by 200 metres – about two football pitches – from which we can take off and land. We also need parking for around 15 cars, as well as vehicle access. “We can pay a very competitive rent for the right site and would enter into a lease or license to provide security of income to the landlord. Our current landlord has provided an excellent reference.” They added that the site should be in the wider Wokingham area and not too close to housing or farm animals. “We are confident that a site will be found, but to encourage people to come forward we are offering a reward of £1,000 to the person who directly introduces us to a landowner or farmer, who eventually enters into an agreement to lease a site to us,” they said. “The landowner introduced must have already indicated a willingness to discuss a lease with us, and full contact details should be provided. “So, if you know someone who might have a suitable site available, have a chat to them and give it a go.”
n Anyone who can help the club can contact them by emailing: newflyingsite@gmail.com
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Improve cycling routes now, campaigners plead UNSAFE: Nicky Chodorowska says cycling safety is “pretty poor” in Wokingham, after breaking her arm in 2017. Picture: WATCH
EXCLUSIVE By Charlotte King cking@wokingham.today CAMPAIGNERS have urged Wokingham Borough Council to “put cyclists first” following a series of accidents.
Wokingham Active Travel Community Hub (WATCH) have accused the council of inaction when it comes to cycle safety, after highlighting three injuries on Reading Road and reporting a potential hazard on London Road. It has teamed up with cyclists and Sarah Kerr, ward councillor for Evendons, who has also been fighting for action on Evendons Lane. Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways, said the council is working to improve cycling across the borough with a series of new initiatives. Nicky Chodorowska, who broke her arm in 2017, said cycle safety is “pretty poor” in Wokingham. She was injured while travelling down Reading Road and blames the layout of the road’s cycle path for the accident. “I was riding from Wokingham where the path takes you on and off the pavement all the way,” she explained. “At one point, there were lots of people on the pavement, some with pushchairs, so I couldn’t come off. “I thought I’d ride to the next kerb to come off the road but my back wheel got caught on it, slid and I fell off. It took nearly two years for my arm to work properly again.” Ewan Barbour, who also broke two bones in his hand in an accident earlier this summer, said he was lucky to get help from a passer-by. “I was on Evendons Lane and my tyre fell into a groove, throwing me off into oncoming traffic,” he said. “This lady, Sarah, came along and put me and my bike in her car before driving me to get help. “While some of the new roads in the borough are great, some are absolutely shocking for cyclists.” The two cyclists are now calling for more to be done to make cycling safer in the borough. “You have to constantly cross roads, some have shocking visibility, and it’s quite scary,” Ms Chodorowska said. “The long lengths are good but when you have to cross or stop, it’s not a pleasant cycle. “The potholes are also horrific, and how somebody hasn’t died is a miracle.” This has been echoed by Mr Barbour, who said the potholes risk damaging bikes as well as cyclists. “With the amount being in spent in Wokingham, it seems that the surface
of the current roads is the council’s last thought,” he said. Ms Chodorowska added: “People want to use cycling as a mode of transport, but it seems to me that the council will only respond to motorists.” Cllr Kerr, who has been campaigning for safer cycling for more than two years, said she feels cyclists are now being treated as “second class citizens”. In early 2019, she reported the ridge on Evendons Lane that caused Mr Barbour to crash and said the council concluded six months later that it was not a safety risk. “Last week, I found out Mr Barbour had fallen down and ended up with injuries,” Cllr Kerr said. “The council has now gone out and put a temporary filling on the road, but I’m really angry because they said it wasn’t dangerous.” According to Adrian Betteridge, from WATCH, three accidents on Reading Road have now been caused by dropped kerbs. He said that despite the council taking “interim measures” to improve road safety, including the work on Evendons Lane, it’s not enough. “We welcome the efforts the Council is making to encourage walking and cycling and the intentions for better facilities, but these are in the future and we need to make the current infrastructure safe now,” he said. “People who cycle are on average significantly more healthy, and we need to keep it that way by addressing hazards to cycling with the same priority as we do hazards for other road users. “These unfortunate events seem to show a highways department that is incapable or unwilling to view the roads from a cyclist’s perspective.” This has been echoed by Cllr Kerr, who accused the council of waiting for accidents to happen. “It’s quite clear that cyclists are a long way down the pecking order when it comes to Wokingham borough,” she added. “[The council] looks through the lens of a car driver when making decisions, and it’s at the expense of
University of Reading hosts national climate summit in House of Lords PUTTING climate change on the curriculum could empower young people, the University of Reading revealed. The news comes following its Climate Education Summit on Wednesday, September 15, which was hosted in the House of Lords.
The event brought young people, scientists and policy makers together to develop an action plan to improve climate education in schools. Discussions argued that teaching children about environmental action could help them recognise “green washing” practices.
other people. “If they want to reduce car journeys by 40% by 2030, they need to prioritise the safety of these cycle routes.” Cllr Jorgensen said Wokingham Borough Council is currently creating a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) to focus its future investments in active travel. “We continue to work to improve walking and cycling in the borough in a number of different ways,” she said. This includes the council’s My Journey Wokingham programme which supports sustainable transport through events, activities and training courses, and the Greenways programme which links traffic-free routes in Shinfield, Arborfield and Wokingham. “We believe cycling is a fun, free and fast way to travel from A to B,” Cllr Jorgensen added. “The cycle network in the borough consists of a mix of off- and on-road routes, quiet links and unsurfaced links offering a network of ways to cycle to and from residential areas and destinations. “We know there are gaps and improvements that need to be made, [and] the LCWIP will identify these and provide us a plant to address them. “[We keep] in regular contact [with cycling groups] to resolve safety issues which we are made aware of and as someone who cycles in the borough regularly, I always keep an eye out for issues and report any that I see.” Cllr Jorgensen has now called upon residents to “commit” to sustainable travel to reduce car journeys over the next eight years. “Through new and existing infrastructure schemes, incentives to encourage active travel and public transport use, and various behaviour change campaigns to support the switch from car travel to active and sustainable travel modes we can achieve that goal together,” the councillor said. n Anyone who spots a potential safety hazard can report it to: www.wokingham. gov.uk/roadworks-and-outdoormaintenance/report-a-problem-withroads-and-streets
The summit was held in partnership with a group of organisations, including the Met Office, Royal Meteorological Society and environmental charity Ashden. In a statement, the University said: “The organisers argue the UK will struggle to take action on climate change unless more effort is made to help the next generation understand the issue and
feel empowered to respond. “Climate change is currently only mentioned a handful of times on the national curriculum, and does not feature in any subjects except science and geography.” At the event, Baroness Brown, chair of a subcommittee on climate change, said that changing the curriculum will help people identify “genuine sustainability”.
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Children’s Book Festival makes return
By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today
NINE authors will be delivering tales to youngsters this October.
The Wokingham Children’s Book Festival is returning next month with a series of live and online events. Now in its fourth year, it will run from Saturday, October 16, to Sunday, October 17. Sally Gurney, chair of Arts and Culture Committee at Wokingham Town Council, said she is excited for this year’s schedule. “Book festivals are great fun and inspiring too,” she said. “I can point to the signed books on my shelves and tell you all about the time I met the author, what they were like, what we talked about. “Being able to be even a small part of bringing this joy, this ever-expanding world of endless possibilities, to young people in my town is wonderful. “There will be stories, there will be talks, there will be laughter, there will be games, there will be books, and there will be authors. All we need now is the audience.” Cllr Bill Soane, executive member for neighbourhood and communities at the borough council, said the festival is a great chance
for children to meet some of their favourite authors. “We have a packed programme with something for everyone, suiting all tastes and age groups,” he said. “It promises to be another wonderful festival.” Talks include best-selling author Kieran Larwood, sharing tales from his sixth book. He was also the winner of the Blue Peter Best Story Award. Poet Joshua Seigal, winner of the 2020 LOLLIES, will be sharing poetry from his new collection Yapping Away. Holly Webb will be exploring themes around environmentalism and friendship, and Hannah Lee will be hosting an event about her new picture book, The Rapping Princess. Swapna Haddow will join live, from New Zealand, to talk about the first book in her new series, Bad Panda. Annabelle Sami will talk about the inspiration behind her books, Llama Out Loud and Llama on a Mission. Krina Patel-Sage will give a reading from her book, My Mindful A to Zen. The in-person events will run at Wokingham Town Hall, with others streamed online. n Tickets are available at: wokinghamtc.gov.uk/bookfest
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
Norreys couple call for crossing By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A WOKINGHAM couple scared to walk out of their front door, are petitioning for road safety improvements.
Jean Jones, who lives along Wiltshire Road, said speeding cars are making it dangerous for people to cross. She is calling for pedestrian crossings and speed calming measures at the junction of Wiltshire Road and Rectory Road. “It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Mrs Jones said. “Many residents are afraid to walk out of their front doors because of the heavy, speeding traffic on these roads. “I’ve seen older people wait a very long time to be able to cross here; due to reduced mobility they are often simply unable to walk the distance to find a safe place to cross. “Something needs to be done.” With the help of Cllr Rachel Burgess, labour councillor for Norreys, Mrs Jones is calling for change. The petition has attracted signatures from residents along both roads, and Mrs Jones hopes it will be presented to the council later this year. Cllr Burgess said she wholeheartedly supports the campaign. “There are lots of elderly residents in this area who are very distressed and inconvenienced by the speeding traffic and the difficulty for pedestrians in crossing the two roads, particularly on the bend at the bottom of Rectory Road,” she said. “People are scared they will not be able to cross in time, especially if they have mobility issues.
CAMPAIGN: Cllr Rachel Burgess with Mr and Mrs Jones, who live close to the Wiltshire Road and Rectory Road junction. Picture: courtesy of Cllr Rachel Burgess “The council must listen to residents and put proper crossing points and other speed calming measures at this junction. “We need to put pedestrians first in the town centre.” Cllr Phil Cunnington, Conservative councillor for Norreys, said he is concerned about the speed of traffic in the area. “I support action that will reduce vehicle speeds in these areas,” he said. Cllr Cunnington said he has been working with Cllr Gregor Murray, another Conservative councillor for Norreys, on
the issue. “[We] have been speaking to Cllr Jorgensen and the Highways team about this, and we are pushing for multiple changes to be made and additional safe crossing areas to be put in place. “We are working as a Conservative group on initiatives to improve traffic flow while curbing speeding throughout the town wards. ” The petition is hand-signed. n Anyone that would like to sign it can contact Cllr Burgess on: rachel.burgess@ wokingham.gov.uk
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Drivers have wheely good day at Farley Hill Soap Box Derby
RACE DAY: The Farley Hill Soapbox Race. All pictures: Steve Smyth
EXCLUSIVE By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today
TEAM SPIRIT: The Brutus Maximus team
FARLEY Hill’s sold-out Soap Box Derby was a “great day”, said organiser Ben Teale.
On Sunday, adult and junior racers were cheered on by spectators as they crossed the finished line. The Pheasant Plucker cart came first in the adult race, with Wood on Wheels coming in second and Electrofish third. Bright Lights in the City brought home the title in the juniors race, Terminal 6 came in second and third place was won by Tie Fighter. Food, drink and music were also enjoyed throughout the afternoon by all. Mr Teale thanked everyone for their support. “What can I say? It was such an amazing day that was only made possible by the commitment and hard work of so many people,” he said. “To everyone who really stepped up and entered a cart, there was no event without you.” He wrote a post on Facebook to extend his thanks to everyone who took part and helped make the event a success. This included a nod to Dad Power, a group of men who built the course, to SFL Group for its music entertainment, to Siren Craft Brew for providing a bar, and to Victory Hall Trustees, among others.
READY: Racers prepare to hit the track
SHARK: One of the stars of the day from Devon
INSPIRED: An Only Fools and Horses entry
Wokingham residents urged to take part in walk A CHARITY is encouraging Wokingham residents to get involved in its fundraising event this October. Sue Ryder has announced that Walk To Remember will go ahead in the hope of raising vital funds for its support work. This comes as the charity reveals its latest research showing that 54% of the British public (54%) think that remembrance
events help them grieve. And two-thirds of people have a special place they visit to remember someone who has died. People can walk 5km (3.1 miles), 10km (6.2 miles) or any distance, and create a route that includes a visit to their special place. Head of bereavement at Sue Ryder, Bianca Neumann, said everyone deals with grief in different ways.
SPEED: One of the young racers speeds along in his entry “Some of us may want to remember someone who has died on our own at a special place, while others may take comfort in being with other people.” Ms Neumann added: “Walk to Remember is a great fundraising event that allows supporters to walk in memory of someone who has died, and do what works for them and their own personal journey through grief, whilst raising vital funds for Sue Ryder.” Vital funds raised from the event will go towards Sue Ryder’s palliative, neurological and bereavement support.
Caroline Graham, director of fundraising at Sue Ryder, said many people have been grieving alone this year due to the pandemic. “Walk to Remember is an incredibly special fundraising event that allows supporters to raise vital funds, whilst also helping us grieve by coming together and talking about our loved ones who are no longer with us,” she said. “The money raised by taking part in Walk to Remember will enable us to continue to provide compassionate and expert support.” n For more details, visit sueryder.org/ walkwithus
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
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Pioneering new treatment A THAMES Valley medical firm has raised nearly £2 million to support a pioneering diabetes treatment. Occuity, which raised the money through an online crowdfunder in just under 24 hours, will use it to launch a series of new medical devices. Dr Dan Daly, CEO and co-founder of Occuity, said: “We’re delighted with the level of interest we have received. “To date we have now raised over £2 million, which will allow us to accelerate the development of our new optical screening and monitoring devices that aim to detect the early signs of chronic health conditions by scanning the human eye.” The money will go towards a revolutionary ophthalmic meter,
a range of personal management devices for diabetes, and will also help deliver non-invasive diabetes detection treatment over the next four years. Occuity launched in 2019, and wants to use the eye as “a window into the health of the body” to improve non-invasive, non-contact technology. It hopes to improve early detection of diabetes and Alzheimer’s, too. “Diabetes is a very personal issue and of course, once you have it, it’s likely with you for the rest of your life,” Dr Daly added. The MedTech firm will also use the money to continue expanding its team and hopes to grow from 35 staff to 100 by 2023.
n Find out more about Occuity’s crowdfunder at: www.seedrs.com/ occuity
Make a move to hospitality
Award-winning butchers to open in garden centre By Charlotte King cking@wokingham.today
A SURREY-BASED butchers is moving to Wokingham for its first expansion in more than 100 years.
JL Butchers is opening a new branch in Squire’s Garden Centre on Heathlands Road next month. The award-winning firm has been based in West Byfleet, Woking, for a century and was voted Butchers Shop of the Year by Surrey Life Food & Drink awards in 2019. James Lowe, the owner of JL Butchers, said he is looking forward to the new business venture. “I was lucky enough to be asked by Squire’s if I’d
consider opening in the Wokingham branch,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for me and the business, and we can’t wait to get open and start serving Wokingham residents.” JL Butchers offers a range of meats, including beef, pork, and lamb. It also sells a variety of “American-style” barbecue items, such as briskets and ribs. The firm will also team up with Poppies Farm, in Hurst, to can sell local produce in its Wokingham store. “We are going to close the West Byfleet branch, as the village is currently undergoing a redevelopment,” Mr Lowe added.
Mr Lowe, who took over JL Butchers in 2013, said his journey to acquire the company was a winding road. “I was a chef but decided I wanted to get into pig farming,” he said. After getting the chance to raise his own pigs, he struggled to find a butcher that would buy them. “I decided that instead of buying pigs, I would buy a butcher’s shop,” he explained. “I continued to work part-time while managing the shop before eventually making it a full-time job.” Sarah Squire, chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, said she is looking forward to welcoming Mr Lowe to the site when he
opens next month. “I am very excited that we shall shortly be launching our new look Café Bar and enhanced Food Hall featuring JL Butchers,” she said. “Supporting local suppliers has been at the heart of our philosophy for more than 85 years, so I am very pleased to welcome [the] award-winning butchers to Squire’s. “They will be a fantastic addition to our Food Hall, championing top quality British meat and great customer service.” JL Butchers plans to open its doors in Wokingham in mid-October. n To find out more, visit: www.jl-butchers.co.uk
Sustainability pledge from Triangle
NEW CAREER: The hospitality sector is looking for apprentices to come forward RECRUITERS want to change the perception of hospitality with a new employability hub next month. As part of Hospitality Apprenticeships Week, a new careers centre is launching to help people find roles in the industry. The hub, hosted by CareerScope, will be the first service in the UK to support job seekers looking for hospitality apprenticeships. From Monday, October 18, to Friday, October 22, it will hold a series of events covering a range of themes, including: n Busting myths about hospitality n Front of house roles n Supervising and management n Chef responsibilities, It all forms part of national campaign More Than A Job,
Lend a hand with volunteer fair START your volunteering journey at this upcoming event. Wokingham Volunteer Centre is hosting a Volunteer Recruitment Fair on Saturday, September 25.
which has been developed by the Hospitality Apprenticeships Steering Group. Chris Gamm, chief executive of hospitality charity Springboard, one of the organisations behind the campaign, said: “It’s well-known that hospitality needs to attract more home-grown talent to address the current staffing shortages and ensure there is a sustainable talent pipeline for many years to come. “Hospitality Apprenticeships Week is a brilliant way to showcase the industry and your business to your customers and followers, show what a fun and dynamic industry it is to work in, and the brilliant opportunities it offers to develop and build a career.”
n For more information, visit: www. careerscope.uk.net/apprenticeships
It will offer residents a chance to meet with different charities who are looking for a helping hand. The fair is running from 11am until 2pm at Wokingham Town Hall. n For more information, visit www. wokinghamvolunteercentre.org.uk, email volunteer@wok-vol.org.uk or call 0118 977 0749.
THE OWNERS of Winnersh Triangle are going green, after revealing their roadmap to reducing carbon emissions. Frasers Property UK has launched its plan to achieve net zero carbon in Winnersh Triangle, Chineham Park and Farnborough Business Park. The announcement forms part of its response to the climate emergency. As part of the plan, the company has highlighted specific eco-friendly commitments to be made in Winnersh to improve health and wellbeing, energy usage and biodiversity. Ilaria del Beato, CEO of Frasers Property UK, said: “Delivering a positive sustainable impact has never been more important in the current climate. “Committing to net zero carbon is our largest commitment to date, and one that I am most proud to endorse. “The improved facilities not only contribute towards our commitments but also bring more benefits for our staff and occupiers, making the parks fantastic places to work.” To improve health and well-being, the company plans to launch a series of healthy eating initiatives, regular fitness classes and air quality testing. It also plans to power the park with green energy produced by wind, solar or hydro sources. Frasers Property UK will install rooftop solar panels across some of its buildings this year, and work with on-site landscape
GREENER FUTURE: Frasers Property UK, which runs Winnersh Triangle, wants to reach net carbon zero and deliver improvements to help people who work on the business park Picture: Frasers Property UK
teams to develop biodiversity with bird boxes, beehives and wildlife feeders. And it has already made a series of sustainable commitments at Winnersh Triangle, including increasing electric car charging points, replacing LED lights and installing cycling facilities. Ms del Beato added: “While a lot of work has been done already at each of the parks,
I’m looking forward to continuing to see the outcomes of this year’s commitments to take us one step closer to our carbon neutral goal.” Frasers Property UK hopes to be carbon free across all of its sites by 2050, while achieving net carbon zero across “operational areas of control” by 2030.
Small firms now more likely to take risks SMALL business owners are more open to taking risks than ever before, according to a new report. PR platform Newspage said that eight in 10 entrepreneurs (83%) are prepared to make riskier decisions as a result of the pandemic. Just 11% of the poll’s 1,200
respondents said they are less prepared to take risks, while 6% were unsure. The survey also revealed nearly all (93%) of small business owners felt the pandemic left them better equipped to deal with uncertainty. According to Newspage, this “who dares wins”
attitude has been inspired by the virus, the end of furlough, and the threat of raised interest rates. Dominic Hiatt, founder of Newspage, said: “Based on this evidence, the past 18 months have fundamentally changed the psychology of small business owners.
“They’re a lot more resilient and able to cope with uncertainty, more prepared to take on risks to grow, and more bullish generally, given that they have managed to survive. “This confidence bodes well for the future and the economic uncertainty that lies ahead.”
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Will fusion dishes make Boishakhi a Curry King? By Charlotte King cking@wokingham.today
A WOKINGHAM business hopes its “unique” fusion dishes will see it crowned the borough’s first Curry King.
At the start of the month, Wokingham.Today asked readers to help it find the tastiest curry house in the area for a new competition. Boishakhi, which grew out of the Taj Mahal takeaway on Denmark Street, was one of the first eateries to be nominated. The restaurant is run by Omar Bhuiya, whose family has been managing local businesses since 1976, and opened its doors on Peach Street in 2013. It offers a range of traditional and unique dishes. “At Boishakhi, we are inspired by the fusion of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine,” Mr Bhuiya explained. “We bring it all together. “We’ve been in the business for a long time, and have developed our own identity.” According to the owner, the past 18 months have been a turbulent time for his restaurant, and he thanked diners for “keeping [Boishakhi] alive”.
GRATEFUL: Omar Bhuiya thanked readers for nominating Boishakhi for the Curry King contest Picture: Steve Smyth “At the start of the pandemic, I realised the delivery sector was going to be huge, which we had never really focused on,” he said. “It’s been a good thing in some ways, because we ended up expanding to cover a bigger area, including Wokingham, Binfield, Warfield and Reading.” Now, he is hoping Boishakhi can become Wokingham’s first Curry King. he said that it’s all down to the
restaurant’s unique mix of cuisines. “We do food that’s not only street food but it’s something different – it’s what people like to come back to all the time,” Mr Bhuiya said. “We bring something totally new and combine it with something authentic that’s really good to eat.” He added: “Our food
also provides quality at a reasonable price. We keep it in a margin where everyone can afford it.” And he thanked Wokingham.Today readers for nominating Boishakhi for the award. “I really appreciate all the effort and loyalty [customers] have shown to me,” the owner said. “They have inspired me and my kitchen staff that we will achieve something out of all the effort and hard work we’ve put in over the past nine years. “I really thank them from the bottom of my heart, and hopefully we can carry on like this.” Wokingham.Today’s search is still ongoing and we are asking readers to continue nominating their favourite places for a curry. Send us a message on Facebook or email news@ wokingham.today to tell us about your top curry house and why you think it deserves to become Wokingham’s Curry King. The winner will be crowned at the end of the year following a series of knock-out votes on social media.
PINT VISIT: Neil Mottershead, manager of The Pheasant, with Wokingham MP Sir John Redwood in the pub’s beer garden
Sir John raises a glass to pub’s refurbishment A RECENTLY refurbished Winnersh pub welcomed a VIP – Wokingham MP Sir John Redwood. He popped in to The Pheasant on Reading Road to meet general manager Neil Mottershead and his team. Sir John learnt that the bar and restaurant now offers East-meetsWest fusion cuisine for diners, with a wide range of wines, craft beers and cocktails to enjoy. Part of the inn is a 12-bedroom hotel. Sir John said: “I congratulated Neil on a successful refurbishment and improvement of The Pheasant, which now will provide a restaurant
and some hotel rooms to add to local choices. “I wish The Pheasant every success in creating a great atmosphere and attracting people to enjoy their food and hospitality.” And Mr Mottershead welcomed the visit. “Whether you’re out for drinks with friends, having a meal with the family, or looking for somewhere for a date night, The Pheasant Bar and Restaurant is the place for you,” he said. “We are really enjoying welcoming guests. It was great to meet our local MP and show John the extensive work we have done both inside and with our large outside area.”
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
Reading Town Meal returns A CELEBRATION of food returns to Reading town centre on Saturday, thanks to the Town Meal. Around 1,000 people are expected to gather in Forbury Gardens to enjoy the food, which will be served from 12.30pm, while stocks last. The meal will be prepared by students from Reading College, using fruit and vegetables donated by allotment holders and gardeners from the greater Reading area. There will also be live music, workshops, community groups and family fun. Food will be available to buy from a produce market. The event takes place in
Enjoyed playing? A GROUP that aims to rekindle a love for performing music will be returning to Wokingham this weekend. You Too Music is a workshop aimed at people who used to play an instrument to Grade Three or Four or above and want to get back into the musical habit. People who want to take part are welcome to come along, as long as they have access to the instrument in question. The sessions run from 9am to noon on Saturday, September 25, at Wokingham Baptist Church in Milton Road.
Walking fundraiser supports Royal Berks Charity WALKERS took part in the Walk For Wards charity event at Dinton Pastures Country Park on Sunday. Residents chose to walk distances of 5km (3 miles) or 10k (6 miles) around the lakes. Setting off at 8.30am, the group wore special t-shirts in support of the charity on the day.
FUNDRAISING: The Walk for Wards event took place on Sunday morning at Dinton Pastures. Picture: Steve Smyth
Spooks, scares and fun at pub By Phil Creighton pcreighton@wokingham.today
A WOKINGHAM town centre pub is making preparations for a series of parties this autumn.
The Broad Street Tavern has resumed its weekly live music sessions and is now looking to hold special events in the runup to Christmas. Landlady Lili Collier says that she has big plans for the events, not least her annual Hallowe’en party, which will take place on Friday, October 29. In previous years, the pub has been spookily decorated and this time round Ms Collier is preparing to up the ante
and make the macabre one to remember, and the improved beer garden will play its part. “Between the first and second lockdown, we installed a marquee in the back garden, so it’s now all under cover. We’ve had really good feedback for this and people think it’s really amazing,” she said. The covering is open on each side so it is covid-compliant, essentially covering the entire beer garden with a giant umbrella. She has more plans to improve the seating area. Come Hallowe’en, Ms Collier said she has been teaming up with a special effects company. “They will have a smoke machine and plenty of
surprises,” she says. “On the night, the best fancy dress will win the chance to enjoy a Sunday roast meal for two with a bottle of wine. “I think our Sunday roasts are the best in town, with the meat carved to order and the biggest Yorkshire puddings in Wokingham.” Live music on the night will come from Majestix. The band is one of many as the bar hosts music every Friday night. “Four weeks ago the bands were back and it was really good,” Miss Collier said. “People definitely missed the bands, we missed the bands as well. “We know people are still wearing masks, and we’re
doing what we can to make people feel safe. Our tables are still socially distanced, and we sanitise every table. We are doing all the right things, our pub is clean and safe. If someone books and has concerns, we can make adjustments for them.” Also taking place in October is a special DJ set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Henry Wadworth, who founded the brewery to which the Broad Street Tavern is attached. The party starts at 4pm
Council promotes positive mental health A PUBLIC consultation has been launched in a bid to promote positive mental health by Wokingham Borough Council. The council wants the strategy to focus on prevention, early intervention, easy access to support, health promotion and joined up services. It’s keen to provide care as well as encouraging people to be more independent through the support of their friends, families and the community. The council also wants to understand the transition process into adult services for young people. Pre-pandemic,
Care home explores Japan A SHINFIELD care home is keeping the Olympic flame alive. Parsons Grange, on Westall Street has been running a range of activities to coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic games in Tokyo. In a garden tournament, residents competed against each other in tennis and quoits. Residents also explored Japanese culture including food, history, values
approximately 9,000 people a week in Wokingham were struggling with a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression. That could have doubled since covid. A consultation document has been made including discussions with people with lived experience, carers, health and social care staff. Cllr Phil Cunnington, deputy executive member for health, wellbeing and adult services, said mental health is not uncommon. The closing date for comments is Thursday, September 30. It is available at: wokingham.gov.uk and way of life. One resident, Phylis, remembered her running successes fondly. She ran the London marathon in 1994 and 1996 as well as regularly completing both Reading and Wokingham half marathons. “I was always a fast runner,” Phylis said. “I started with short distances and worked my way up. When I was older, I joined a running club with some friends, which was unusual at the time for ladies to do so. My advice, don’t over think the distance.”
on Saturday, October 2, and there will be a special brew to commemorate. “We have a new beer called Henry 100th to celebrate Henry Wadworth’s birthday,” Ms Collier said. “It’s 4.7%, and it can’t be a bad beer, it’s Wadworth.” The pub has also recently been awarded a five-star cask marque for the way in which is looks after its beers. “Every line is clean,” Ms Collier said.
New drug for heart AN ANTIOXIDANT drug could save lives after University of Reading researchers find its promising effects. Funded by the British Heart Foundation, the research carried out saw that the new drug, cysteamine, could be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. When a type of fat called LDL cholesterol becomes oxidised and plaques are formed in the artery walls, blood clots are created. These clots block vital arteries and stop blood flow, causing heart attacks. Already known to be safe in humans, cysteamine works by accumulating in the lysosomes and stops the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Professor David Leake, BHFfunded researcher who led the study, said the potential in the drug to protect and save lives “superseded” his expectations. “We hoped it would cause plaques to grow at a slower pace, but we were amazed to find it reversed the process,” he said. “Cysteamine would offer an entirely new way of treating atherosclerosis. “We now want to look at the most efficient way to give this drug to patients, and hope that it can be taken to clinical trials in the next few years.” For more, visit: bhf.org.uk
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Kimel Foundation to open autism training cafe soon EXCLUSIVE By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A NEW cafe training young people with autism will open in Wokingham this autumn.
Created by the Kimel Foundation, the Kimel Cafe will support neurodivergent people in the area to learn new skills for both work and home. Founder Nic Lander said it will be a “super cool cafe” with a twist. With three neurodivergent daughters, he created the Kimel Foundation last year over concerns about the number of people with autism in employment. In 2016, the National Autistic Society found that only 16% of autistic adults are in full-time paid employment. But he said around 70% do want a job. He hopes the Kimel Cafe will be a place young people can learn new skills and grow. It is based in the former Premier Express on Evendons Lane, with room for 15 seats inside. “We don’t need a big space,” Mr Lander said. “First and foremost, we’re here to help people with their social anxiety and increase their skills.” The cafe will serve hot drinks and freshly baked cakes, created by Mr Lander’s oldest daughter. Young people will take on paid frontof-house and barista roles. The team is currently in the process of creating their own house blend of coffee, which they also hope to sell for customers to brew at home. There will be bike racks out the front, and Mr Lander is hoping to attract some of the borough’s cycling groups for weekend refreshments. In the evenings, he wants to open the space up for community groups. “I hope people will support a project like this,” he said. “There has been an incredible amount of interest from young people already.” This, he said, is both good and bad.
INSPIRATTION: Nic Lander and one of his daughters, who helped inspire the Kimel Foundation “It’s great that they’re reaching out to us,” Mr Lander said. “But it shows we’re one of the only projects around doing this.” He hopes to open the cafe in November, although there will not be a song and dance. “One day we will just open our doors,” he said. “We don’t want to cause any more stress for our young people.” He hopes it will operate from 8.30am until 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on the weekends, but this could change later down the line. In the meantime, all efforts are going into setting up the venue. He is welcoming any donated items to set up the cafe, including tables, chairs, fridges, freezers and display cabinets. And in the back of the shop, there will be a private training area for young people.
Forest School celebrates improved Ofsted rating A WINNERSH school is celebrating its latest Ofsted report. The Forest School, on Robin Hood Lane, has been rated good in all areas, following an inspection in July. It comes after a number of years marked as requiring improvement. Headteacher, Shirley Austin, said she is proud of the school’s journey over the past four years since she began leading the institution. “Our families have engaged with my vision and been fantastic,” she said. “Those families deserve this recognition alongside the staff who have worked with me. “I firmly believe that we have been an excellent school for some time; with exceptional teaching and learning options, superb student facilities, and a committed, professional body of staff who engage and challenge students. “I am delighted that Ofsted visited us to validate
what we believed.” The inspectors congratulated staff ambitions for pupils and said lessons are routinely calm and purposeful. “Pupils at The Forest School understand that learning is important,” they said. “They apply themselves to their work, showing great tenacity.” School governor, Cllr Prue Bray, said it was great for the school to be recognised as good. “After a really difficult time during the pandemic, the head, staff, students and governors have really got something to celebrate,” she said. “A lot of hard work has gone into improving the school, and we are determined not to rest on our laurels. “We all want the school to be the best it can possibly be — delivering excellent education for every pupil and making sure they are happy.”
Mr Lander said it will include a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, iron and ironing board. “Behind closed doors, people will be able to learn some life skills for their home,” he explained. “It will teach young neurodivergent people how to look after themselves and survive on their own.” Aware he needs to prove the success of the project, Mr Lander said the Kimel Cafe will use specialised software to track each employees’ outcomes. “Data brings the money in,” he said. “And we want to prove the positive impact we have. It also helps flag up problems too.” Mr Lander said it also helps deliver more tailored support for each individual. “We’re not one size fits all,” he said. n For more information, search for @kimelcafe on Facebook.
Earley school to host hospital fundraiser AN EARLEY school is supporting Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) with an upcoming charity event. Next month, Leighton Park School will host the 2021 Reading Charity Art Fair in a bid to fundraise for RBH’s Staff Wellness Centre. The Fair, which is coordinated by the school, Reading Guild of Artists and the Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of Reading Maiden Erlegh, will include an Art Cafe and Preview Evening. All donations and purchases made on the day will help fund new facilities for NHS staff, including holistic therapies, exercise classes and psychological support. A spokesperson for the Art Fair said: “The wellbeing and welfare of NHS staff is essential to the care of all patients. “To ensure that they get the support they all deserve, a permanent wellbeing centre is being established near to the hospital [and] will be a place for them to rest, relax and access services.” The Art Fair will take place on the weekend of Saturday, October 30, running between 10am and 5pm on Saturday and 10am and 4pm on Sunday. Artwork will also be displayed in the corridors of RBH’s Maternity Block on Tuesday, October 26. Tickets for the Fair cost £10 and can be reserved by emailing readingcharityartfair@ gmail.com
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Family fun at Palmer Park day
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
WOKINGHAM ARTS TRAIL PICTURE SPECIAL Emma Major with her digital art
FAMILIES can enjoy a final summer fling on Sunday, thanks to a festival in Reading’s Palmer Park. Music will come from tribute acts to Little Mix, The Spice Girls, Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa. There will be appearances by Chase from Paw Patrol, and Duggee from Hey Duggee. Other fun includes a circusstyle marquee, a fun fair, and play areas. The Sunshine Family Festival runs from 1pm to 6pm, and tickets cost £15 or £12.50 for children.
n For more details, log on to www. entourageproject.co.uk
Hospital AN ART exhibition featuring prints made using a variety of techniques is now on show at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Prints at the Park group have compiled the Where Were We? show, which is open daily from 8am to 8pm at the Craven Road healthcare venue. Work is available to buy framed and unframed, with prices starting at £25. A portion of each sale will be donated to the hospital’s Voluntary Services fund. The paintings are on show until Saturday, October 30. n For more, log on to: www. printattheparkgroup.co.uk
ARTISTS AT WORK: Claire and Tony Lack, The Mayoress and Mayor of Wokingham, watch as Linda Graves paints in her studio Picture: Steve Smyth
Wokingham Arts Trail enjoys success EXCLUSIVE
By LAURA SCARDARELLA
lscardarella@wokingham.today ARTISTS had a range of “fabulous art” on show at the Wokingham Arts Trail last weekend, organiser Jill Chadwick said.
Describing the event as a positive experience, Ms Chadwick said she received lots of comments from customers and visitors who enjoyed the trail. “It was lovely that the Mayor and SirJohn Redwood MP visited over the weekend and they even made some purchases,” she said. This year, 21 creators unveiled
their work in 12 different venues in and around the borough. Displays were in craft makers’ homes or studios, and others were grouped in halls. Ms Chadwick added that the artists enjoyed welcoming visitors and received good feedback. “One venue was especially successful at engaging visitors, including some disabled people, in trying out some digital art production themselves,” she said. Artist Christine Morgan said it was lovely to see visitors again after so long. “I had lots of good conversations about my work and hope I encouraged them to get creating,” she said. “I really enjoyed getting ready for the trail. I have a lovely garden, so visitors were happy to linger with their coffee and cake.” Ms Chadwick also expressed her excitement for next year’s trail, saying it won’t be long until preparations begin. n For more information, visit: wokinghamartstrail.co.uk
Richard Young with two of his paintings
Christine Morgan with her various artworks
Paul Wooley with his artwork on show at The Wade Centre
...And Sir John enjoyed his visits
GLASS ACT: Sir John Redwood praised Jill Chadwick’s art at Wokingham Methodist Church during the arts trail
SIR John Redwood MP said he enjoyed his visit to the Wokingham Arts Trail on Sunday. He saw a new history mural at Montague Park School, where he talked to Julia Petrova about some of the scenes with characters from British history featured in it. She has so far painted the story up to the death of Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1603, with later centuries still to come. At Wokingham Methodist Church in Rose Street, he met Jill Chadwick, a talented local glass maker. “I was delighted to see so much local artistic talent on Sunday,” Sir John said. “I thanked the organisers of the successful arts trail and wished the artists well with their work and sales. “I was pleased to pick up a couple of early Christmas present purchases of things that are a bit special, because they are individually crafted items. “It was great to see the Montague Park school mural and I hope it will be well studied by the children to help them with images of the past.”
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Rural Pie Co. takes the cake at national awards ceremony
By Charlotte King cking@wokingham.today
A TWYFORD bakery has been making waves across the country after winning five awards in a prestigious competition.
Amy and Philip Smith, coowners of Rural Pie Co., came home with a handful of prizes at last week’s British Pie Awards. The national contest is held to celebrate the best of pie across the nation - and Mrs Smith said the results left her speechless. “We’re absolutely thrilled,” she said. “[The prizes] are not what we expected, especially coming out of the pandemic when the whole world has been through such a rough time. “To walk away with not just something but five awards feels surreal.” At this year’s ceremony, Rural Pie Co. won two bronze awards, two silver and one highly commended. It was also one of the 69 companies to be invited to the awards lunch on Friday, September 17 - an honour reserved for the best pie makers in the country. Mr and Mrs Smith entered a range of dishes this year which are often available in store. These included the Rams Pie which won silver and highly
WINNERS: Amy and Philip were presented with Highly Commended for their Rams Pie Picture: Amy Smith commended in the Sports Pie category, a chicken and chorizo pie which received a bronze award, and its Squiggle Giggle Piggle dish, which was also awarded silver. This is the second time the Rams Pie, created for Rams Rugby Club, has been crowned at the top of its class after being highly commended last year. “People might just think it’s the same pie, so of course
it’ll win again, but we’re really pleased it was awarded this year,” Mrs Smith said. “The judges often look for different pies. For example, this year they wanted something traditional, so to win for two consecutive years shows a wide audience agree its a good pie.” The co-owner said it was difficult deciding which pies to enter, after winning seven awards in 2020’s ceremony.
“It’s quite a process,” she explained. “The judges will consider a lot of things, including pastry consistency and how the gravy oozes out. “After deciding which pies to enter, we then had to drive two and a half hours to deliver them to Melton Mowbray, which was a stressful drive, making sure we didn’t hit speed bumps too harshly and keeping the food to temperature.”
New wastepicking robot
Mrs Smith has since thanked customers for supporting Rural Pie Co. throughout the pandemic so far. “Thanks again to everybody for helping us to get to this point,” she said. “ We couldn’t be here without everybody walking through the door and supporting us. “We’re only still here because of Twyford’s residents and everyone else around us, without whom we wouldn’t have entered the British Pie Awards in the first place.” British Pie Awards aside, Rural Pie Co. has also been making a name for itself up North after a customer took a selection of pies to Skye last week. Ms Smith said: “The customer wanted to take some pies to enjoy during a break. “To see people enjoying our pies in other parts of the country is pretty awesome, and if people enjoy what we do enough to not go on holiday without us is comical, but also brilliant.” Mr and Mrs Smith are back serving pies in Twyford following the awards ceremony. They are also hosting a MacMillan Coffee morning tomorrow. n For more information, visit: www.ruralpieco.co.uk
WASTE management partnership, re3, has installed the country’s first retrofittable AI-powered robotic wasting picking system in Reading. The waste-picking robot, Recycleye Robotics, can identify, pick up and place materials at 55 picks per minute. Members of the board, Cllr Parry Batth, Cllr Dorothy Hayes MBE and Cllr Adele BarnettWard said they are “extremely pleased” to be partnering with Recycleye. FCC Environment’s general manager for re3, Rory Brien, is thrilled to have installed the first AI-powered waste robot in England. He said: “In our commitment to continual improvement and innovation at FCC Environment, we believe that it is important to be forwardthinking and adapt to new technologies, especially when it will help to improve the efficiency of the recycling progress.” Victor Dewulf, CEO of Recycleye said: “The installation of Recycleye Robotics at re3’s Reading facility showcases how such technology can deliver genuine benefits to local authorities and waste management companies across the UK. n For more details visit: recycleye.com
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160mmx8 columns (265mm) Leeds Tykes Home 25th August - Wokingham Paper 16.09.21.indd 1
10/09/2021 11:38:20
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Community safe funding drive POLICE and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, has launched a £100,000 fund to support community groups across the Thames Valley. The aim is to assist voluntary and community groups that help to prevent crime and keep communities safe. Organisations can apply grants under £1,000 or £5,000 for projects that support the PCC’s Police and Criminal Justice Plan. Mr Barber said: “I’m pleased to be launching this year’s Community Fund, offering support to both community and voluntary organisations across Thames Valley to support my policing priorities.” John Campbell, chief constable, said: “Today’s launch offers funding to those voluntary and community groups across the Thames Valley who run projects that contribute to preventing crime, protecting our communities and fighting modern crimes.” “Those organisations who are reducing offending by focusing on prevention and early intervention are a key priority in this round, as well as those organisations who work with the most vulnerable.” The closing date applications is 11.59pm on Sunday, October 3. For more details, visit: thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/getinvolved/community-fund
Charity support THAMES Water has partnered with Berkshire-based organisation, Berkshire Vision, to help more customers with visual impairments. Residents are encouraged to sign up to its priority services register, PSR, which is a database of customers who struggle when their water supply is disrupted. Olivia Worthington, partnerships lead at Thames Water, is proud of the partnership. She said: “Working with Berkshire Vision means we’re able to help more people should they experience an issue with their water supply or require billing information to be communicated in a format tailored to their needs.” Laura Mitchell, Berkshire Vision CEO, said she is pleased to be partnered with Thames Water. She said: “Providing communication services tailored to their needs will help them in their daily lives and it also will help reassure them that Thames Water will support them during a water supply disruption.”
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PERFORMERS TAKE SHREK TO THE STAGE
SHREK THE MUSICAL: Students at Platform YP take on the stage adaptation of the film series. Picture: Simon Drake
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
P
ERFORMERS from a Woosehill theatre group took to the stage last month for a performance of Shrek the Musical.
Platform YP students performed the show at The Whitty Theatre in Wokingham from Monday, August 9, to Friday, August 13. Principal Tracey Eley said the week had guest teachers help prepare the production. “I was just as proud of the teachers as the students, as all teachers were Platform alumni who have gone on to professional training,” she said. “Our past students are all part of the Platform family, and always will be. It was such a privilege to have such a talented team, all of whom I have taught. “I loved working alongside them as adults and it was amazing to see them inspiring the next generation. They were such a wonderful example to our current students.” Vinny Coyle, who is currently in the West End
Cinderella cast, said it was an honour to return to Platform YP. “Having started my journey here as an actor, I am delighted to come back and help nurture the incredible talent they produce year in, year out,” he said. “I owe everything to Tracey, for her guidance I wouldn’t be where I am today without her and my experience at Platform. “Seeing budding young students thrive under the lights, I want to be a part of their journey into the crazy, but incredible world of the Arts industry.” Mr Coyle has previously performed in Les Miserables, Phantom of The Opera and Miss Saigon. Fellow school alumni Lucas Altoft, said that returning was a great opportunity to give back to the group. Currently training at Italia Conti, Mr Altoft said: “It really is a rewarding job to be able to come back and use the training I’ve gotten and am now getting in order to teach the next generation of
Health leader says improvements needed for low performing GPs By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today SOME of our GP surgeries need to see urgent improvements, warned the borough council’s health executive.
Data from the NHS patient survey revealed that Wokingham has some of the worst ,and best, performing surgeries in the country. Cllr Charles Margetts, executive member for health and social care, said the variation is concerning. He is calling on Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to implement an improvement plan to bring those at the bottom back up. Frances Brown, Healthwatch Reading board member, analysed the data from the national survey. The data looked at the ability of patients contact someone at the practice on the phone, at overall experience of making an appointment, and at overall experience of the GP practice. She used surgery “transformations” to compare the borough’s sites with others in the country, and was particularly concerned with those falling into the top and bottom 10% in England. Using data for 2021, Ms Brown found five surgeries in
the bottom 10% of the country. These are Wokingham Medical Centre, Loddon Vale Practice, Twyford Surgery, Woosehill Medical Practice and South Reading and Shinfield Group Medical Practice. However, three surgeries made it into the top 10% in the country. These are Finchampstead Surgery, New Wokingham Road Surgery and Wilderness Road Surgery. Cllr Margetts compared Finchampstead Surgery and Wokingham Medical Centre. The latter has fewer patients per doctor, yet is ranked significantly lower in performance. “They’re both in a similar situation,” Cllr Margetts said. “It shows there is something specific going on … its time the CCG did something about it.” He said the council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee has invited the CCG to a meeting to discuss what surgeries can learn from each other. “There are a wide range of factors at play,” he said. “It’s more to do with operational strength, and how well they’re running their practice.” With surgeries run as different businesses, Cllr Margetts said a universal
approach would not necessarily bring more success. “They tend to bring everyone down to the middle,” he said. “This approach can work, because the top performers prove that. But it needs to be managed and controlled properly. “If it’s not working, the CCG should get involved, and ask if they need any help with IT, staffing or more money. It’s not clear if any of this is happening.” Cllr Margetts said councillors from all parties have regular complaints from residents about Wokingham Medical Centre. “The key complaint raised is how difficult it is to get through and talk to anyone,” he wrote. “However the survey shows that the overall patient experience is poor and is getting worse over time. “The performance of Loddon Vale Practice, Twyford Surgery and Woosehill Surgery is also poor and declining over time. “It’s not me they’re letting down, it’s the residents that live there,” he said. In a letter to the CCG, Cllr Margetts said he is fully aware of the pressure and strain on GP’s at the moment, but is concerned about mixed performance across the borough. He said the borough council
has committed to help GPs with a publicity campaign explaining the 40% increase in demand for services. As part of this, the council is promoting the best NHS services to use for issues varying in severity. He praised the “excellent” work of the top-performing surgeries but called on the CCG to implement a plan for those in the bottom 10%. He wrote: “We have no authority or control over GP’s as they fall under [the CCG’s] remit. “Please can [the CCG] advise how [it] plans to address this level of performance and help these practices raise their standards? “Wokingham Borough Council would welcome a dialogue with the CCG on this issue and would be prepared to assist in any way practical and possible. Our sole wish is an improvement in the service offered to our residents’’ A spokesperson for Berkshire West CCG said: “Our GPs have been under huge pressure throughout the pandemic and we are pleased to see many of them continue to perform very well and offer their patients good quality healthcare. “Despite a 40% increase in demand for GP services, we
have been able to carry out a great deal of work to introduce changes, and to further improve access across all practices.” They said this includes offering more GP appointments and allowing patients to book in-person at the surgery. The spokesperson said the CCG is also piloting a scheme that allows the hospital’s Emergency Department to book patients into GP or pharmacy appointments. A Community Pharmacy Consultation Service has been created, offering an alternative to the GP, they said. And the CCG is exploring the possibility of improving GP telephone systems. They said the group is also taking part in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, with the aim of creating multidisciplinary teams to support people with complex, long term conditions and tackle health inequalities. “We are working very closely with the practices that are under the most pressure, looking at their performance, and how we can support them to provide good levels of service for their patients,” they added. “We are also encouraging people to make the best use of the range of health care services available to them.”
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
NEWS | 17
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CROWTHORNE&FINCHAMPSTEAD NEWS Tasty success for tennis club TENNIS players enjoyed an evening of wine tasting earlier this month. Crowthorne Tennis Club, off Nine Mile Ride, invited members and their families to the event held on Saturday, September 11. This was the second social event organised by the club’s new social secretary, Phil Timm, who hosted the tasting. The first was a tour round Wokingham-based brewery, Bond Brews, off Heathlands Road, held on Wednesday, August 18. The wine was supplied by The Tasting Barn at Holme
Grange Craft Village, and was accompanied by canapés which were provided by the club’s members. Around 15 players and friends were treated to a tasting session of five oldworld wines. Mr Timm said everyone enjoyed a memorable evening of wine tastings and selected food accompaniments. Crowthorne Tennis Club won the Berkshire LTA club of the year in 2020, and now has 130 members. To mark its new clubhouse, Mr Timm is planning an official opening event.
He also hopes to organise a Burns’ supper or barn dance, and other activities over the coming months. Alison Nicholson, ladies captain, said the new clubhouse will be a great asset. “Apart from giving us easy access to toilets, the new building will give us our own space to hold events, such as barbecues, quizzes, and aftermatch teas. “It is already attracting new members.”
n For more information, log on to: crowthornetennisclub.co.uk or search on Facebook
Crowthorne school opens new block A CROWTHORNE school celebrated the opening of its new building earlier this month. Edgbarrow School, on Grant Road, officially launched The Elsey unit after completing its block replacement scheme. The old building was 60-years-old, and set to be removed as tooms in the old block were small and felt unsuitable for education today. The Department for Education funded the scheme from the Priority School Building Programme making more than £7 million available.
Contractors ISG began work in January last year. The building was finished in time for the new academic year. The Elsey block includes 23 replacement classrooms and is an improvement in the learning environment for both staff and students. With parent donations and support for the Edgbarrow PTA, funds were raised to provide new furniture and IT resources for the rooms. And significant improvements were made to the outdoor space, including
more parking and canopies. The building was named after the school’s long-serving former headteacher, Bob Elsey, who launched the project several years ago. It was opened by the mayor of Bracknell Forest, Cllr Ash Merry, and mayoress, Cllr Isabel Mattick. Headteacher Stuart Matthews said: “The school and students are absolutely delighted to have such a wonderful new facility that really will enhance the learning environment at the school.” n edgbarrowschool.co.uk
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Agency celebrates awards success
AWARD: Carol and Adam Blackford-Mills celebrating their business success
By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today
A FINCHAMPSTEAD couple’s search agency was named a winner at an awards ceremony earlier this month.
MRS Digital, run by Carol and Adam Blackford-Mills, brought home the trophy for Search Agency of the Year at the UK Agency Awards 2021. Hosted on Thursday, September 9, the awards ceremony celebrated leading marketing agencies across digital, creative, PR, design, media and advertising sectors. Mr Blackford-Mills, digital sales and marketing director, said he is “incredibly proud” to have won the award for the firm’s continuing achievements. “Our self-funded, family-run agency has grown so much in the past few years, building upon the existing strong foundation from over 20 years in business,” he said. The SEO agency has generated 10 new roles in the past year, as well as looking to create a digital marketing hub in North-East Hampshire. Mr Blackford-Mills reflects
on how far the business has come since it began. “Our self-funded, family-run agency has grown so much in the past few years, building upon the existing strong foundation from over 20 years in business,” he said. “We’re proof that growth doesn’t need to be cut-throat or turbulent, instead maintaining rock-solid company values and adapting to challenges effectively by nurturing talent and client relationships.” The award joins a series of wins for the agency, having received five awards from the UK Biddable Media Awards, National Business
Women’s Awards, Surrey and Hampshire’s Biz Awards, SME National Business Awards and UK Search Awards. Mrs Blackford-Mills said she has “endless pride and admiration” in her team. “They have continued to deliver amazing client wins as the digital sector expands. Our growing team, extensive awards and client list are proof of our passion and knowledge in the digital marketing industry,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the strides we’ll make in the future as our business keeps thriving.”
n For more information, log on to mrs.digital
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
WOODLEY&EARLEYNEWS
Earley group walks around the world
By Jess Warren jwarren@wokingham.today
A GROUP of Earley residents have walked around the world in name of the climate crisis.
The walk started in March as a virtual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but grew into a lap of the globe in order to cover the virtual distance to get home again. Liz Kerry organised the pilgrimage under the social media structure of St Nicolas Church, in Earley. “Having heard about the national Great Big Green Week, we worked out that this was a good thing to aim for and we could get back in time for COP26,” she said. “I realised how far people were prepared to walk each week.” Ms Kerry said the walk took roughly 20 weeks to complete.
During that time, members of Earley Environmental Group and residents of Avalon Road joined as well, making a total of 70 ramblers, aged six to 92. Ms Kerry said that each part of the virtual journey was marked with the effects of climate change. “[There were] heat domes, floods, fires,” she said. “We took a detour to Greenland, and faced the first rain ever to fall on the Highlands.” This, she said, was particularly upsetting, as the country’s climate has warmed, leading to rain instead of snow. “I just started to notice climate change more in each location,” Ms Kerry added. “We became more knowledgeable about each area.” Ms Kerry added: “This walk gives an appropriate message for us all as we face climate
crisis; that we can do the impossible if we work together, but we may have to change what we want.” The walkers are celebrating their global milestone with a display at the Great Big Green Week Fair at St Nicholas on Saturday. They will display six paintings that represent different ecosystems the group virtually walked through, ranging from deserts to cities. It will also include a brief report by Ms Kerry. The fair will run from 2pm to 5pm in the church garden on Sutcliffe Avenue. The theme is reuse, repurpose and recycle, with the event promoting ways to decrease personal carbon emissions. There will also be crafts, cream teas and music from 5Ts Brass Band. LIVE: Woodley Concert Band is back on stage next month. Picture: Woodley Concert Band
2SHQ (YHQWV CONCERT BAND TAKES TO STAGE LIVE MUSIC is coming to Woodley next month, as the town’s concert band returns to the stage. On Saturday, October 9, Woodley Concert Band is hosting Strike Up the Band, its first formal concert since the pandemic. The group will be performing a wide-ranging programme at Woodley Baptist Church, with
tunes from ABBA, Queen and a range of musicals. Owen Lloyd, from the group, said: “We’re hoping that it will be a real celebration of our return to live music-making, as well as for the community to be able to enjoy live entertainment again. “The past 18 months have challenged our members. Music-
making is an important part of their lives, so we’re excited to get back on stage.” Tickets cost £14 for adults, £12 for over 65s, and £5 for under 16s. The show starts at 7.30pm. For more information, or to book, visit: www. woodleyconcertband.org.uk
Foodbank needs donations
Town hunts for young artist
WOODLEY foodbank is urgently appealing for donations. A spokesperson for the town’s covid volunteers said the shelves are empty and the group needs residents generosity “more now than ever”. The foodbank is appealing for coffee, long-life milk, fruit juice and sugar. It is also looking for tinned vegetables, including potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and peas. Also wanted are soups, meat pies, cooking oil and biscuits. Residents can donate items to a drop box from 7am until 11pm. It can be found at 117 Shackleton Way, Woodley.
WOODLEY’S annual Christmas poster competition is now open, with a £30 prize. It is open to all primary pupils under 12. The design must have a Christmas theme, and be created on a portrait white A4 sheet of paper. It can be made in any medium, including digital art. It must include: “The Woodley Christmas Fayre, Sunday 5th December, 10am to 3pm. Carol Concert and Christmas Illuminations, Saturday 27th November, 4.30pm. Both in Woodley Town Centre.” Entries must include the child’s name, age, school, address, a phone number and email on the back of the poster. They should be given to Woodley Town Council offices, The Oakwood Centre, by Friday, October 22.
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Education options Thursday, WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September September 16, 23, 2021 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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To appear in our next feature call 0118 327 2662 At Dolphin, individuality is celebrated, relationships between teacher and child are cherished, curiosity about the world abounds and children are encouraged to discuss, question and explore. Our children wear their own clothes, which exemplifies our wish that they feel comfortable expressing themselves at school,
DEVELOPING CHARACTER: Leighton Park says it wants to help pupils grow in confidence n LEIGHTON PARK SCHOOL LEIGHTON Park is a day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 11-18 in Reading, and winner of the Best Co-educational School 2021, South East England. The UK Government’s latest Sixth Form league tables reveal Leighton Park to be the best performing School in Berkshire and in the top 14 boarding schools in the country. Leighton Park exists to form young people of real character and confidence, with a determined desire to change the world, reflecting the
school’s Quaker values and forward-looking approach. While the School offers a holistic curriculum, it is particularly well-known for its approach to STEAM which combines the analytical skills from Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths with the creativity from the Arts. It won the national Award for Excellence in STEAM Education in 2020. It is also very highly regarded for its strength in Music and Ethical Enterprise. Why not come and see for yourself?
and spend much of their time learning through our expansive and unique trip programme. n READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL AFTER two highly successful virtual open events, Reading Blue Coat is excited to welcome families to the School site once more. Come, explore and get a true
insight into life at Reading Blue Coat with a pupil-led tour and the chance to meet teachers and staff throughout the morning. Headmaster Pete Thomas will also be addressing families throughout the morning and our CCF will be putting on a full battlefield demonstration, so do register your interest online at www.rbcs.org.uk
Awarded Best Co-Ed School South East England
n DOLPHIN SCHOOL DOLPHIN is a modern and forward-thinking independent, coeducational school for ages three to 13 in Berkshire: an exciting and enterprising place in which to learn, grow and be. At the heart of our educational practice is our Freedom to Learn philosophy – the belief that children learn best when they are happy, confident and inspired. This translates into a learning environment where children love coming into school, are enthused by subject specialist teaching from an early age and have the opportunity to learn at their own pace and in their own way.
Annual Open Morning: 9.00am, Sat 25th Sept Sixth Form Open Evening: 6.30pm Tues 12th Oct Weekday Open Mornings: 9.15am, Tues 12th Oct & 9th Nov Taster Days for Year 7 Entry: Thurs 14th Oct & Tues 16th Nov Book online at www.leightonpark.com/visit-leighton-park independent • co-educational • day/boarding • 11-18 years Education & Training Awards
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SONNING, RUSCOMBE, TWYFORD& HURST, NEWS REMENHAM & WARGRAVE
Circus comes to Stanlake Meadow THE CIRCUS is coming to Twyford next week. Ginnett, one of the oldest circuses in the UK, is pitching a big top in Stanlake Meadow for a week of fun and laughter. The line-up includes aerialists, motorbikes, hula hoops, acrobatics, and clowns. The circus promises to have audiences on the edge of their seats from beginning to the end. The group will perform on Wednesday, September 29, at 6.30pm, and again at 5pm and 7pm until Saturday. There is a final show at noon on Sunday, October 3. Proceeds from opening night ticket sales will go to NHS Charities Together. Tickets can be bought in advance, or on the door, if still available.
n For more details, log on to www. ticketsource.co.uk/circus-ginnett
Save lives with Hurst defib event HURST Parish Council is helping residents learn how to save lives. It is hosting a defibrillator training and information evening next month at St Nicholas Primary School. It will use the defibrillator on Tape Lane to teach people how to use the device. The session will run on Tuesday, October 19 from 7pm. n To find out more, contact clerk@hurstpc.org.uk
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
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Hannah joins church as musical director
AT THE ORGAN: Hannah Towndrow has moved from Oxford to Sonning to help make music in the village
Hundreds visit Hurst’s gardening tradition By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today SONNING is alive with the sound of music, thanks to a newly appointed musician.
Hannah Towndrow has joined St Andrew’s Church this month as its new music director — and she’s come all the way from Oxford. She has taken over from Chris Goodwin, after previously holding the same role at the Church of St Mary and St John in Cowley, Oxfordshire. “I [was] really excited to start at St Andrew’s Church,” Ms Towndrow said. “I’ve been there over the past few weeks, practising and getting to know people. “Everybody is extremely welcoming, very friendly and I [could not] wait to meet the choirs properly.” Ms Towndrow said she was
drawn to the Sonning church because of its dedication to music. “It seems to consider choral music as a really important part of its worship and church community,” she explained. “That’s important to me, and it’s evidenced in the fact we’re about to launch a new choral foundation to increase music making in the church.” The new director has a long history playing music, after learning to play the piano when she was seven. She then joined her local church choir at age nine, which influenced her interest in choral music. “I sang with them regularly and it was an important part of my childhood growing up,” she said. Ms Towndrow then began learning the organ at 13, and decided she wanted to dedicate
her life to music when in sixth form. She moved to Oxford University to study music, and while completing her undergraduate studies, was an organ scholar at Hertford College. She said the collaborative nature of music drew her towards the hobby during childhood. “I love the sense of working with others for a common goal,” she said. “I especially like, with singing and directing singers, that the voice is the musical instrument. “It’s very personal, and to see people use their bodies to create music is very intimate.” Ms Towndrow is a choral conducting student at the Royal Academy of Music where she is undertaking a Masters degree. She also teaches private piano lessons.
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“This was particularly impressive considering the short time available to grow show quality flowers, fruits and vegetables,” Mr Attfield said. The winners included Anne Eustace for the best single rose bloom, Eric Rockall for the best scarecrow and Martin Newman who won best Sunday lunch trug class. Mr Attfield thanked everybody who attended for helping to raise money for HHA. “A successful auction of horticultural produce, and sales from the Society’s stall helped add up to a happy afternoon enjoyed by all,” he said. “The Society surprised itself by covering the cost of the show.” This year’s show was organised in just six weeks following the pandemic. It is a tradition dating back to 1902. Next year’s event will take place on Saturday, August 20. n For more information, visit: www.hursthorticulturalshow.org
Wargrave pupils show off their story-writing skills
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MORE THAN 400 people flocked to Hurst Village Hall this summer to celebrate a 100-year-old tradition. On Saturday, August 21, Hurst Horticultural Society (HHA) hosted the 108th annual horticultural show — and organiser Keith Attfield said it was a big success. The outdoor event saw residents enter flowers, fruits, vegetables, crafts, and more into a range of competition categories. Show-goers enjoyed live music from local 12-piece band EMC Jazz, a selection of cream teas, a barbecue and a licensed bar. “The Hurst community, their friends and family came out in force,” Mr Attfield said. “The weather defied a dire forecast, and visitors were rewarded with a warm dry afternoon which even ended with sunshine.” This year, 83 people entered the 130 classes. There were 426 entries in total, including 241 horticultural exhibits.
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WARGRAVE pupils have been getting creative to support their education, with some help from a borough developer. Students at The Piggott School took part in a story contest hosted by McCarthy Stone last month, who donated £250 to the school. The contest asked the children to write stories on a garden theme to honour the landscaping work at its Loddon House development. Pupils from Years 7 to 13 took part in the challenge, and their stories were judged by Malcolm Richards, former Wokingham Borough mayor. Year 8 pupil Eva was awarded first place for her story The Wishing Well and the Garden, about a city-living girl who discovers a beautiful garden.
Sammy, a Year 11 pupil, and Sophie from Year 7, were crowned second and third place. Grace Swanborough, head of English at The Piggott School, said: “The pupils enjoyed the creative challenge, and we were really impressed with the range of interpretations that were submitted across the year groups based on the garden theme. “Congratulations to the deserving winners, and our thanks goes to McCarthy Stone for its generous donation.” Nicki Beswarick, from McCarthy Stone Southern, added: “As a company, we appreciate that our responsibility is not only to build quality, purpose-built retirement properties, but also to create a positive legacy in the communities in which we build.”
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Luxury living for retirees in Berkshire ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
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CCARTHY Stone, the UK’s leading developer and manager of retirement communities, is proud to showcase a new outlook on retirement living with its latest developments, Birch Place in Crowthorne and Loddon House in Twyford. The beautifully-finished, low maintenance and spacious apartments at each development offer all the home comforts you could ever need, with a choice of social and leisure activities right on your doorstep. The two developments in Berkshire offer two exclusive options to suit all stages of retirement. The Loddon House Retirement Living development features spacious and stylish twobedroom apartments exclusively designed for those aged 60 and over, while Birch Place, the Retirement Living Plus development in Crowthorne, has
been designed for retirees aged 70 and over. Situated in close proximity to a number of National Trust walks along the river, Loddon House offers retirees the opportunity to be close to nature, while still enjoying the convenience and amenities of the Twyford village, which has several quaint shops, restaurants, and pubs. Birch Place is situated just over half a mile away from the local
high street, featuring a range of banks, pharmacies, hairdressers and restaurants, as well as a convenient supermarket, to offer the best of rural English life. Loddon House and Birch Place have plenty to offer the most discerning retirees, with stylish fixtures and fittings, including top of the range built-in appliances in every apartment at each development. Beautifully landscaped gardens
are maintained all year round for the enjoyment of McCarthy Stone homeowners and are the setting for many garden parties and social activities during the summer months. At Loddon House and Birch Place, you can live independently and choose your own pace of life, while knowing there’s always someone to share a coffee or a glass of wine with in the homeowners’ lounge or taking
part in the events and activities on offer each week. It is reassuring to know that both developments have a 24-hour emergency call system in place to provide emergency assistance should it ever be needed. At Loddon House, a House Manager is also available during office hours to oversee the day-to-day running of the development, and to help with anything you might need to enjoy
the independence of your new home. At Birch Place, a trained Estate team is on hand to manage the development 24-hours a day, and retirees also have access to flexible domestic care packages which can be tailored to provide varying levels of support. n To take a tour around McCarthy Stone Loddon House or Birch Place, please call 0800 310 0383 or visit www.mccarthyandstone. co.uk/berkshire.
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Last few remaining.
There’s no age limit to living well Set in leafy Caversham, Beechwood Grove offers much more than the average retirement living experience. We believe your golden years should be among your best. That’s why our 1and 2 bedroom assisted living apartments for sale feature premium on-site facilities, including a beauty salon, landscaped gardens and a bistro, where you can enjoy a relaxed dining experience or request meals delivered to your door. Enjoy peace of mind when it comes to bespoke healthcare, which includes round the clock carers and specialists. We want you to know that we’re always here for you, whenever you need us to be.
Join us on the 22nd October for an Afternoon Tea and a tour of our show homes If you’d like to find out more about our community, call Penny at our Sales & Marketing Suite on 0118 321 7964 to book an appointment or visit the virtual tour on our website: beechwoodgrove.co.uk.
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
Beautiful homes ... and Henley on your doorstep ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
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EAUTIFUL new homes, a more relaxed lifestyle and Henley life on your doorstep. What more could you want in your retirement?
Laureate Gardens in Henleyon-Thames is a development of beautiful new apartments and houses designed exclusively for the over 55s. Everything that Henleyon-Thames has to offer is just moments away as Laureate Gardens has an enviable position in the centre of town, however living here feels like an oasis away from the bustle of town life as you’ll enjoy tranquil surroundings and a quiet traffic free location. The majority of the homes at Laureate Gardens sit behind the façades of historic Grade II listed buildings and behind these façades are exquisite new homes which maintain touches of period character alongside contemporary design. The homes offer peace-of-
mind knowing that everything is brand new and worrying about the external maintenance of your home becomes a thing of the past as it’s taken care of for you. You can just spend more time doing the things you enjoy. You can also spend time relaxing in the impressive shared gardens that the homes are situated around, they are the perfect place to enjoy a neighbourly chat with new friends. Whether you are thinking about downsizing to a more manageable home, want to move closer to family, or just like the idea of like-minded neighbours and Henley life, making the move to Laureate Gardens offers you low maintenance living and a more relaxed way of life, all in a wonderful location. There are five show homes to view on-site and the team are available Monday to Saturday to show you around. Viewings can be arranged by contacting Davis Tate on 01491 412345 and you can find more information visiting laureategardens.co.uk.
L i v i ng i n t h e h e a r t o f H e n l ey h a s n e v er b e e n s o r e l a x i ng At Laureate Gardens beautiful new homes and stunning landscaped grounds all add up to low maintenance living and a more relaxed way of life. Everything that Henley has to offer is all just moments away as you live in an enviable position in the centre of town, however living here feels like an oasis away from the bustle of town life. Enjoy becoming part of an exclusive community where life is more peaceful, surrounded by tranquil gardens and attractive landscaping. ❖
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Whether you are looking to downsize and move to a stress-free modern new home, are seeking the sanctuary of a safe and well looked after place to live, or would just like to live closer to loved ones, Laureate Gardens offers you all of this and more.
Prices from £575,000 Come and take a tour and discover if Laureate Gardens could be the perfect move for you or a loved one To find out more and make an appointment to view please call 01491 412345 For couples purchasing only one buyer must be over 55 to qualify
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Honest Motherhood
Wacky racers m roar at go-kar
Angela Garwood
No need to get upset
I
AM sat at my dining room table attempting to recall quite what I’ve been up to the last couple of weeks.
It all goes by in a bit of a blur. Between school runs, baby classes, after school clubs — Maia recently started Brownies, and Stagecoach — and food shopping, I find much of my life is spent in the car, running late for something. The rest of my time is spent doing laundry. I was running so late for school pick-up the other day,that I had to call on my Dad to go and collect Maia from school. (My 77-year-old Father with a bad leg and walking sticks). This never happens. Of course, it wasn’t completely my fault. It was very much Leo’s. In hindsight, the whole day was most definitely leading up to some kind of huge cataclysmic meltdown. In this case, my own. It all began that Friday morning when Leo was particularly resistant to getting back into his car seat after the school run. This happens some days, but generally after a few minutes of standing around, I can distract him with something and in he goes. Not Friday. Each and every time he had to be in the tortuous seat, which from what we can see certainly appears comfy enough, he’d refuse. This manifests as spinning around so he’s facing the other way, stiffening his body/arching his back or just not sitting down. All making it impossible, with my mere two hands, to strap him in. The same went for his pushchair, which I gave up on after it took so long to try and pin him down, I was worried we’d be late for our baby class. So, I carried him there. I carried him there from home. It was only about 10 minutes but I felt like a fool. My son had me wrapped around his little finger. He was very happy, while I got cramp in my neck. I only managed to get him in his chair on the walk home after I loaded him with cheese twists, then let him rummage through my purse. He landed on a Boots Advantage Card, which kept him quiet. I’d woken him up from his morning nap to make that class, so I hoped he’d catch up on sleep during his afternoon nap and the school run would be a breeze. I also knew, with every fibre of my tiredmother being, this would not be the case. Once again I had to wake him for the school run. The bawling began that very moment. This was not a good sign. Wanting to let him sleep for as long as possible, I only gave myself five minutes to get him in the car. Fatal error. Given what had already occurred, I needed 50. The bawling intensified as I tried every trick in the book to get him in his seat. Distraction, pure brute force — at one point I started saying please. “Just force him in,” Joel said over the phone. “WHAT DO YOU THINK I’VE BEEN DOING?” Despite giving it everything I had (while also being mindful of not hurting him), this one-year-old was stronger than me. After speaking to another Mum, I’ve learnt I should have involved my knees. Then it all got a bit ridiculous – I began crying. Why was this so hard? By this point I’d already rung the school, twice, to tell them I’d be late, which always feels like a huge parenting failure. Defeated, I rang the person I always call on in times of struggle. A voice of reason: my Dad. “Well there’s no need to get upset, Angela…” Indeed, no need.
By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today
WHAT THE?: The Batmobile parked in Waitrose Picture: Ian Hydon
Here’s where Batman goes for his supplies
IT’S dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner Batman! Shoppers in a Wokingham foodstore were joined by the Caped Crusader last Friday – at least that’s what it looked like. The Batmobile was parked up in the Rectory Road branch of Waitrose so the superhero could stock up on supplies ahead of the weekend. Reader Ian Hydon snapped the famous car, first seen in the 1960s
TV series starring Adam West as Batman, but there was no sign of either Bruce Wayne or his alter ego. And no one knows where the Batcave is ... has it been built off the new relief roads? Was he fighting crime? Could he be picking up some worms for Robin? Or was our masked hero looking for some reduced bargains? To find out, tune in next week, same Bat time, same Bat channel. Well, maybe not.
Harvest time with Freely Fruity Sunday, September 19 – 158.3kg. Donated to Food4Familes Reading for the Reading Town Meal. This week’s harvest, which is our biggest, included: potatoes, carrots, spring onions, beetroots, radishes, cooking and eating apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, runner beans, french beans, strawberries, raspberries, leeks, marrows, pumpkins, butternut squash, rhubarb and peppers.
This week’s total – 158.3kg 2021 total so far – 1,310.5kg
The best days of our lives can be with grandparents BRITONS are rather fond of nostalgia, according to a new study by Gala Bingo. It has revealed that the country’s favourite ways to spend time with their grandparents — and reminiscing on the past is at the top of the list. Gala Bingo found that nearly two thirds (32%) of the country enjoy nostalgic conversations the most, followed by baking, gardening and playing board games. Dog walking and trips to the beach were also some firm favourites. Andre Radmall, author of the study and a psychotherapist, said that the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is “immensely important”. “Spending time with each other provides innumerable benefits for both,” he says. “Grandchildren can learn from the experience of grandparents, passing on their wisdom through to adulthood, which can be a rewarding and meaningful experience for grandchildren.” Karina Adrian, from Gala Bingo, adds: “It’s really great to see the nation’s appreciation and love we share for our grandparents. “There are so many shared
WOKINGHAM’S very own wacky racers were the stars of the show at this year’s Gravity Grand Prix.
Kevin Brayne and Russ Phillips entered the charity kart race earlier this month with a handbuilt Bulletproof Bomb – and had to carry it over the finish line. The Gravity Grand Prix is an annual fundraiser in Cookham Dean to support Thames Valley Air Ambulance. It sees drivers enter a downhill race, where speed is determined by gravity. Every year, more than 2,000 spectators turn up to watch the competition. Kevin and Russ, who built a vehicle inspired by the popular 60s children’s cartoon Wacky Races, were third time unlucky this year when their kart crashed on their final attempt down the track. “There was time for all competitors to have a third run, and that’s where it all went wrong,” Kevin explains. “Buoyed by two successful runs, we decided to go out in style and have our two pushers jump aboard for a final wave at the crowd. “The extra weight proved too much for our engineering and we crashed into the hedge on the infamous “Widow-makers Bend” – buckling three wheels and destroying the bodywork.” But, he says, all four riders escaped unharmed with a huge cheer from onlookers “In true Cool Runnings style we carried the stricken cart over the finish line,” he adds. “The best moment of the day was then being awarded the inaugural ‘Peter Bartlett Memorial Award’ for the most memorial incident over the weekend.” Kevin and Russ, who both work in IT , say they wanted to enter the Gravity Grand Prix to give themselves a challenge. They built their kart using two BMX
ON YOUR MARKS: The Bulletproof Bomb hark
bikes, 30 metres of steel tube, and a second-hand welder – but say it wasn’t easy. “Realising our welding skills were
Spencers Wood woman quits job to set up pig sanctuary
BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES: It’s good to be with grandparents experiences between a grandparent and their grandchild, with this research reflecting just how much of a positive impact the bonds with our grandparents can have on us as adults. “We hope this research has inspired people to spend some quality time with their grandparents this week and reminisce on good times spent with them.”
A WOMAN’S love for pigs has led her to quit her job to pursue setting up a sanctuary. Susan Player, from Spencers Wood, has ambitions to open her own haven for abandoned swine. With three pigs of her own, Susan is searching for land, and is hopeful that discussions in October will lead to the perfect location. “We’re purchasing land, and there’s lots of preparation to do,” she says. “It takes a lot of time and energy, so I handed in my notice to release more time. “My main criteria is land for the animals, I would live in a caravan if it gave them more space.” Susan says she was touched, when, on leaving the company, her colleagues donated towards her sanctuary. “They know me so well,” she says. “The best gift they could have given me was a donation.
“It brought tears to my eyes.” Susan is still fundraising for her new venture, and hopes a Christmas Fayre she is planning will boost the piggy bank. On Saturday, November 6, she is hosting a festive event at Spencers Wood Village Hall. It will include a variety of stalls, a tombola, raffle and games, all to raise money for the sanctuary. Susan is still looking for stallholders and raffle donations for the November event, and hopes some businesses from the area will help out. Not one to sit still, she and her husband are preparing to rescue a pig from Dorset this weekend. It will involve a four-hour drive to Stoke, where she hopes the animal will be rehomed. “[Rescues] are something we can do while we’re waiting for this land,” she explains.
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Meet Catsy’s superfan
CAT HUNTER: Blake Gresty (6) loves looking for new Catsy pieces. He’s pictured here pretending to swim next to a deep sea diving cat Picture: Sarah Gresty
ked back to the Ant Hill Mob during Wacky Races. It took part in the Gravity Grand Prix questionable, we recruited another friend, Mark, who has been a welder for 30 plus years,” Kevin explains. The duo paid him in beer, for his services to the team. “It was great fun to build, and we made it up as we went along in terms of design,” Kevin adds. It took approximately six months to finish the vehicle. And on their journey to Cookham Dean, the duo were also busy raising money for charity. “We made over £1,200 for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, including one £200 donation from a company we had no connection with at all,” Kevin says.
“We were one of the largest contributors on the day, which was excellent, and it seemed fitting to go with that charity as they might be helping us if we had a crash.” Now, he says they are already looking forward to returning next year. Kevin and Russ are still fundraising for Thames Valley Air Ambulance. n To find out more, visit: www.justgiving. com/fundraising/gravitygrandprix-kevruss n For more information about the Gravity Grand Prix, visit: www. gravitygrandprix.co.uk
PIG PALS: Hippo (left) and Tulip (right) were adopted by Susan Player. Picture: Susan Player
In July, she rescued a three-yearold boar called Harry, who had been abandoned at a sawmill by a farmer. He had been kept alive for the last 18 months by nearby villagers feeding him what they could. With no fresh water or hay, once Susan found out about the situation, she stepped in, and found him a home at Brinsley Animal Rescue, near Nottingham.
With her van already adapted for her own pigs, she volunteered to drive the 740-mile journey to ensure he arrived safely at the site. “Every animal is worth saving if you can, and have the opportunity to,” she says. “And we could.”
n For more information, search for Little Pigs At Home on Facebook. n To register for Susan’s Christmas Fayre, email: littlepigsathome@gmail.com
WOKINGHAM’S much-loved graffiti artist has painted a one-off piece for a young super fan. Catsy, the undercover artist who paints trails of cats across the borough, has created a themed canvas for six-year-old Blake Gresty. Sarah, Blake’s mother, says it all came about after she started sharing pictures of her son posing next to the feline friends. She says Blake loves Catsy’s artwork because Catsy “wants to make people happy”. “Blake loves how the pictures look, and how much effort Catsy puts in,” Sarah explains. “He became a fan during Beat The Street, when a Catsy opposite our house first piqued his attention.” The mystery artist has since created a Harry Potter-themed canvas for the youngster, who is also a “die hard” fan of the boy wizard. “He absolutely loves it and has written Catsy a thank you card,” Sarah adds. “Now I need to get it to him, but I have no idea who the artist is.” Catsy says he was amazed when he found out Blake was such a fan
POETRY CORNER Harvest Gold King Midas, so the legend tells, loved gold. The hard metallic ring of coin, the bars Of weighty metal, he so loved to hoard And hold. He sent his slaves across the world, to mine To barter, trade, or even steal pile upon pile Of gold. If he had looked beyond the walls that held And imprisoned him in dungeons of his greed, He could have seen, at harvest time, field
of his work. “I found it very heartwarming,” the mystery artist says. “I’ve had several similar messages from fans who go out hunting my work, which is always lovely to receive, but this lad has outdone them all. “He really is a super fan.” According to Sarah the artwork has not only been an “inspiration” to Blake, but it has also encouraged him to get outside. “It’s lovely because he also enjoys going out with me now,” she says. “He says that when he grows up he wants to be an artist and draw pictures of turtles.” Looking to the future, Catsy says he has a few projects lined up – but is keeping them a secret. “There have also been a couple of ‘permissioned’ pieces where I have been allowed to [paint] a residential wall,” the artist adds. “This has been really nice, as they were for young fans at the request of the home owners.”
n To stay up-to-date with Catsy’s antics, visit: www.facebook.com/ catsywokingham
Upon field of waving gold: barley and wheat, Rye and corn, in shades of yellowgold, Red-gold and orange-gold, shining sun-gold. He could have feasted on the wholesome gold Of new-baked bread, buttered with yet more gold! He could have known the joy that when the feast Of this fresh gold is gone, consumed, enjoyed, God’s word remains: seed-time and harvest come Again and again, rising with spring and summer Into wondrous autumn gold.
Rosi MorganBarry
We love receiving readers’ poetry. Email your submissions to letters@wokingham.today
XX | VIEWPOINTS 26
WOKINGHAM.TODAY THE VOICE OF THE BOROUGH
Giving everyone hope for the future WE ARE delighted to share news that the Kimel Foundation is looking to open a cafe in Wokingham. This isn’t just a place to go for people to enjoy a chinwag, a cuppa and a pastry. This is something that has the potential to change lives. The Kimel Foundation works with neurodivergent young people, and aims to lift them up with new skills. By opening the cafe, it can offer training for the workplace, and home. For some it will be an important line on their CV, showing potential employees that they can thrive in the world of work. For others, it will help them expand their horizons, gain confidence and learn how to work in a team, follow health and safety guidelines and similar measures. And for customers, it is sure to be a haven, offering a delicious treat that is also socially responsible. It is good to see young people are already declaring an interest. It shows that there is a demand for this support. We wish the Kimel Foundation every success with this venture.
CHURCH NOTES
Benjamin Lay – Who he?
B
ENAJMIN Lay is an “Essex boy”, born in 1682 of a Quaker family, possibly the earliest Abolitionist.
He was just over four feet tall with a hunched back and small, very thin legs. These limitations did not hamper him in any way. He called himself “Little Benjamin. At the age of 21, Ben travelled to London and to the Docklands. He began working on the modern deep sea sailing ships, often climbing aloft to work on the sails. He travelled for the next 10 years, inevitably coming across slave trading. He married Sarah Smith, also a “little person”. Benjamin was never afraid to speak his mind when he saw ‘un-Quakerly’ behaviour. In 1718, the Lays sailed to Barbados and it was here that they came upon the full horror of slavery in the sugar industry. Two years later, they returned to England before sailing to Philadelphia. Friends in Pennsylvania, named after Quaker William Penn, were not ashamed to keep slaves. Deeply shocked at the horror of slavery, Benjamin began to use “guerrilla warfare” in his campaign. In 1738, our hero travelled 30 miles, on foot, subsisting on acorns and peaches, to the huge Quaker Meeting in Philadelphia. He found a spot. Waiting his moment, he flung off his overcoat, revealing a military uniform and a sword. He held a hollow book containing a bladder filled with red poke berry juice. In a loud voice, he declared, “God respects all people, rich and poor, men and women, black and white. Slave keeping is the greatest sin. Thus shall God shed the blood of all slave keepers”. He thrust the sword into the book held above his head; “blood” flowed everywhere. Women fainted and Ben was removed from the room. Nothing daunted Benjamin in his abolitionist career. He travelled all over Philadelphia, always fighting for the slaves. He died in 1759, aged 77. In 1780, finally an Act for the Gradual Abolishment of Slavery was passed. It was not until 1807 that all slave trading was abolished in the British Empire
Paula Seddon from Wokingham Quakers, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
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A tale of two transport stories LAST week’s Wokingham Today page 7 told the story of how residents in Arborfield Green are feeling helpless. New families living in Arborfield Green are forced to drive their children to far away schools, although they bought houses in Arborfield Green knowing the development would have a school there for their children to walk to. One parent, and there may be others, has a child in two different schools meaning very day one of them will be late for school. Why? Wokingham Borough Council decided to move Farley Hill School lock stock and Barrel into the new school which was built to meet the needs of children in the new 3,500 houses in Arborfield Green. All of the children who went to Farley Hill will now have a longer car journey to the new school while the children in Arborfield Green, even those living opposite the gates of the new school, have to drive all over the Borough and beyond to get their children educated. No walking or cycling for anyone. The council is keeping quiet about the old Farley Hill school but I await a planning application for housing in the not too distant future. This is the same council that is building a new school for special needs children on the side of the M4 and refused to allow Air Quality Monitors to be on site to protect the children and staff. One resident who challenged the decision to refuse her child was offered an appeal hearing which came with the following words, “You are entitled to have a friend or advisor with you at the virtual hearing. However, the friend or advisor cannot be a member of the local authority, a member of the admission authority concerned, or a local elected politician. You need to inform us if you wish to have a friend or adviser present and provide us with their e-mail details in order that
I read with interest Councillor Murray’s column on decarbonising travel as a part of addressing the climate emergency. Travel is the area where the Council can influence residents’ carbon dioxide emissions the most, and where this influence can also reap the biggest related benefits in terms of congestion, air quality and health and well-being. We need to be wary of overreliance on electric vehicles. EVs deliver none of the related benefits and their lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions including the cost of manufacture are surprisingly high, pulling ahead of internal combustion powered vehicles only after around 45,000 miles of use. As with all aspects of the climate emergency, reducing demand has the potential to make the greatest contribution, and it is good to see this mentioned. Every part of the Council needs to get behind this, as development and school admissions policies – rather than transport planning - play the largest part. For the local journeys which remain, walking and cycling must play
I
There are two key rules affecting the conduct of economic policy that are in place today that I think should continue. The first is the 2% inflation target
a major role. Our existing, roughly one metre per resident, cycleways, greenways and public rights of way doesn’t particularly feel like something to celebrate. Cllr Murray’s climate emergency plan relies on more than five times the levels of cycling and 2.5 times the level of miles walked by 2030 and expects 40% fewer car miles, yet the
vast majority of Council spend on travel is currently directed towards making it easier to drive, which will have the opposite effect. We have started the decarbonisation journey, but we need to change how we are travelling.
Adrian Betteridge, Wokingham
they can be sent a calendar invite and instructions”. So much for democracy. Moving on to page 23 we see an article from the excellent Cllr Gregor Murray headed The Climate Emergency – Talking Transport. His article picks up on many key points. In Wokingham almost half of those emissions come from cars and taxis and around 30% of our carbon emissions come from moving around. To deliver decarbonis ation, Gregor also recognises that we have to solve for the root causes of our emissions and that means looking at the reasons why residents and goods are moving around our Borough, and then finding solutions. He adds, talking to our local busi ness community, removing short and long-distance car commutes from our
roads will go a long way to cutting car bon emissions. His final paragraph was very telling “There are many benefits of trans port decarbonisation. Improved air quality, reduced noise levels, reduced congestion, and more active lifestyles leading to healthier and longer lives. You can help deliver all these benefits by choosing to walk short distances, cycle where you can and work from home is possible”. How does this square with Wokingham Borough Council approving moving Farley Hill School to Arborfield Green (Garrison). The result is hundreds of extra car journeys every day when there was no need. It’s not just a pollution generating and time consuming to working parents . Let’s not forget the building a
special need school by a polluting and noisy motorway when a Coroner recently stated that air pollution led to the death of a child. What chance climate emergency and the health of our children. It beggars belief that a council that promotes Climate Emergency pulls the rug from under the Councillor working so hard to deliver?
that is meant to guide Bank of England interest rate decisions. It also needs to guide the Treasury as they make decisions on levels of money creation and bond buying with the Bank of England, and as through fiscal policy they have a substantial impact on inflation. The second is the debt interest rule, that the interest charges on government debt should not exceed 6% of revenues. They are under half that at the moment, thanks to very low interest rates and to Quantitative easing.
This is a sensible target to continue, and could be toughened to 5% of revenues. There are two rules over the deficit. The first is it should be brought back to balance on current spending within a three-year horizon. This is a bizarre target, as the government/OBR hits it by forecasting favourable changes three years out which might never take place. The second is capital spending in the public sector should be limited to 3% of GDP. It has been running below this for some years. Capital spending levels should primarily be judged on prospective returns and ability to be self funding over time. Add these two targets together and we return to the Treasury’s much loved Maastricht target of keeping the deficit down to 3%. The OBR/ Treasury are also still wedded to the idea that state debt as a percentage of GDP should be brought down, so
they encourage ministers to impose tax rises and spending cuts to get state debt as a proportion of GDP falling. This reflects the Maastricht requirement to get state debt down to 60% of GDP sometime. It is high time we cancelled the Maastricht austerity targets. The Treasury still reports how we are doing against them as if we were still governed by the EU Treaty that made that necessary. Instead we should have a growth target. Like the Fed the Bank of England should have the twin targets of low inflation and faster growth. A growth target would stimulate more thought and action in government to raise living standards and follow policies that boost UK jobs, incomes and business. A suitable growth target would be to aim to return to 2.5% per annum growth from the more anaemic levels of this century under Maastricht austerity.
Sir John Redwood
READ that the Treasury is getting round to reconsidering their fiscal rules. That is a necessary and urgent task.
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
Beware of electric vehicles
Westminster Diary Looking at the fiscal rules
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
Cllr Gary Cowan, Independent Borough Council for Arborfield at Wokingham Borough Council
An open letter to Sir John Redwood
Dear John, There are only a matter of weeks now until the uplift to Universal Credit is cruelly removed from millions of people by the Chancellor. Although the uplift was designed to
Sir John Redwood is the MP for Wokingham
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
be temporary, the difference it has made has been incredible. There is a huge body of anecdotal evidence to support this. My own local food bank has seen a 75 per cent reduction to the number of single people who require their help since the uplift was introduced. It is little wonder that hundreds of charitable organisations have been campaigning to stop the cut. It is now abundantly clear that the standard allowance of Universal Credit was too low before the pandemic and this moment must be seized to right that wrong. Senior Conservative figures such as the architect of Universal Credit, Sir Ian Duncan Smith MP, agree and have argued that a failure to do so would prevent the Government from delivering on its manifesto commitments. ‘Building back better’ simply isn’t possible with more of the same. ‘Levelling up’ is a meaningless soundbite without meaningful action. Increasingly, we hear from the Government benches that ‘work is the best route out of poverty’ when ministers are challenged over the impending cut. But Universal Credit is not an out-ofwork benefit. As many as 40% of the households which rely on Universal Credit are working households. And over the course of the pandemic, many found themselves jobless for the first time in their adult lives. It was right that Universal Credit was boosted to help them. It would be equally wrong for that extra money to be taken from those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a similar position in future. This is the time for Conservative MPs to decide whether they will stand by hardworking people, or stand by while millions of families face the choice between eating and heating this winter. Yours sincerely,
David Linden MP, SNP Spokesperson for Work and Pensions
Getting to grips with technology I read, with interest, the report entitled, ‘Council to help residents get online’ – in Wokingham Today, September 16. This is an excellent venture – since the online revolution has left many elderly people stranded. Some, like me, don’t know our wi-fi from our WhatsApp.
Recently, one of our elderly members retired. Despite suffering from a mental illness, they had spent a lifetime of hard work on local dustcarts, and other, useful, services. On retirement, he wanted to take on just a little job – for a small amount of extra income – to supplement his pension. He thought that pushing supermarket trolleys might be suitable, but was told that he had to apply online. He did not have personal internet access, but, fortunately, the Wokingham Crisis House has a library providing free internet access, and we always have a savvy volunteer available, who will get the person the information that they need. I make no pretence of being in tune with the modern technological world, where people, now, wear such strange clothes. Beautiful girls wear jeans full of holes and splits; Tramps, if offered them, would turn up their noses. Did they come out of the rag bag? No, they cost a lot of money, and, I am told, even more, if they are bought, ready torn. Such is the generation gap. But I am relieved to read that the Berkshire West Commissioning Group has confirmed that face-to-face consultations are always on offer in appropriate cases, since I maintain that medicine cannot be practised over the phone, and that, even with chronic conditions, an actual examination, is often required, for the doctor to detect illness, properly. Regarding online access, many elderly people, like me, have cataracts in their eyes – restricting the use of computer screens. I have to do a certain amount of computer work for my charity, but not everyone is as fortunate as me, in having a husband who is an information scientist, who was working, online, when most people thought that that was where you hung the washing, and so can fix all the technology for me. Furthermore, for people with cataracts, the NHS Waiting List for treatment is years long, and people are even reluctant to seek private treatment, while the Covid risk persists. However, I am cheered that I possess the odd bit of information that the young do not. Recently, I said to some youngsters, ‘It looks a bit overcast; I must get out my mac’ and sou’wester’. Bewildered, they
The climate emergency Cllr Gregor Murray
How planning can tackle climate change
W
HEN I first became a councillor, I thought that changing our planning guidance to embed sustainable initiatives would be easy. To my great frustration, I was wrong.
Making these necessary changes has proven to be one of the hardest things to do. The reason: the Planning Inspectorate.
Why does the Planning Inspectorate matter?
All planning applications are considered based on the Local Plan and
other planning guidance. Applications rejected by the Council can be heard by the Planning Inspectorate, who can uphold the Council’s decision or overrule us and grant the application.
Why is this relevant to the Climate Emergency?
Our current supplementary planning guidance doesn’t refer to the climate emergency or require environmentallypositive initiatives. As such, we can’t update, clarify, or insist on items like solar panels being included on all new homes.
VIEWPOINTS | 27
To advertise, call 0118 327 2662 asked, ‘What is a sou’wester?’ Answer – ‘It’s a rain hat!’ Then, earlier this week, some of our lights failed. ‘Where was Paddy when the lights went out?’ I asked the youngsters. Bewildered, they replied, ‘We don’t know. Where was he?’ Answer – Where I am in the online revolution – ‘In the dark!’
Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham Crisis House
Let Shamina Begum back in UK I write to support Shamina Begum to come back to UK If the government had evidence (she was still a threat to the country) they would show the whole public without hiding it would anyone in their own mind believe the way their care about peoples human rights. It is getting dangerous with this home office and PM. To strip a girl’s citizenship is a disaster for this country to make terrorists very dangerous. This country needs help how these young girls got in this fix from the start to say no is being wrong and stupid. If she was a white rich or wealthy girl with blue eyes this would never happen to leave her like they have with Shamina. Six years plus I have been her voice campaigning all over this country it is trial by media. For human rights, it is time to forgive.
who are socially responsible to be vaccinated. An infected person with no symptoms will still breathe out the virus. Even a person who has perfect health should be vaccinated. They are unlikely to be very ill with Covid-19 , but the people breathing in any virus which they have breathed out might not be so blessed. This is also why socially responsible people should continue to wear face coverings in enclosed public spaces. Face coverings play a major role in reducing the amount of Covid-19 an infected person breathes out, by trapping droplets of moist, Covid-contaminated air before they can be more widely dispersed.
J C White, former medicinal research scientist
There is no climate emergency
Your correspondent R. Grange is happy to be vaccinated against hepatitis, yellow fever and malaria, and has never been told “you might catch these diseases if an unvaccinated person comes near you”. This is because none of these diseases is transmitted that way. Yellow fever and malaria are caught by a bite from an infected mosquito, and viral hepatitis largely from contaminated food or water, sex with an infected person, and entry of infected blood into the body, such as by sharing syringes. On the other hand, Covid-19 is mainly caught by breathing in the virus from tiny particles breathed out by another person. These infectious virus particles persist in the air even after the infected person hasleft the vicinity. That is why it is essential for people
I write in response to Cllr Gregor Murray’s article ‘Talking Transport’ (Wokingham. Today , September 16). Cllr Murray is encouraging people to cycle or walk rather than use a car. There are some people who, through disability, cannot walk very far or ride a bicycle and need a car for even short distances: even able-bodied people need a car after doing a lot of shopping. The article also mentions provision of electric charging points. The National Grid has had difficulty in distributing enough electricity for our present needs without the burden of electric cars. Only a few days ago, a coal-fired power station had to be used to provide more electricity and I understand that the same power station is due for demolition. We need more than wind and solar power to provide enough electricity for electric cards, which are expensive to produce both in money and energy. Additionally, there will not be enough lithium and other minerals in the world for every present car owner to have an electric car. There is also the matter of paying at the public charging points. Instructions start with Download the App. This excludes people like me who do not have the relevant sort of mobile phone. Even if I did, I would not use it to pay for anything. The whole response to climate change (it is not an emergency) has not
Why not?
What have we done so far?
Our last Local Plan was adopted in 2010 when sustainable technology and climate awareness were nowhere near where they are today. To embed climate initiatives into our planning requirements, we must first update our Local Plan and supplementary planning guidance, which is going out to consultation this year.
We have consulted with the Active Building Centre, an independent organisation who specialise in finding innovative solutions to building industry problems. They have created a fantastic list of recommendations for what could be included in future supplementary planning guidance. We’ve undertaken a review of other councils’ planning guidance and used it to help educate our own drafting, as well as our own house building plans. As home builders ourselves, the Council is setting standards in new home developments, and leading other developers by example with the new buildings at Gorrick Square and Toutley. We’ve constructed the carbon neutral Dinton Pastures Activity Centre as an example of how non-residential development can also deliver climate benefit rather than negative impact. We’re installing solar panels on the roofs of our schools, and Hillside Primary will soon become our blueprint school for creating positive impact on climate. We’ve also announced plans for our first solar farm in Barkham. In Riseley, we’re currently testing our first social housing full retrofit, which has
Victor Rones, Justice & Rights campaigner, Bracknell
Vaccination debate
Why can’t we just insist on these things now? Developers don’t want the cost of adding solar panels to properties, even though it adds to the property value. If we ‘insist’ on them adding solar panels, etc. to all new homes, and reject applications without them, then it’s likely the developer would appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. We would probably lose (at significant cost) because these things weren’t in our planning documents. It would also set a precedent, and the Council’s ability to mandate such requirements in future would effectively be written off. Only the Government can change this. The Council must work through the Local Plan process to deliver the best, carbon-neutral new house building for our residents in the future.
been thought through properly by the Government. The measures proposed to achieve net zero carbon will come to nothing because this country only produces around one per cent of worldwide carbon dioxide, which would not make any difference globally.
Anne Kingston, Wokingham
Support for dementia sufferers TUESDAY, September 21 was World Alzheimer’s Day, dedicated to creating awareness of a disease that is the most prevalent form of dementia in the UK. For the 850,000 people living with Alzheimer’s in this country, it can effect memory and impair daily function and is often regarded as a family disease due to the impact it has on those closest to the person. I wanted to take the opportunity to share with your readers a little more about the charity I work for, Revitalise, based in Chigwell, Essex, who provide specialist respite care breaks for people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as their families and carers. One of our guests is Alison, wife to Nigel, who has Cortico Basal Syndrome, a rare form of dementia. Adjusting to life as Nigel’s carer as well as his wife was very difficult for Alison, as she is totally accountable for Nigel, along with the house, finances and all other responsibilities. She had not had a break from her caring duties for five years, until she discovered Revitalise. Revitalise breaks are a lifeline from the unrelenting pressures faced by carers, with purpose-built centres and expert care support. But they are also a great source of fun, with weekly live entertainment, daily activities, high quality hospitality and local excursions. Revitalise have just opened holiday bookings for 2022 which include exclusive Early Bird discounts, giving guests huge savings if they book early. The aim is to create a supportive but stimulating environment where carers and their loved ones can enjoy a quality break. For more details, call 0303 303 0145, email bookings@revitalise.org.uk or visit revitalise.org.uk/early-bird
Devon Prosser, Revitalise www.revitalise.org.uk cut the monthly fuel bill to just £12 per month. This home will act as a blueprint on what can be done when retrofitting existing properties, particularly social homes. We’ve launched the Help to Heat scheme which has so far installed cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, free of charge, into over 700 of the least fuel-efficient homes across Wokingham Borough. We’re also lobbying Parliament for changes in planning rules. This would put more control back into the hands of local authorities when it comes to initiatives like climate emergency and adapting supplementary planning guidance. If you have any suggestions for items of supplementary planning guidance that you would like to see included, then please email and let me know. Similarly, if you have any other ideas for initiatives that you would like to see the Council implementing to fight climate change, then I would love to hear from you.
Cllr Gregor Murray is executive member for resident services, communications and emissions on Wokingham Borough Council
28 | NEWS
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INTHECOMMUNITY
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
News from your clubs, groups and societies. Email your news to: news@wokingham.today
The history of Wargrave Hall IN September, the Wargrave Local History Society resumed its programme of meetings with The Hidden History of Wargrave Hall. Terry Grourk revealed the results of his research into the house in a presentation made using Zoom. Wargrave Hall is situated opposite Wargrave Hill, next to the house Barrymore, with lawns down to the water’s edge, offering magnificent views of the River Thames. The house was built about 1770, for John Matthews of Binfield. Little is known about him, except that he had three children, Sarah, Mary and Richard. The girls both married professional men – Sarah in 1771 to Joseph Hill, a wealthy solicitor, whilst Mary’s wedding to the Revd John Tickell took place in 1773. The Revd Tickell became the tutor to Lord Barrymore, before the latter went to Eton. When Richard Barrymore returned to Wargrave in 1787, he lived at the house next door – a notorious character, a bare-chested pugilist known as ‘Hellgate’, who also established a theatre in the village that was patronised by high society. As a spendthrift, however, he was in serious debt when he died prematurely at the age of 23. John Matthews died in 1778, and the house then passed down through the family to his granddaughter, Sarah, (who lived at Binfield and rented Wargrave Hall to Revd Albert Mangles) and then to Sarah’s sister. It was then sold in 1849 to Ebenezer FullerMaitland. Several generations of the family then owned it, sometimes letting it to tenants rather than living there. By 1906 when the property was sold again, several other pieces of land had been added to the grounds, and the house itself extended. The purchaser was Edward Goulding, a lawyer and MP. He used it as a place where influential people, including leading members of the Government could meet. Home Rule for Ireland was a major topic at that time, as was the threat of war with Germany. A meeting at Wargrave Hall in 1914 secured agreement from the Ulster Unionists that they would not fight the Nationalists (who had been supplied with guns by the Germans) if war was declared – a similar agreement having been made elsewhere with the Republicans that they would support the British. Having secured the agreement at Wargrave, war was declared on Germany within 24 hours. After the war, another meeting at Wargrave Hall further considered Home Rule, and led to agreement to establish an Irish Free State. The Wargrave Hall visitor’s book includes Winston Churchill, Andrew Bonar Law (shortly before he became Prime Minister), Lords Birkenhead and Beaverbrook, among others. Edward Goulding subsequently became Lord Wargrave, but sold the house in 1926 to a Mrs Felton-Peel, and after she died in 1930, the property remained empty until sold in 1933 to Major Fryer. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Morris Dancing, and both the ballroom and the extensive lawns were used for displays. During the Second World War, the house was used to billet US Air Force officers, so Major Fryer had to move out for a while. The house was rather large for him – even though the Victorian wing was occupied by the servant family then, so he occupied the ground floor, and the upper floors were made into two apartments. After Major Fryer died, the house was sold again, to Mrs Coveney, and the property further divided to make five apartments, which are managed by Wargrave Hall Ltd – set up by the residents in June 1964 – which is how it is now. Terry plans to make the results of his research available as a booklet, containing more details than can be included here, hopefully later this year. n The Society’s planned programme is at www. wargravehistory.org.uk/ - where the latest information can be found, or email info@ wargravehistory.org.uk to confirm meeting details.
PETER DELANEY
JIM BELL’S NEW BOOK
Chronicle of the past
T
HE Wokingham Society is pleased to announce the publication of the book Wokingham A Chronology of the 19th and 20th Centuries written by Jim Bell, a local historian and author of many booklets on Wokingham’s history.
It complements the earlier Wokingham A Chronology, which has long been out of print and, by concentrating on a shorter period, it paints a varied picture of Wokingham from the beginning of the 19th century up until the end of the 20th century. This has meant that local events can, where appropriate, be put into a wider national or international context. In addition, greater length has also allowed particular brief reports in the earlier Chronology to be fleshed out in greater detail. The coincidence of the starting point in the early 1800s with the development of photography has allowed the use of pictures to illustrate the items included so that we can not only read about
Vital funding for Dingley’s Promise COMIC Relief has announced a brand-new £9.1 million programme to support new initiatives that will deliver vital long-term support to thousands of vulnerable people across the UK during the Covid-19 recovery. One of the successful recipients is Dingley’s Promise in Berkshire. The charity will use an investment of £545,789 to design and deliver 10 training courses to help early years practitioners be more inclusive of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and to
individual lives and activities but see them as they were at the time. Examples of the day-to-day happenings will bring back memories for people who have lived in Wokingham for many years. For relative newcomers to the town it will give a taste of what Wokingham was like before they came. Jim Bell, the author, said ‘I was convinced that there was a lot of 19th century Wokingham history still to be discovered and I have been delighted at how much new information has come to light’. Copies of the book (ISBN 978-1-871514-04-9) are on sale for £5 at the following locations: The Town Hall Information Centre, Market Place, Wokingham, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 10am to 2pm Wokingham Library, Denmark Street, Wokingham Or it may be ordered from the author by emailing jim4history@gmail.com .
facilitate the development of early years inclusion strategies in 30 local authorities. All of this will take place with a focus on parental input, on building the voice of the child, and on wider influencing of sector leaders and government. Children with SEND and children in the early years are among the most affected by the pandemic, and so this project will directly contribute to opening more spaces for them in the early years at a time that they have never needed early intervention more. Catherine McLeod MBE, Chief Executive of Dingley’s Promise, said: “We are over the moon about being able to deliver this project. We are committed to transforming the early years for
children with SEND, and want to change the fact that currently only 19% of local authorities have enough spaces for children with SEND in the early years. This project will build a movement for greater inclusion.” The Change Makers programme is launching 20 new initiatives involving 45 organisations, spanning all four nations of the UK, over the next five years. They will tackle serious issues that have seen increased demand for help throughout the pandemic including homelessness, domestic abuse and mental health. For more information on Comic Relief funding opportunities visit www.comicrelief.com/funding
‘A reyt good time!’ for Yorkshire Day A BRACKNELL care home celebrated a northern England county with lashings of ginger beer and plenty of tea … Yorkshire tea. To mark Yorkshire Day on Sunday, August 1, residents at Bickerton House enjoyed a series of fun events activities such as a quiz on Yorkshire slang. Their afternoon tea feature parkin cake and cupcake with Yorkshire terrier toppers. Bickerton’s King and Queen of Yorkshire, residents Diane and Francis, were delighted to explore
the history of their birth county and celebrate its contributions to British society. Diane, who was born in Hull, said: “Yorkshire has always been nice, people enjoy living there”. Fellow resident Francis, who has fond memories of walking in the countryside with his friends during his childhood, said: “Yorkshire has a community spirit like no other county. The people are different in Yorkshire; everyone is much closer to each other even if they don’t know one other. It is very friendly.”
The event was judged to be a hit. Erika Smith, Home Manager at Bickerton House, said: “With two Yorkshire residents here at Bickerton House, we knew we couldn’t let Yorkshire Day pass without celebrating the occasion. This was a fantastic opportunity to hear about Diane and Francis’s childhood and their time spent in Yorkshire, and a chance for all residents to learn more about Yorkshire’s history and explore its famous creations that are still enjoyed today.
Thursday, September 9, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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No. 5380
Your weekly puzzle challenge
30 | LEISURE
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Quiz Challenge
CROSS CODE
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2. In the 2021 Wimbledon singles final, Karolina Pliskova lost to which player?
7. The papyrus reed boats Ra 1 and Ra 2 were captained by which explorer?
3. The Lady Vanishes was an early film from which director?
8. Which European country was once the colonial power in Angola?
NONAGRAM
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6. What is the literal meaning of the word ‘amen’?
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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
TAKE ALARM BOOKLET
P R
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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: 23 Good; 28 Very Good; 32 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.
LO
MI
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BP
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Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box.
5 1 7 2 2 5 9 7 4 2 6 8 3 3 5 2 8 4 7 8 9 8 2 8 5 2 9 9 2 3 1
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To try our new puzzle, Zygolex, go to www.zygolex.com © Sirius Media Services Ltd
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WORD PYRAMID: Hackneyed phrase. EQUALISER: Clockwise from top left – multiply; divide; add; subtract. Total: 12.
SOLUTIONS
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QUICK CROSSWORD 1
This puzzle page is supplied by Sirius Media Services Ltd.
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DOWN 2. Continue longer when tenth wicket falls (7) 3. Sailor pointedly gives the weight of an empty 9. It turns back and forth (5) vessel (4) 10. View most of a team at the 4. A coin’s tossed where holiday resort (7) gambling takes place (6) 11. Endlessly leave other 5. Depart before Edward has meat (4) made the dough rise (8) 6. Sounds like a piano I select 12. The investor’s hobby? (8) in part (5) 14. Showing one’s years in 7. Solemn Australian s amorous activity (6) exton (5-6) 15. Goods discarded from 8. Being so emotional it drove aircraft by morning (6) one mad (11) 18. Stare unendingly, arranging 13. Chronicler sounds like a a chop and cold soup (8) psychiatrist (8) 16. Japanese warrior takes 20. The last word in the New drink up in Asia perhaps (7) Testament (4) 17. Even without George he is 22. Schoolboy, note, in a rough still a complainer (6) form (7) 19. A piece of small worth in 23. About time (5) Poland (5) 24. Excursion into the unknown 21. Freeman from Glasgow for the tourist (7,4) perhaps (4)
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.
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ACROSS 1. Get in touch with a piece of glass – sight better as a result (7,4)
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.
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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.
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SUDOKU Easy
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10. Which kitchen appliance did Tony Hawks transport around Ireland after a wager, resulting in a TV series and a book?
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 C through openings in the walls. The S first letter may appear in any chamber. E A
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WORD PYRAMID
E D S
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CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 1
9. Conchology is the scientific study of what?
5. In the novel by Alexandre Dumas, what was the motto of The Three Musketeers?
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1. How many strings does a standard violin have?
4. What H is the informal term for a parent who is overly involved in their child’s education and a type of aircraft?
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
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ACROSS 1. Mollusc (9) 6. Male sheep (3) 8. Viral disease (7) 9. Keyboard instrument (5) 10. Hypocritical talk (4) 11. Edgar Allan ---, author (3) 13. Thaw (4) 14. Forward (arch.) (5) 16. Ornamental tuft (6) 18. Rope (6) 19. Pixies (5)
21. Yemeni port (4) 22. Man’s title (3) 23. Without hair (4) 27. Torrent (5) 28. Discolour (7) 30. Unhappy (3) 31. Lasting (9) DOWN 1. Precious stone (3) 2. European country (5) 3. Small loaf (4) 4. Clergyman (6) 5. Room access (4) 6. Relapse (7)
7. Supervised (9) 10. Purging of emotion (9) 11. Ballots (5) 12. Anaesthetic (5) 14. Professional charge (3) 15. Possesses (3) 17. Flight attendant (7) 20. ------ Hugo, French author (6) 24. Endure (5) 25. Assist (4) 26. Region (4) 29. Strike (3)
QUICK CROSSWORD: Across – 1 Gastropod; 6 Ram; 8 Measles; 9 Organ; 10 Cant; 11 Poe; 13 Melt; 14 Forth; 16 Tassel; 18 Hawser; 19 Elves; 21 Aden; 22 Sir; 23 Bald; 27 Spate; 28 Tarnish; 30 Sad; 31 Permanent. Down – 1 Gem; 2 Spain; 3 Roll; 4 Pastor; 5 Door; 6 Regress; 7 Monitored; 10 Catharsis; 11 Polls; 12 Ether; 14 Fee; 15 Has; 17 Steward; 20 Victor; 24 Abide; 25 Help; 26 Area; 29 Hit.
QUIZ CHALLENGE: 1 Four; 2 Ashleigh Barty; 3 Alfred Hitchcock; 4 Helicopter; 5 All for one and one for all; 6 Certainly; 7 Thor Heyerdahl; 8 FIVE ALIVE: Portugal; 9 Mollusc shells; 10 Refrigerator. (1) Across – Oomph; Incur; Aisle. Down – Ouija; Mucus; Horde. CRYPTIC CROSSWORD: CROSS CODE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Across – 1 Contact lens; 9 Rotor; 10 Seaside; 11 Veal; 12 (2) Across – Alibi; Awake; Steel. E M I S L U K J G N D Z Y Interest; 14 Dating; 15 Jetsam; 18 Gazpacho; 20 Amen; 22 Down – Amass; Irate; Ideal. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Etonian; 23 Circa; 24 Mystery trip. C H B R X V T A P Q W O F Down – 2 Outlast; 3 Tare; 4 Casino; 5 Leavened; 6 Noise; 7 NONAGRAM: deep; depress; drupe; dupe; duper; Grave-digger; 8 Sentimental; 13 Annalist; 16 Samurai; 17 Whiner; neep; peed; peen; peer; père; peruse; MAGIC SQUARE: EASY SUDOKU HARD SUDOKU 19 Zloty; 21 Scot. blot; lake; okra; perused; preen; press; pressed; team. prude; prune; pruned; pseud; pure; purée; puréed; pureness; purse; pursed; puss; rupee; seep; sped; speed; spend; spender; spree; spreed; sprue; spud; spue; spun; spur; spurn; spurned; super; suspend; SUSPENDER; unpressed; upend.
WOKINGHAMLEISURE Dolly’s mixture
COUNTRY music will be hitting the Camberley Theatre stage for one night only this Friday. Dolly Parton tribute act Sarah Jayne and vocal impersonator Andy Crust, will be taking audiences back in time to visit some country music icons. The show features Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Billie Jo Spears, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Garth Brooks, John Denver, Glen Campbell and Shania Twain. The performance is at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £23. n For more information, call the box office on 01276 707600, or log on to: camberleytheatre.co.uk
Iain warms up BAFTA-WINNING comedian Iain Stirling is making his way to South Street Arts Centre for his tour warm up show today. Best known for his voice-over gags on ITV2’s Love Island, Iain also took the role of host for comedy show CelebAbility and appeared on Taskmaster. This show will be a warm up for his upcoming tour, so expect Iain to have a note pad on stage. Suitable for aged 14 and over, tickets cost £12 and the performance starts at 8pm. n For more details, or to book, call the box office on 0118 960 6060, or log on to: whatsonreading.com
LEISURE | 31
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Stephen is positive things are looking up
Comedian Stephen K Amos is preparing to return to Reading’s South Street Arts Centre, bringing with him a show he prepared two years ago ... until covid changed that. LAURA SCARDARELLA finds out more
S
TAND-UP comedian Stephen K Amos is taking to the mic in Reading as part of his upcoming tour.
Two years later than planned, Stephen will finally get the chance to show audiences his brand-new show, Before And Laughter. In 2010, the world was in a sorry state, but fast-forward 11 years and everything’s still going downhill. Stephen has had his own share of highs and lows, and when the world gives him lemons, he adds gin, tonic, ice and a healthy dose of humour. The BAFTA-nominated and RTS award winning writer, broadcaster, actor and comedian has had sold-out tours for over 10 years, including many memorable
visits to The Hexagon. After just finishing an acting role in My Night With Reg at The Turbine Theatre, London, Stephen says there is a “real hunger” for live entertainment again. “I’m really looking forward to hearing the laughter and joy in the audience again,” he adds. “Although I’ve done a few gigs in lockdown outdoors, I couldn’t hear the audience’s response, so it’s definitely going to be good to get back up on that stage. I’m just eager to get out there and see everyone.” He adds that his show is all about positivity and coming back from a difficult 18 months. “We’ve all suffered throughout lockdown but there is still joy,
LEAP FOR JOY: Stephen K Amos performs at South Street Arts Centre this November
fun and so many laughs to be had, which is what the show is all about,” he says. “It’s a privilege to be able to travel and make everyone laugh along the way, and I’m so grateful for that.” Stephen has appeared on a number of TV and radio shows including Have I Got News For You, The Royal Variety Performance, Prejudice and Pride and Pilgrimage: The Road to Rome. His acting career has spanned across stage and screen, including roles in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest at The Gielgud Theatre, EastEnders and BBC’s Tinga Tinga Tales. But for now, he’s ready to return to Reading and enjoy two nights at South Street. Tickets are already on sale – yes, you can definitely agree with Stephen... things are looking up. n Performances take place on Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13 at 8pm. Suitable for aged 16 and over, tickets cost £20 for adults and £18 for South Street and Reading Arts Gold members. n For more information, or to book, call the box office on 0118 960 6060, or log on to: whatsonreading.com
32 | LEISURE
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
HENLEY FESTIVAL 2021
A dancer on stage during Sara Cox’s DJ set on The Floating Stage with Just Can’t Get Enough of the 80s
Sara Cox encourages the crowd Sara Cox DJs
Al Murray in action
De Fuego in The Bedouin
Many happy returns...
M
ADNESS, Sophie EllisBextor and Sara Cox were among those who entertained thousands at last week’s Henley Festival. The event, which took place from September 15 to 19, saw visitors enjoy five whole days of live music, food and drink. Everyone who attended came dressed up for the occasion in their best attire as they explored the grounds of the festival, including galleries, stages and food stalls. Crowds flooded in to watch performances from Kathy Sledge, from Sister Sledge, the English National Orchestra, James Blunt and comedian Al Murray.
And world and folk music lovers listened to songs by Paprika, Max Pashm, and more, in the Bedouin Tent. Visitors also took a trip to the Spiegel Tent to watch three-part harmony group The Boneshaker Band, and Moscow Drug Club. Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett MBE tickled taste buds as she created a special menu at the Riverside Restaurant. On Sunday, families were treated to the globe-trotting theatre troupe Creature Feature, a magical adventure under the sea with Groove Baby, and comedy-duo Mad Etiquette. A banging display of fireworks ended each night on a high note. n For more details, visit: henleyfestival.co.uk
Disco Classical featuring Kathy Sledge on The Floating Stage
All things weird and wonderful goes on at Henley Mermaids put their feet up in the sunshine
Disco Classical on the floating stage
Popular singer James Blunt A champagne moment amid the late summer sunshine
Henley is a place for groups to have fun
BB Kean in The Jazz Club
Caper & Berry; Beetroot Shortbread whipped goats curd with toasted walnut canape
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
LEISURE | 33
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Pictures by DIJANA CAPAN
Shaparak Khorsandi at The Salon Comedy Club
Sophie Ellis-Bextor on The Floating Stage
Sara Cox walking to the floating stage for her 80s set
Putting yourself in the picture, Henley style
34 | LEISURE
Splashing good exhibition A PHOTOGRAPHY exhibition in Reading focuses on the use of colour. A Splash Of Colour explores how photographers can make the most of shape, space, line, form and texture to create stunning images. The Photographic Angle is running the show, which is open from 10am to 3pm daily until Sunday. It is on show in Abbey Gardens off Kings Road, and entry is free. Under 18s should be accompanied by an adult. n For more details, call 0800 028 7338 or log on to www. thephotographicangle.co.uk/ exhibitions
Back in the ring
WRESTLERS will be battling it out against each other at The Hexagon this Sunday. All Star Superslam Wrestling will host its new tag team champions event. Having hosted the sport for over 50 years, the knockout will bring new belts for the newly crowned winners of the match. This non-stop action event will have audiences cheering all night long. Adult tickets cost £15 and £11 for under 16’s. n For more details, or to book, call the box office on 0118 9606060, or log on to: whatsonreading.com
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
Naughty, but nice: US-UK humour... No Naughty Bits Shinfield Players Until Saturday shinfieldplayers.org.uk
T
HE CREATORS of Monty Python are frustrated to see their script has been tampered with, but will they be able to save it and restore the naughty bits?
Steve Thompson’s play, No Naughty Bits, follows Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam in 1975 on their journey to question the US network ABC and its reasoning for editing their work. Amateur dramatics society Shinfield Players have taken on the challenge of executing this play well. The farce explores comedy, censorship and hinted at misunderstanding in the AngloAmerican relationship. The first half of the show sees a reluctant Michael Palin (Adam Wells), and a more explosive Terry Gilliam (Neil Padgen), be convinced by US publicist Nancy Lewis-Jones (Debora Rochfort) to visit broadcaster ABC to get them to put their naughty scenes back in the script. Leading to an uproar of disagreements, the network’s answer to the pair’s interrogation seems to be: money.
NOT DEAD, JUST RESTING: The Shinfield Players cast in action in No Naughty Bits Somehow, the comedy twosome find themselves in a court case about freedom or expression and protection of artistic integrity. Michael Huxtable, playing the role of Judge Morris Lasker, does a sterling job of controlling the courtroom in a laid back manner. Thompson shows that it is Palin who makes the best case by admitting that the fourth series, without John Cleese, was a stinker. Director Matthew Chishick’s production gathers momentum in exactly the same way as Thompson’s play. And each actor brings a great sense of energy to the stage, particularly Caroline White in
her role as ABC’s employee, Lee Franklin. Credit also goes to Neil Padgen for his portrayal of Gilliam’s volatile behaviour, which complements Adam Well’s more apprehensive approach to the situation. Overall, No Naughty Bits is an entertaining watch with so many elements of fun and laughter. Adults tickets cost £12, concessions are £11 and it’s £6 for children. Performances run from until Saturday, September 25. n For more information, or to book, log on to: shinfieldplayers. org.uk
LAURA SCARDARELLA
HIDDEN FEATURE: Progress Theatre in rehearsals for Secret Life of Humans
A ROOM WITH A CUE PROGRESS Theatre is welcoming back audiences for its first show of the autumn. Set in 1949, The Secret Life of Humans follows scientist and mathematician Dr Jacob Bronowski who installs a hidden, locked room in his house. And 50 years later, his grandchild Jamie discovers the secrets contained in that room, unearthing echoes from across six million years of human history. Alongside research scientist Ava, Jamie uncovers revelations from the past, and as dawn approaches both are left
wondering, do we really know where we came from? Evening performances start at 7.45pm and Saturday matinee begins at 2.30pm. Socially distanced performances take place on Tuesday, October 12 and Saturday matinee on October 16. And Progress Theatre is hosting a Come As You Are Night on Wednesday, October 13. Standard tickets cost £12 and concessions are £10. n For more details, or to book, log on to progresstheatre.co.uk
LAURA SCARDARELLA
Concert will help food bank A concert by a talented choir and musicians will raise money for Woodley Food Bank, where demand for food help is at an all time high. The Music for a Late-Summer’s Evening concert this Saturday at 7pm is at St Nicholas Church, Hurst. Proceeds will help repairs to its organ. The programmes includes a wide range of music, from 16th century composer William Byrd to the Beatles. Other composers include Tallis, Bach, Parry, Howells, Rutter, Rogers and Hammerstein — and Abba. St Nicholas organist Chris Bond is bringing the Te Decet
Hymnus (Latin for ‘You are praised’) singers, to the church for their first-ever fundraising concert. Accompanying the choir on the organ and piano will be former Twyford resident Tom Lowe, who went to St Nicholas Primary School at Hurst. He will also perform two organ solos, one by Bach and one by Whitlock, and sing bass in the unaccompanied songs. Associate priest at Hurst, Twyford and Ruscombe, the Revd Graham Theobald said: “We’re very privileged to have such talented musicians coming to St Nicholas.
“It will be a wonderful evening. It’s great to welcome Tom back for the concert. “We support the Food Bank regularly. Their food is much needed at the moment.” The organ will give high quality sound for the concert but needs restoring and improving, at a cost of several thousand pounds, said Mr Bond. Concert tickets at £12, with under 16s free, can be bought by visiting www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/166142132591 and also on the door. There are interval refreshments.
SUE CORCORAN
APO prepres for exciting return
READING’S Aldworth Philharmonic (APO) will pass the stage to professional freelance musicians at The Hexagon this Saturday. In April last year, APO launched a crowdfunding campaign to support freelancers who normally come in to boost the ranks in a non-professional concert. Having raised over £15,000, the money enables musicians to be paid an advance for a concert taking place in the future. Originally booked for July, the concert was moved to the end of September due to the pandemic. APO has also been shortlisted for the Inspiration category of
the Royal Philharmonic Society awards. Andrew Taylor, APO’s music director, said: “When we launched the crowdfunder, we naively thought that we would be able to schedule the concert in weeks or months.” “Of course, the realities of the pandemic have meant that we’ve had to wait a lot longer, and now
everyone is so looking forward to hearing the amazing sound of a large symphony orchestra again, with a brilliant programme partly selected by some of the crowdfunder backers.” The programme features music by Jessie Montgomery and Max Charles Davies, alongside orchestral favourites by Dvorak, Faure, Delius and Beethoven. Starting at 5pm, tickets cost £22 for adults and £12 for concessions. n For more details, or to book, visit whatsonreading.com n To vote for APO in the Royal Philharmonic Society awards, visit royalphilharmonicsociety. org.uk
LEISURE | 35
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
LIVEMUSIC
To advertise in this section, call Claire on 0118 327 2662
Wokingham Loves Music
TOP OF THE POPS: Split The Dealer has blasted High Rockets straight into number one in our play list Picture: Andrew Merritt photography
Chris Hillman
bit.ly/Wokingham lovesmusic
T
HE THING about great musicians is that they constantly come up with the goods.
Our two new entries do just that: Split The Dealer and Deva St.John are both returning to the Wokingham Loves Music hit parade with new music that they’ve created. It’s great to be able to talk about some brilliant musicians creating great music. You can hear them, and eight other great tracks, at bit.ly/wokinghamlovesmusic The playlist is more than just a bunch of tunes. You can join in the discussion at www.facebook.com/ groups/wokinghamlovesmusicchat And if you’re hosting a gig, or preparing to play for one, send an email to events@wokingham.today
Split the Dealer – High Rockets
WOKINGHAM – Victoria Arms, Easthamstead Road RG40 2EH. Open Mic night with Pauly Zarb. 0118 979 9437
Friday, Sept 24
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. One Last Day and Barerra. Details: www. theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. Mirror Effect. Details: 01344 303333. EMMBROOK – Emmbrook Sports & Social, Lowther Road RG41 1JB. Wokingham Music Club presents Small Fakers. £18. Details: www. wokinghammusicclub. co.uk EMMBROOK – The Dog and Duck, Matthewsgreen Road RG41 1JT. Pauly Zarb with Chloe Zarb. Details: 0118 978 0544. READING – Palmer Park, Wokingham Road. The Festival with The House and Garage Orchestra, Sweet Female Attitude, Kelly Le Roc, MC Neat, Shelley Nelson, Devine MC, Three of a Kind and more. Details: wearelost. co.uk READING – Salisbury Conservative Club, Kings Road RG1 4HX. 4G. Details: 0118 926 5804. READING – South Street arts centre, South Street. John Smith and support. Details: 0118 960 6060. READING – Sub89, Friar Street RG1 1EP. UK Foo Fighters. Details: 0118 959 5395. TILEHURST – The Plough, School Road RG31 5AW. The Flying Tigers. Details: 0118 942 7250. STOKE ROW – The Cherry Tree Inn, Stoke Row Road RG9 5QA. The New Jazz
Sextet. Details: 01491 680430. WOKINGHAM – Broad Street Tavern, Broad St RG40 1AU. Graffiti Child. Details: 0118 977 3706. WOKINGHAM – Easthampstead Park, Peacock Lane RG40 3DF. Glo. Details: 0118 974 7576.
Saturday, Sept 25
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. Atmospheric Drumgalism. Details: www. theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. The Riots. Details: 01344 303333. BRACKNELL – The Royal Oak, London Road RG12 2NN. White Light. Details: 01344 422622. READING – Salisbury Conservative Club, Kings Road RG1 4HX. The Start!. Details: 0118 926 5804. READING – The Turks, London Road RG1 5BJ. Corsairs. Details: 0118 957 6930. WOKINGHAM – The Hope and Anchor, Station Road RG40 2AD. Peach and the Prarie Dogs. Details: 0118 978 0918.
Sunday, Sept 26
BRACKNELL – South Hill Park, Ringmead RG12 7PA. The Gill Love Band. Details: 01344 484123. READING – Community Hall, Watlington House, Watlington Street, RG1 4RJ. Readifolk: Sylvia Barnes and Sandy Stanage Details: www.readifolk. org.uk READING – Grosvenor Casino Reading, Rose Kiln Lane RG2 0SN. Mas Bessie’s tribute to Shanty. From noon. Details: 0118 402 7800. READING – The Retreat, St John’s Street RG1 4EH. Jazz with Stuart Henderson, Simon Price
The Wave Machine – Doesn’t Matter to Me One of the highlights of the Wokingham Festival was seeing a packed Wokingham Music Club (WMC) stage audience singing along to the songs of Angus Trott aka The Wave Machine – https://www. thewavemachine.co.uk/
Michael Burns-Peake – London Michael is a singer/songwriter from Wokingham and is another young talent who appeared on the WMC Stage at the festival and performed a great set of quality songs – www.facebook.com/ MichaelBPMusic
Fred’s House – Shut Up and Dance He was Number 3 in our Best of 2020 with his Deva St.John duet on the XV single and since then Split aka Sam Brett has released more singles, and this is his latest. It’s a great piece of melodic indie rock which Sam says he wrote about feeling the pressure of having to choose what you want to do with your life, settling for something, working your life away and then one day realising that years have slipped behind you. Sam is in London on Saturday
THIS WEEK’S GIGS Thursday, September 23
release from that album – Www.crookedshapes. com/
and guests. Details: 0118 376 9159. SONNING – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye RG4 6TY. What’s Love Got To Do With It: a tribute to Tina Turner. Details: 0118 969 8000.
Monday, Sept 27
NETTLEBED – Village Club, High Street RG9 5DD. Nettlebed Folk Club presents: Miranda Sykes and Hannah Martin. Details: www. nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk
Tuesday, Sept 28
READING – The Turks, London Road RG1 5BJ. Open mic night TBC. Details: 0118 957 6930.
Thursday, Sept 30
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. John Otway. Details: theacousticcouch.co.uk READING – Sub89, Friar Street RG1 1EP. Stiff Little Fingers and guests. Details: 0118 959 5395. READING – The Weather Station, Eldon Terrace RG1 4DX. Storm in a Teacup presents Harrison Wilde, Missing The Scene, Slacker. Details: 0118 958 3750. WOKINGHAM – Victoria Arms, Easthamstead Road RG40 2EH. Open Mic night with Pauly Zarb. 0118 979 9437
Friday, October 1
BRACKNELL – The Acoustic Couch, The Ring RG12 1JG. Funkin’ Souled Out. Details: www. theacousticcouch.co.uk BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. Luther Vandross tribute. Details: 01344 303333. BRACKNELL – South Hill Park, Ringmead RG12 7PA. Neal Meets Steele. Details: 01344 484123. EARLEY – The Roebuck, Auckland Road RG6 1NY.
Mythicals. Details: 0118 966 7153. EMMBROOK – The Dog and Duck, Matthewsgreen Road RG41 1JT. Live music. Details: 0118 978 0544. READING – The Castle Tap, Castle Street RG1 7RJ. Skanker. Plonk. Indigo Child. Personal Issue. Details: 0118 958 0473 READING – Walkabout, Wiston Terrace RG1 1DG. Pauly Zarb. WOKINGHAM – Broad Street Tavern, Broad Street RG40 1AU. Good Times Five. Details: 0118 977 3706.
at The Waiting Room – www.facebook.com/ splitthedealer
Deva St.John – Pity Party The other half of that duet mentioned above also has a new single out. This is the latest of a string of quality singles from Deva and it is an excellent rock pop dance, whatever you want to call it, anthem. Deva describes it as “genre-hopping” and as a “bouncy tune for the overthinking and introverted” and it certainly is that. Well worth a listen, and she will also be appearing live at The Waiting Room in London this Saturday — www.facebook.com/dayvasaintjohn
In Albion – Earth They performed a great show at local record shop, Beyond the Download’s event in Peach Place Wokingham recently. Here’s their latest single – inalbion.net
Crooked Shapes – Fire This Wokingham-based rock band have their debut album, also called Crooked Shapes, due for release on November 19, and Fire is their first single
me Flying Enter tain
Silky smooth vocals, quality musicianship and a 70’s West Coast inspired folk/rock sound, this band from Cambridge are a perfect band for a summer festival as they proved at Wokingham Festival – Fredshousemusic.co.uk
The Paradox Twin – Wake Vortex Nominated at the prestigious Progressive Music Awards two years running following the release of their debut album, this Reading-based band is back with a stunning new single – www.theparadoxtwin. com/
Wille and the Bandits – Four Million Days They closed Wokingham Festival in fine style with an exciting blend of rock ‘n’ roll, funk, soul and roots. We look forward to their new album in 2022 – www. willeandthebandits.com/
Edward Naysmith – Live Anymore Edward is a talented singer/songwriter who performed at Wokingham Festival and he is currently working on a new album being recorded in a new recording studio that he built himself – www.facebook.com/EdwardNaysmithOfficial
nt present
Saturday, October 2
BRACKNELL – The Keller, Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way RG12 8TF. Boogie Wookie. Details: 01344 303333. HURST – The Wheelwright Arms, Davis Way RG10 0TR. Live music. Details: 0118 934 4100. READING – Grosvenor Casino Rose Kiln Lane RG2 0SN. Queen: Real Magic. Details: 0118 402 7800. READING – The Hexagon, Queens Walk. The John Lennon Songbook. Details: 0118 960 6060. READING – Salisbury Conservative Club, Kings Rd RG1 4HX. Salty Dogs. Details: 0118 926 5804. READING – The Turks, London Road RG1 5BJ. Funk Soul Rebels. Details: 0118 957 6930. TILEHURST – The Victoria, Norcot Road RG30 6BP. Mystery Machine. Details: 0118 941 5064. WOKINGHAM – Broad Street Tavern, Broad Street RG40 1AU. Vinyl DJ set from 4pm till late. Details: 0118 977 3706.
MIKE HUGG O B ’A D E IK M PAUL JONES SEND N W O T B O R S S E TOM MCGUINN N CURRIE O IM S D N A E F IF L C S U MARC GUEST AAND THEIR SPECIAL
Sunday, October 3 READING – The Hexagon. Grace Petrie. SONNING – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye RG4 6TY. Glenn Miller Orchestra.
HOLDING A GIG, QUIZ OR GAMES NIGHT? SEND DETAILS TO EVENTS@WOKINGHAMPAPER.CO.UK
Saturday 6 Nov 2021
0118 960 6060 whatsonreading.com
36 | LIFE
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Smashed Veg Samosas
Watch Wokingham
Adrian Betteridge
From the kitchen
S
Makes 12
AMOSAS don’t have to be fried to be delicious; these are baked, filled with soft spiced vegetables, full of flavour and goodness for a satisfying lunch or light supper.
Use this as a blueprint and vary your filling, it’s a great way to use up lef-tover vegetables. Serve with spicy mango chutney and a shredded salad.
Ingredients n 500g small mashing potatoes, e.g. Apache, skin on n 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced n 1 large onion,
Wokingham Active Travel Community Hub
peeled and diced n 1 tsp cumin seeds n 1 tsp mustard seeds n 100g peas, defrosted if frozen n Small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped n 1 red chilli, finely chopped n Pinch of salt n 12 sheets filo pastry n Olive oil n 1 tsp black onion/ nigella/kalonji seeds boil until the potatoes are soft; drain well and To Serve: place everything onto n Mango chutney kitchen paper in a large n Shredded salad shallow bowl to remove excess moisture. Once cool, remove the Method kitchen paper 2. In a separate small 1. Place skin-on frying pan, gently warm potatoes into a large the cumin and mustard pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Add seeds for 2-3 minutes the carrot and onion and until aromatic, taking
Good habits start young, with the school run
care they don’t burn 3. Add the toasted seeds to the vegetables with the peas, coriander, chilli, and salt. Mash the veg gently together with a fork 4. As much as possible keep the pastry in the packet so it doesn’t dry out. Remove one sheet of pastry and brush it lightly with oil,
then fold it into thirds along the short length. Place a spoonful of mixture at the top of the strip and fold the corner diagonally over, and repeat, folding down to make the triangle. Brush with oil and sprinkle the top with onion seeds. Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper 5. Repeat with the
remaining sheets of pastry 6. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden
Recipe by Charlotte Simpkins for Freely Fruity www.facebook. com/freelyfruityuk
healthwatchwokingham Joanna Dixon www.healthwatchwokingham.co.uk
Help for people coming out of restrictions
A
LTHOUGH anxiety and worry due to the pandemic has declined as restrictions have lifted, research by Mental Health Foundation found that those with long-term health conditions or existing mental health difficulties are still struggling. People in Wokingham Borough have told us that they want to see mental health support prioritised. Our What Matters Most report showed that collectively people want better access to help at the time they need it most and more information about the types of support available. Your GP can offer you support with your mental health, or there are some services you can refer yourself to, including some new ones that have sprung up during the pandemic.
Wokingham Wellbeing Service Wellbeing workers from Oxfordshire Mind work with people ages 18 and over with mild to moderate mental health needs to help them develop tools and techniques to increase their wellbeing. You do not need to be diagnosed with a mental health condition. If you think this could help you, then talk to your GP who can refer you.
Talking Therapies This NHS service offers support to people aged 17 and over who are experiencing depression, anxiety,
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
video chat, or on the phone. Contact them directly by email at breathing-space@together-uk.org or call on freephone 0800 002 9091.
Local volunteer-led support groups Depression Xpression
stress or phobias. You can refer yourself or talk to your GP, who can refer you. You will be offered a telephone assessment to understand the difficulties you are facing and offer the most appropriate therapy. Call 0300 365 2000 or visit the website
Recovery College Recovery College provides education on a range of topics that could benefit your mental health and wellbeing. You can select the courses that will help you to explore possibilities and rebuild a better life. You can visit the website to find out more and fill in a referral form or contact the friendly team on 0778 989 0707
Citizen’s Advice Wokingham Citizen’s Advice Wokingham runs the One Front Door service and can help with finding services to support your mental health and address issues such as debt and domestic violence that may be negatively affecting your wellbeing. Call 0300 330 1189 or 0118 978 7258.
The Breathing Space The Berkshire West Breathing Space service is a safe, welcoming and supportive space for anybody aged over 18 experiencing emotional distress and struggling to cope. They are available to provide support every Friday to Monday evening, from 5pm until 11pm. You can access Breathing Space in person at the central Reading hub, online via
Anxious? Sad? Depressed? Isolated? Don’t suffer alone. Depression Xpression run Monthly support groups in Wokingham. They have speakers or demonstrations on relevant topics and offer a chance to share with friendly, nonjudgmental peers. To book a place at a Monthly meeting visit https:// depressionxpression.org.uk/
Mental Health Mates A peer support group organising walk and talk events for those with mental health difficulties and their friends and family. They meet twice a month for a walk and a cuppa afterwards. Contact by emailing mhmreading@gmail.com of join the Facebook group. n If you would like to feedback your experience of using mental health services in Wokingham then you can share your views with us at Healthwatch by calling 0118 418 1418. Write to us at Healthwatch Wokingham, Town Hall, Market Place, Wokingham, RG40 1AS or email enquiries@healthwatchwokingham. co.uk
E
VEN if the weather seems uncertain, our calendar tells us that it’s September again and across the Borough children and young people are back travelling to school. They will do so come rain or shine every weekday morning and afternoon, making over 11 million local journeys over the course of the next school year. Around half of these trips are on foot. A surprisingly small number of children cycle, and a growing number are scooting. For some with long journeys, buses and public transport are often available but, despite all these options, more than a third of children are still taken to school by car. The health and social benefits for children walking, cycling or scooting to school can be profound, but parental concern about risk from traffic, whether crossing the road or cycling along it, causes them to choose the car. This increases the traffic experienced by others, and so we continue. One potential tool to break out of this spiral is the concept of School Streets, which restrict traffic around schools during the peak hours to make walking and cycling safer, and also reduce air pollution in the school playground and buildings. We understand that Wokingham asked schools for interest in School Streets last year but, as yet, none are planned. Neighbouring councils seem to be making better progress, with either trials or permanent schemes in Reading (four), West Berkshire (one), Oxfordshire (five) and Hampshire (three) supported by local authority design and legal support. Wokingham is planning future major walking and cycling routes, but school travel needs a more detailed approach, looking at the barriers to walking for a mile or so around primary schools, and barriers to walking and cycling for a larger radius around secondary schools. As long as this task falls mostly to our busy schools without additional support and resources, we fear that things are unlikely to improve. WATCH would like to see a shift in resources from making driving easier to more sustainable projects, and there’s nowhere better to start than with school travel, as good habits really do start young.
For more from WATCH, log on to www.facebook.com/watchwokingham
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
BASKETBALL
ROCKETS TRIUMPH IN SEASON OPENER
By GARY JOHNSON sport@wokingham.today
READING Rockets ensured their season got off to the perfect start as they stormed to victory away at Oaklands Wolves.
In their first game in front of spectators and their first official game of the new season, Rockets stormed out of the blocks, lit up the arena on many occasions and took their first victory by some margin against a young Wolves in St Albans on Saturday evening. Head Coach Dan Pearson had his hands full for his first game with new signing Reis Pinnock, picked up from league champions Solent Kestrels and only meeting many of his team mates on the team transport coupled to three senior absentees. Pearson used his academy youngsters as he did in the friendly tournament last weekend as he considers each one able to make major contributions on the floor
Oaklands Wolves v Reading Rockets
CRICKET
RUGBY UNION
WOKINGHAM DUO TO REPRESENT ENGLAND
whenever they’re called upon. Pearson had Sam Toluwase available for the first time and Lewis Champion was shirted up to try out his damaged finger. All players and coaches took the knee before tip and were socially distanced on the bench but once
the game began Rockets Tyler Cartanio opened his and Rockets accounts with great defence. Moments later, he scored off an offensive rebound and sent a dish to Jaz Bains to stroke a treble Bains and Cartanio continued to trouble the Wolves who’d hardly beared their teeth in the opening quarter which Rockets took 30-13. One highlight of this period was A J Basi throwing a quick pass to Cartanio who returned the compliment for Basi to stroke a treble. Rockets kept pressing the Wolves and good team defences helped Oaklands turn the ball over as Rockets intercepted a number of passes to easily score with Reis Pinnock prominent here. Champion was secure form the free throw line as they opened up a 50-13 lead having stopped Wolves scoring till 3 minutes form the half time interval when Wolves went on a 7-0 run to finish the period 20-54 adrift of Rockets.
A Cartanio score and a Bains rejection set the scene for the third quarter before Basi drove and Toluwase converted a pair of free throw giving Rockets a 40 point advantage at 62-22. A brace of trebles from Wolves gave them encouragement either side of a Live Kivuvu score. An excellent Rockets trap saw Bains benefit with an easy score as Basi continued to influence the game, spraying passes all around the court as Rockets went into the last period 76-34 ahead. Rockets didn’t let the speed slow down at all and continued putting pressure on the young Wolves with a 23-13 final stanza which included a three point play followed by a slam dunk from Toluwase. A Pinnock lay up was quickly followed by a big rejection by Ronnie Oguekwe finished his personal tally with yet another slam dunk as Rockets took the scalp of the Oaklands Wolves in the LLynch Trophy pool game.
FAMILY TIES: MOTHER, DAUGHTER DUO TAKE TEAM BY STORM
WOKINGHAM duo Andy Rishton and Max Uttley are among four Berkshire players named in a 13-man National Counties Cricket Association squad who will be representing England in the European Championships being played this month in Spain, writes Dave Wright.
The other Berkshire players who have been called up to represent the England squad are Henley allrounder Euan Woods and Slough wicketkeeper/batsman Dan Lincoln, the former Finchampstead captain. In all, 15 nations are heading to La Manga to battle in the T20 event. They have been split into three with Group A already underway. England are in Group C which gets underway on Monday, September 27. They will play double headers in a round-robin format against Italy, Germany, Finland and the Czech Republic. The top two in each group qualify for finals week, which will be contested from Monday, October 4 to Friday, October 8. Group A features Luxembourg, Spain, Belgium, Norway and Sweden, while Group B is made up of the Netherlands, Austria, Romania, Portugal and Hungary. The Berkshire quartet join up with Luke Webb (Dorset), Arthur Godsal (Wiltshire), Harrison Ward (Oxfordshire), Tom Bevan, Richard Edwards, Sam Pearce (all Wales), Alex Russell (Herefordshire), Zam Akhtar (Hertfordshire), Alex Mellor (Staffordshire).
RESULTS
Saturday, September 18 FOOTBALL Sky Bet Championship Fulham 1-2 Reading
Isthmian South Central Chalfont St Peter 0-3 Binfield Berks & Bucks Cup Flackwell Heath 2-0 Sumas Combined Counties Premier North CB Hounslow United 0-2 Reading City Combined Counties Division One Berks County 4-1 Bedfont & Feltham Eversley & California 2-1 Enfield Borough Woodley United 0-2 London Lions Thames Valley Premier League Maidenhead Town 3-1 Wargrave Richings Park 2-0 Reading YMCA Woodley United Royals 2-7 Finchampstead Thames Valley Division One Rotherfield United 1-2 Hurst Thames Valley Division Two Hambleden 7-3 Berks County Swords Twyford & Ruscombe 4-3 Mortimer Development Thames Valley Division Four Berks County Rovers 2-2 Finchampstead Development Harchester Hawks 4-0 Pangbourne Development Whtie Eagles 3-1 Finchampstead United RUGBY UNION National Division One Plymouth Albion 19-26 Rams South West 1 East Bracknell 33-28 Banbury
THE Reading Kites women’s team at Reading Rugby Club have a new mother and daughter partnership in the heart of their side. Debbie Cornish, who has been playing for Reading since 2008, has formed a special sporting bond
with her daughter Mia, 18, playing for the same rugby team. Mia was a football fanatic throughout her teenage years, despite going with her Dad to watch her Mum at rugby training and matches. However, after
lockdown Mia decided that she was ready to take up a new challenge and began training for the Kites alongside her mum. The pair are now competing in the same team and have played two matches together so far, the first of which they
won in a friendly against Rams Sirens on Sunday, September 5 with a 25-5 triumph. They then both played against Windsor Dames the following weekend as Mia scored three conversions to help Reading Kites to a convincing 58-12 victory.
SHERI SETS SAIL FOR ISLAND CLUB’S COMMODORE’S DAY
COMMODORE’S Day is always a special event on the calendar of the island Sailing Club and this year was no exception.
The day traditionally starts with a serious pursuit race on which the slowest boats on handicap start first and are then chased to the finishing line. So when this year’s Commodore arrived at the tradition time of 12 noon, at the Island Sailing Club Reading, which is a RYA Affiliated
Training Centre, there was already a large number of boats on the water. The rest of the day was set aside for fun racing and games on land and the lake in which members children can take part, such as a Paddle Board race around the island which gives the club its name. There was also a barbeque and afternoon tea with a cake competition. for spectators to enjoy. It was special day for the present
Commodore, Sheri Drake, who started dinghy sailing in her native South Africa. When she and her family moved to Shinfield five years ago, one of her first acts was to join the sailing club in nearby Pingewood. Sheri quickly immersed herself in the affairs of the club and has guided it through recent difficult times during the pandemic.
HOCKEY Slough 1s 3-1 South Berks Reading 3s 2-0 South Berks Ladies Camberley 2-1 South Berks Ladies 5s Sonning Ladies 3s 9-0 Harrow Sonning Ladies 3-0 Harrow Henley Ladies 3s 1-0 Sonning Ladies 4s
Sunday, September 19
FOOTBALL Southern Region Women’s Premier Woodley United 1-3 Abingdon Town Southern Region Division One AFC Stoneham 5-1 Eversley & California
Thames Valley Women’s Division One Tilehurst Panthers 2-3 Caversham United Wargrave Women & Girls 12-0 Denham United Ladies Reserves
Thames Valley Division 3S Goring United Women 6-0 Wargrave Women Development Newbury Ladies Development 4-3 Tilehurst Panthers Development S4K Ladies 4-0 Taplow United Ladies Wallingford Town AFC Ladies 6-3 Eversley & California Reserves
Tuesday, September 21
Combined Counties Premier North Sumas v Tadley Calleva
FIXTURES
Saturday, September 25
FOOTBALL Sky Bet Championship Reading v Middlesbrough Combined Counties Premier North North Greenford United v Reading City FA Vase Abingdon United v Berks County Eversley & California v Oldland Abbotoians Sumas v Hallen Thames Valley Premier League Finchampstead v Reading YMCA Marlow United v Woodley United Royals Reading City U23s v Windlesham & Chobham Wargrave v Yateley United Thames Valley Division One FC Imaan Lions v Eldon Celtic Hurst v Maidenhead Town Reserves Thames Valley Division Two Mortimer Development v Hurst Reserves SB Phoenix Reserves v Berks County Swords Twyford & Ruscombe v Hambleden Thames Valley Division Four Berks County Rovers v White Eagles Farnham Royal Mavericks v Harchester Hawks Finchampstead United v SB Phoenix Development
Sunday, September 26
FOOTBALL Women’s Super League Tottenham Hotspur v Reading Southern Region Women’s Premier Division Moneyfields v Woodley United Southern Region Women’s Division One Eversley & California v Abbey Rangers Thames Valley Women’s Division One Tilehurst Panthers v Mortimer Ladies Thames Valley Division 3S Eversley & California Reserves v Newbury Ladies Development S4K Ladies v Yateley United Ladies
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
Plymouth v Rams Pictures: Tim Pitfield
THREE IN A ROW: RAMS CLAIM BONUS POINT VICTORY RUGBY
By RICHARD ASHTON sport@wokingham.today
SEB Reynolds said his Rams players should be really pleased with themselves after earning a third consecutive National One bonus-point win with a 26-19 success at Plymouth Albion.
The visitors led 12-0 through tries from Henry Bird and Ollie Moffitt after an excellent opening 25 minutes, but were stunned by two quick-fire scores from Alex Ducker and Setareki Raumakita which levelled matters. A converted Ellis Jones try made it 19-12 at the break, and Drew Humberstone then added the extras to a Connor Stapley
score to extend the advantage to 14 points. But Plymouth rallied late on and in front of an increasingly vociferous crowd, cut the gap to 26-19 as Tom Putt slotted a conversion after Frankie Nowell’s score in the righthand corner to set up a tense finish to the match as Rams had to claw on to their lead to maintain their perfect start to the season. Yet despite being reduced to 14 men late on following an Ant Marris sin-binning, Rams held on for a superb victory. Rams Director of Rugby, Reynolds, said: “It was a real rollercoaster of a game – both sides had periods of dominance.
“At times we invited their dominance onto us, but there were large parts of the game when we looked very good. “I was really pleased with how we were playing, we were getting in the right areas and with some good tempo. “We put pressure on them, especially early on, but then we dropped off a couple of tackles and made a couple of poor decisions on exit, which allowed a dangerous side back into the contest. But we then wrestled control back.” He continued: “They fought hard in the second half, but I’m incredibly proud of our lads. “Just three games into the season and we’ve had a tough trip down to Plymouth – a
place we’ve never been before – and it was a really good performance.” Rams gave first starts of the season to hooker Ollie Moffitt and second row Ollie Taylor, and along with captain Robbie Stapley, Reynolds praised the trio. He said: “I thought Ollie Moffitt was brilliant – he’s not had much National One rugby this season, albeit he finished the last full season in good form. “He deserved his chance to come into the side and did a fantastic job. “Ollie Taylor was brilliant and really put their line-out under pressure, and there was a great shift from the skipper,
who really found some form. “He’s a class captain and was absolutely magnificent.” And Reynolds lastly commented on the test Plymouth will pose throughout the season, despite Albion falling to a third defeat. He said: “This is such a good league and our players love it. The crowd were enjoying it and you’ll have to be a good side to come down here and win. “Plymouth are a historic club with a big following and coming here for the first time, you have to get used to the surroundings, but the guys should be really pleased with themselves.” In their next national League One fixture, the Rams host
Leeds Tykes on Saturday (3pm kick-off). Leeds have had a mixed start to their campaign, with one victory and two defeats placing them in 10th position ahead of their trip to face Rams at Old Bath Road. Meanwhile, the Rams have had a flawless start to their 2021/22 season which has seen them win all three of their opening matches, earning bonus point wins in all of their matches. They are in second place, only behind current league leaders Rosslyn Park on points difference, as both sides have also picked up three bonus points each in a positive start to the season.
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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KESTRELS TAMED BY LIONS FOOTBALL
By MARK ROZZIER sport@wokingham.today WOODLEY United were inflicted to defeat on the road as promotion hopefuls London Lions put two past the Kestrels without reply.
United gave a much improved performance compared to that of the previous outing at AFC Hayes with players working hard and defending well in the final third of the pitch. United started positively and saw Josh Raw fire over the crossbar in the opening five minutes. This start spurred the Lions into action as they sought to impose
themselves in the game and at centre back had in Levi Levenfiche arguably the man of the match who looked calm on the ball and was quick to react to Woodley’s attacks. The opening goal was scored from close range by the visitors’ captain Austin Lipman who reacted first to a low cross form the right hand side into the Woodley penalty area in the nineteenth minute Woodley responded with Reece Probert flagged off side as he broke through the Lions back four following an inch perfect pass while Lions put a free kick over Ethan Giles’s
crossbar as did Max Kyte with a header. Lipman had the opportunity to extend the visitors’ lead in the 34th minute from the penalty spot but was denied by a fine save from Giles to his left and then bravely got his body in the way as the on rushing forward put the loose ball wide of the post. The second half was two minutes old when Mark Williams put a Pedro Monteiro corner over David Myers crossbar as Woodley started the half as they did the first. But once again Lions gradually got into the half but resolute Woodley
defending restricted Lions to one shot over the crossbar in the opening quarter of hour of the second half. The second goal and decisive goal came in the 66th minute when Lipman calmly slotted past Giles following good approach play. The visitors greater experience saw their goal rarely troubled while United survived a disallowed goal for offside and Giles saving well from substitute Joe Bregman.
Wodley recovered from their weekend defeat with a penalty shootout victory over Chalvey Sports in the Berks & Bucks Cup. The match ended in a 1-1 draw in normal time, but the Kestrels progressed with a 4-1 penalty triumph. Woodley United: Giles, Whight, Carmichael, Monteiro (Birkett), Richardson, Williams, Probert (Gray), Raw (Reid), Page-Smith, Anderson (Tegg), Smith (Elmore)
RUGBY
BRACKNELL GO TOP AS UNBEATEN RECORD REMAINS IN TACT BRACKNELL are the front runners in South West 1 East after they earned a narrow victory over Banbury.
The pair who met at Lily Park on Saturday have won both their opening games and jointly amassed nearly two hundred points in the process. Banbury kicked off attacking towards the clubhouse and they opened the scoring with a converted try after five minutes. With Banbury pressuring the Bracknell try line an interception by Ian Burch saw him show the younger chasing legs a clean pair of heels to dot down under the Banbury post to equalise the scores. Three minutes later Banbury re-took the lead, some smart hands in the
Bracknell v Banbury Pictures: Paul Ridley pgrphotoandimages Banbury back line saw full back Tommy Gray cross the Bracknell try line. The conversion attempt from fly half James Miller was just wide. A James Miller penalty extended the Banbury lead
after twenty-five minutes. Bracknell finally got into gear with some sustained pressure on the Banbury try allowing Jamie Johnson crash over under the Banbury posts on the half an hour mark. Jake Findlay
added the conversion. With Bracknell temporarily reduced in numbers, James Miller was able to add another three points to the Banbury score with a penalty just before the half time break. Bracknell opened the second half scoring. Now attacking towards the clubhouse, some smart hands between the Bracknell back three saw Jake Findlay dot down in the corner. He was just wide with his conversion attempt. With just over quarter an hour gone Banbury struck back. A cross kick by James Miller found winger Charlie Norton in space. He was able to collect the bouncing ball and cross the Bracknell white wash. James Miller added the extras to give Banbury a six
point lead. The Bracknell response was immediate. A number of pick and goes on the Banbury try line saw Ken Hodgson drive over to score and to close the Banbury lead. The conversion from Jake Findlay eased Bracknell into a one point lead. With just over ten minutes remaining and with Banbury reduced in numbers Bracknell pressed home their advantage. After being awarded a number of penalties on the Banbury try line the referee’s patience finally ran out and a penalty try was awarded to Bracknell. In the dying moments James Miller was on target for a final Banbury penalty but Bracknell go to the top of the table with victory.
FOOTBALL
WHEN AN ENGLAND LEGEND VISITED WOKINGHAM TOWN
Wokingham Town v Barnet matchday programme Pictures: Chris Hillebrandt THE football community is in mourning after the passing of legendary striker Jimmy Greaves earlier this week.
He will be fondly remembered as one of the greatest striker’s to ever grace the English game having scored bundles of goals throughout his playing career for Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Chelsea and at international level for England. However, it appears that Greaves also has ties to Wokingham having played against them in an FA Cup qualifying game back in 1978. Near the end of his playing career playing for Barnet FC, Greaves faced up against Wokingham Town FC in October 1978. Played at Finchampstead Road in Wokingham, the visitors were victorious with a 4-0 victory. Wokingham resident Chirs Hillebrandt managed to dig out a copy of the matchday programme after hearing about Greaves’ passing. He said: “Hearing the sad news of Jimmy Greaves passing away, I was reminded that I had actually seen the great man play. “It gave me an excuse to dig out my old football programmes, and I was delighted to find that I still have the match day programme. “Jimmy was nearing the end of his career and was playing for Barnet against my home team, the mighty Wokingham Town FC. “Truthfully I don’t remember an awful lot about the game. “It was quite a big deal for someone like Jimmy Greaves to be playing at little old Wokingham Town.”
FOOTBALL
ROYALS FACE SPURS IN HUNT FOR FIRST WIN OF NEW SEASON
READING women are on a mission to pick up their first points of the season as they travel to the capital to face Tottenham Hotspur Women on Sunday.
The Royals were dealt a difficult start to the season with an away trip to Manchester United on the opening night of the WSL season, before they hosted Arsenal at the Select Car Leasing Stadium prior to the international break. Reading went down by
two goals away at United and were beaten 4-0 at home to Arsenal as they are still yet to get off the mark for points or goals this season. Meanwhile, Spurs have had a perfect start to their campaign with two wins from two. They defeated Birmingham City on the opening weekend of the season as Kit Graham bagged the only goal of the game to gift her side
three points. They then provided a shock to title hopefuls Manchester City away from home as they overcame a one-goal deficit to hit back with two second-half strikes to take three points in Manchester. Laurent Hemp put City ahead after six minutes but Rachel Williams grabbed an equaliser before an own goal from Karima Benameur gave Spurs the points despite only having
two shots on target in the match. In the early stages of the new season, Kelly Chambers’ Reading side are down in 11th, one [place off the bottom, while Tottenham are in fourth, level on points with the three teams above them. The last meeting between the teams saw Tottenham progress with an away win in the FA Women’s Cup with a 3-2 victory.
The sides couldn’t be separated in normal time, with a 2-2 stalemate forcing extra-time. But Jessica Naz netted a goal-winning strike for Spurs as they progressed to the next round. Meanwhile, the last two league meetings have ended in stalemates with a goalless draw at the SCL in March and a 1-1 draw in London after Ashleigh Neville cancelled out Brooke Chaplen’s opener.
Wokingham Town v Barnet matchday programme
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
BOARS RECOV Sonning Ladies 3s v Harrow Pictures: Steve Smyth
Flackwell Heath v Wokingham & Emmbrook Pictures: Andrew Batt FootballinBerkshire By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
Isthmian South Central
HOCKEY
SONNING LADIES ON CLOUD NINE
By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today SOUTH BERKSHIRE 1s were beaten on the road in a friendly fixture against Slough with a 3-1 loss.
They kick off the new league campaign in the south Central Men’s Premier Division 2 as they host Eastcote on Saturday. SOUTH BERKSHIRE 2s begin their competitive action in South Central North Division 2 with a trip to Phoenix & Ranelagh on Saturday. SOUTH BERKSHIRE 3s earned a 3-1 home win to Windsor 2s before they begin their season on Saturday away at Buckingham 1s. In preparation for their opening match at home to Henley 4s, SOUTH BERKSHIRE 4s took the game against Phoenix & Ranelagh 2s with a 5-3 success. SOUTH BERKSHIRE 5s were successful in their away trip to Windsor 3s with a 2-1 triumph, before they face an away day opener at Newbury & Thatcham 6s. SOUTH BERKSHIRE 6S host
Phoenix & Ranelagh 3s in South Central Division 4. SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES 1s were defeated 2-0 away at Reading 3s. Their league season begins this weekend at home to Newbury & Thatcham in South Central Women’s North Division 1. SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES 2s suffered a 4-1 loss away to Reading 4s. They will look to make amends in their opening league match at home to Amersham & Chalfont 3s. SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES 3s took a 1-0 home win over Reading 5s before their league season starts away at Maidenhead 3s. SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES 4s took a 3-0 away win against Yateley 3s. They are on the road again in their first match as they travel to Amersham & Chalfont 6s. SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES 5s were beaten in their final pre-season match witha 2-1 loss to Camberley. SOUTH BERKSHIRE LADIES MASTERS were victorious in their most recent league match with a narrow 4-3 win over Amersham and Chalfont.
They are at home in their season opener against Amersham & Chalfont 7s. SONNING 1s kick-off their campaign in the Men’s North Division 1 with a home clash against Banbury 2s, While in division 2 SONNING 2s make the trip to Eastcote 2s on Saturday. They concluded their run of pre-season games in an inter-club friendly against SONNING 3s with a 2-1 win. SONNING 4s begin their season in South Central Men Division Two with an away visit against Amersham & Chlafont 5s this weekend. SONNING 5s start their new season in South Central Division 3 at home to Marlow 6s, while SONNING 6s make the trip to Marlow 7s for their first game of the new season. SONNING LADIES 1s took a 3-0 victory over Harrow before they start their season at home to Henley. SONNING LADIES 2s face an away visit to Henley 2s, while SONNING LADIES 3s, who thrashed Harrow 9-0 in a friendly at the weekend, host Staines 2s on Saturday. SONNING LADIES 4s face an away visit to Phoenix & Ranelagh 3s, while SONNING 5s host Slough Women’s 3s.
BINFIELD are up to fourth in the table as they earned three points and a clean sheet away at Chalfont St Peter. Joe Gater opened the scoring to put the Moles in front as he powered home a header from a corner. Binfield were two up before halftime as Ollie Harris tucked away a penalty and Liam Tack rounded off the scoring with a third in the 73rd minute.
Berks & Bucks Cup WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK’S run in the Berks & Bucks Cup came to an early end after they were defeated by Flackwell Heath. After a goalless first-half and some important stops from sumas’ goalkeeper Sean Woodward, the home side found the net twice in the second 45 to progress. Sumas coach Liam Sheppard said: “It was a game of two halves. We had a few chances and there wasn’t really anything in the game.
Combined Counties Premier North READING CITY climbed up to 11th in the table with an away triumph at CB Hounslow United. Cityzens manager Simon Johnson said: “Got the job done against CB Hounslow to gain a much needed three points. More bodies to come back over the next few weeks, but it’s a squad game and these boys are pulling in the right direction.”
Combined Counties Division One BERKS COUNTY move up to fifth after an impressive display at home to Bedfont & Feltham. A brace from Jordan and a goal from Sackey helped the Swords earn three points in a 4-1 win over Bedfont. EVERSLEY & CALIFORNIA notched their fourth win of the season with victory over Enfield Boro. The Boars had to do it the hard way as they went a goal behind, but they responded quickly with a quickfire double as Paris Gill equalised before Connor Allston headed them in front. A goalless second-half meant Eversley took three points with a 2-1 victory.
Thames Valley Premier League FINCHAMPSTEAD made it backto-back wins as they hit seven past WOODLEY UNITED ROYALS. Ethan Simons put in a clinical display as he bagged a hat-trick for Finch. Alex Woodhead, Dylan Chaffin, Stephen Hunt and Nathan Rogers all got on the scoresheet for Finch while Harvey Owen netted twice for Woodley. READING YMCA were dealt their first defeat of the season with a 2-0 loss at Richings Park, while WARGRAVE were beaten 3-1 at Maidenhead Town.
Thames Valley Division One HURST are at the top of the table after they made it three wins from three.
Thursday, September 23, 2021 WOKINGHAM.TODAY
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VER TO TAKE THREE POINTS
FROM THE MIDDLE BY DICK SAWDON SMITH
Which to punish cause or effect? Woodley United v FC Showcase Pictures: Andrew Batt FootballinBerkshire
Flackwell Heath v Sumas
Kenny Evans and Ellis Howard scored as Hurst beat Rotherfield United 2-1.
Southern Region Women’s Premier Division WOODLEY UNITED LADIES are at the bottom with three defeats as they were defeated by Abingdon Town. Rebecca Gooch converted from the penalty spot for the Kestrels but they were beaten 3-1. Southern Region Division One EVERSLEY & CALIFORNIA LADIES fell to their second loss of the season with a 5-1 defeat away at AFC Stoneham.
Thames Valley Women’s Division One WARGRAVE WOMEN & GIRLS are at the summit after they smashed 12 past Denham United Reserves. Millie Bilcliff netted four times, Sian Blissett notched a hat-trick, while Polly Coombes, Nicola Lee,
Flackwell Heath v Sumas Hannah Sheehan, Neve Edwards and Hannah Masters added to the score to complete a tremendous performance. TILEHURST PANTHERS dropped down to second after they suffered their first loss of the season. Rhianna Langham and Lydia Vetesse scored for Tilehurst but they were beaten 3-2 by Caversham United Women.
Eversley & California Pictures: Richard Milam
Thames Valley Division 3S S4K BERKS COUNTY LADIES got off the mark with their first victory of the season. Megan Cox fired in a hat-trick to help her side to a 4-0 win over Taplow United. WARGRAVE WOMEN DEVELOPMENT are still top despite losing 6-0 away at Goring
United Women. TILEHURST PANTHERS WOMEN DEVELOPMENT were on the end of a 4-3 loss to Newbury Ladies
Development. EVERSLEY & CALIFORNIA went down by 6-3 to Wallingford Town AFC Ladies.
Kestrels soar past Showcase to Sunday Sultan Cup victory By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
Woodley United 3-2 FC Showcase WOODLEY United’s Sunday team ensured they picked up silverware as they defeated FC Showcase in the Bracknell & District Sultan
Junior cup final.
In Sunday’s final, held at Finchampstead Football Club, United edged out FC Showcase in the match that was held over from last season’s competition. More than 100 spectators attended to watch the match. Woodley got off to the best possible start, scoring twice in the opening five minutes. Chris Dodds opened the scoring with a header following a Matt
Leigh freekick to be followed by Jake White, who beat the keeper one on one at the second attempt after his initial effort had been parried. FC Showcase then enjoyed the better of the half, but Woodley goalkeeper Myles Witt, who won the man of the match award made several vital saves while a shot was cleared off the line following a free kick. The lead was reduced on
58 minutes with a strike from outside the penalty area but White restored the two goal lead three minutes later when he got ahead of a defender to steer another Leigh free kick into the net. FC Showcase scored a second in the 79th minute to set up a nervous finish which included seven minutes of stoppage time before the final whistle was blown and United were crowned as cup winners.
R
EFEREEING should be easy. Let’s face it there are only 17 laws to learn and administer but sometimes, incidents happen that test decision making to the full. Look at the recent Leeds v Liverpool match and the injury to teen-age Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott. If you saw the match on television , you will have seen how Leeds player Pascal Struijk challenged for the ball, which was at Elliott’s feet. Basically, Struijk going in the same direction of Elliott, put his foot across him and ‘stole’ the ball. The sort of challenge, though tough, is not usually punished. The referee, first of all, allowed play to continue. He probably didn’t realise immediately the seriousness of Elliott’s injury and didn’t seem to consider that a foul had been committed, so wasn’t playing an advantage. In fact the laws of the Game say that a referee should not apply ‘advantage’ in situations involving serious play, unless there is a clear opportunity to score a goal. It was only when he recognised that Elliott was not rolling about in fake agony that he immediately stopped the game and went over to him, only being beaten to him by the physio. Seeing the extent of Elliott’s injury, the referee then showed Struijk a red card. The question here is, for what offence? Of the eight sending off offences, the only one that could be used is serious foul play, which the law says is a tackle or challenge which endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality. It describes this as ‘lunging at an opponent in challenging for the ball, from the front. side or from behind’. I think we can dismiss the use of excessive force or lunging as we know it. We are then left with a tackle or challenge, which endangers the safety of an opponent. But it was the severity of the injury rather than the tackle that was punished. There can be no doubt that without Struijk’s challenge Elliott would not have suffered the dislocated ankle. But was it, as Harvey Elliott himself described it afterwards, ‘just a freak accident’.
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WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
ROYALS SHOCK
FOOTBALL
Ovie Ejaria By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today
Reading manager Veljko Paunovic
PAUNOVIC PRAISES TEAM SPIRIT By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today READING boss Veljko Paunović admitted that Reading’s win at Fulham was his favourite day so far in charge at the club.
“It was a fantastic game, a great day and a fantastic atmosphere,” said Paunović. “We executed our plan very well and I’m very happy with the performance of our team. “Fulham play very, very good football and it was hard. “But with grit and determination, character and composure, we managed to get this very important win for us – especially in a week when we have picked up seven points in total. “We conceded a goal in the only way - by giving our all and every atom of strength out there to prevent although it was a great build-up from them. “We were tested when Holmes picked up an injury but amazing, amazing solution by Laurent as an emergency centre-back which he made look very easy. “After that, with Drinkwater coming in we had more presence and experience in the midfield, and composure. “We were tested in the second half with a couple of guys being at
their limit but we wanted to carry on. “We didn’t want to make any substitutions because we believe the team didn’t need them. “We have our confidence back, we have our identity back, we can look to improve and look forward to the next game. The Royals boss hailed the performance of Ovie Ejaira who played a pivotal role in winning the game as he scored twice. “Ovie had an amazing performance,” he continued. “His execution was fantastic. “We see it in training many times and we encourage him to do it more often in games. “It was more difficult in this game because we were asking a lot of the attacking players to work defensively, but every time we gave the ball to him, there was some excitement and they were very clinical in execution. “It was a difficult and sloppy start we had at the start of the season. “With the points we dropped at Coventry it would have been a different picture and our comeback would have started earlier. “We were chasing our form and the momentum, and the consistency and belief. “Our guys ground it out so credit everyone for believing and staying calm and starting our season. “There is a long way to go but this is a great win, it helps to recover our confidence and our identity.
“Last season we couldn’t have the fans so this was a unique opportunity and from now on it just has to be always there. “We have to be aware of nourishing this very important value that we have now in our team.” “We saw a fantastic connection between our fans and the team. “We saw lions on the field and lions in the stands. “That happened organically and with what the team showed on the field and how they played, the fans loved it. “That ignited a great connection which we were looking for.“ The boss was also full of praise for goalkeeper Luke Southwood, who made several brilliant saves throughout the match, including a vital one late in the game. He continued: “It was a great performance from Luke and everyone else. When the team is on the same page, everyone knows their role in attack and defence, knows what they are doing at set-pieces, then you get performances like this. “Individuality just pops up wherever it is required or tested, that’s how I see it. “You have to give what the team needs and the team provides the opportunity to shine like Luke did, so did Ovie and other guys too. “Leadership and the fighting, warrior spirit which Morro showed was immense. “I’m very happy for everyone.”
A brace from Ovie Ejaria saw Reading shock former league leaders Fulham as they earned their first away win of the season.
Fulham, who came into the match as the Championship leaders, made a strong start but that was counter acted by the Royals as Ejaria put the Royals in front with a defiant finish into the far corner in the 15th minute. Ejaria then combined with Alen Halilovic as the midfielder extended Reading’s lead early in the secondhalf with his second of the day. Fulham provided a late scare as they clawed a goal back in the 86th minute from Rodrigo Muniz, but the Royals held on to claim the three points. The win sees Reading move up to 15th in the Championship table. Reading manager Veljko Paunović made two changes from the midweek win at home to Peterborough as injured captain Liam Moore was replaced by Tom Holmes and Junior Hoilett took the place of George Pușcaș in attack. Fulham, coming into the game as league leaders in the Championship, started the game strongly as former Royals loanee Nathaniel Chalobah took control in midfield. The hosts forged their first big chance of the match when Chalobah threaded the ball through to Bobby Decordova-Reid who burst into the box, but one-on-one with Luke Southwood, he dinked the ball over both the keeper and the frame of the goal. Aleksandar Mitrović had his first sniff at goal when he stole possession from Holmes, but the Serbian striker couldn’t punish the
Royals defender and missed the target. Reading had their first attempt in the 12th minute when Hoilett hit a wild shot over the bar, before Tom Dele-Bashiru had an effort stopped by Fulham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga after Baba Rahman and John Swift combined effectively. Reading had to dig in to keep the game level in the opening embers but they were then rewarded with the first goal of the game after a brilliantly worked move. Alen Halilović picked out Swift who found Ovie Ejaria in space, and the Royals midfielder moved onto his right foot and bent a soaring shot past Gazzaniga. Injury woes continued and the Royals were forced into an early change as Holmes was forced off for Danny Drinkwater, and a reshuffle in the side meant that Josh Laurent dropped into the back four. The Cottagers looked to hit back as Mitrovic searched for his fifth league goal of the campaign but he snatched at a shot that flew wide of Southwood’s goal. Hoilett picked up the first yellow card of the afternoon as he prevented Fulham skipper Tim Ream from kickstarting a counter attack and made a cynical foul. Reading held on to their lead to go into the break by the skin of their teeth as Fulham created two superb chances in added time. Cordova-Reid’s shot hit the post after he was found by Ivan Cavaleiro and just moments later Mitrovic thumped the crossbar as the Royals survived a double scare. But Reading shocked the league leaders as they doubled their advantage early in the half as Ejaria netted for his and the Royals’ second goal of the afternoon.
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K FORMER LEAGUE LEADERS
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, September 23, 2021
FROM THE TILEHURST END BY OLLY ALLEN
OVIE STEALS THE SHOW AT CRAVEN COTTAGE
T
He linked up with Halilovic who flicked the ball over the top of the Fulham defence to find the run of Ejaria who set himself with an excellent first touch and with his second he rolled the ball past the keeper and into the net. Both sides picked up booking in quick succession as Swift was cautioned for time wasting, Harry Wilson was carded for the hosts before Rahman also picked up a yellow for Reading. The chances continued to come and go for Fulham as Southwood was determined to keep a clean sheet as he parried Mitrovic’s strike behind for a corner with 10 minutes to go. But the hosts did eventually find the net in the 86th minute as Rodrigo Muniz nodded in from close range to set up a nervy finish. Southwood pulled off another magnificent save in added time as Reading managed to hang on to their lead and earn their first win on the road this season.
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
READING ON WINNING RUN AS WARNOCK’S BORO SIDE PREPARE TO VISIT SCL By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today READING are looking to make it a run of three straight wins when they host Middlesbrough at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).
The Royals have recovered after a dreadful start to the season by picking up seven points in their last three matches Veljko Paunović will be hoping to have midfielder Andy Rinomhota back available for selection, but has more injury
worries after defender Tom Holmes was forced off in the win against Fulham. Reading are now in 14th, one point and two places above Saturday’s opponents. The Royals are currently on a run of three games without defeat. Despite Reading’s upturn in form, there has been some concerning news reported this week as the club look set to face a points deduction from the EFL after breaking spending rules over several seasons. This could see them deducted
up to nine points this season. Fellow Championship club Derby County are also set to receive a points deduction. Neil Warnock’s team have had a disappointing start to the season with two wins, three draws and three defeats from their opening eight games. They were beaten at home to newly promoted Blackpool on Saturday as they were pegged back having taken an early lead. Reading’s John Swift is still the Championship top scorer with seven goals, and also has four
assists to his name. Meanwhile, Boro have struggled for goals and have scored just nine in eight matches, but have a stronger defence than the Royals having conceded 10 compared to Reading’s 15. History favours the visitors who have an impeccable record against Reading with eight wins out of their last nine meetings. Boro’s last visit to the Select Car Leasing Stadium saw them run out as 2-0 winners in February thanks to goals from Ashley Fletcher and Marc Bola.
HE away end at Craven Cottage rose to their feet on Saturday afternoon to applaud the Ovie Ejaria show. After a difficult start to the season due to issues with injuries and coronavirus, Ejaria provided a reminder of the immense quality he possesses with two superb goals to defeat Fulham. The first was a brilliant curled finish into the far corner from just inside the box and the second was an insane bit of skill as he brought the ball down and span the defender in one swift move, before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper. It was Ejaria’s moment in the spotlight on Saturday, but he is far from the lone superhero in Reading’s squad. John Swift was not the star of the show against Fulham, but everything Reading did still went through him. I don’t think anyone would argue with the claim that he has been the best player in the Championship so far this season with seven goals and four assists to his name. Then there’s midfielder turned rookie centre-back Josh Laurent, who seems capable of fulfilling any role asked of him in a Reading shirt, going about his job with such professionalism and ease. Again, he is one of the best in his position in the Championship. Despite the transfer restrictions imposed upon the club by the EFL, Reading also did a pretty decent job of adding quality in the summer. Loanee Tom Dele-Bashiru is a product of Manchester City’s academy, is highly-rated by Watford and has brought a touch of class to Reading’s midfield. He links up play brilliantly and his two goals against Peterborough last week were very well taken. Likewise, Alen Halilovic – formerly of Barcelona and AC Milan – has displayed plenty of promise in his first few appearances. The Croatian is a spark of energy, loves to drive forward directly with pace, and supplied a clever assist for Ejaria’s second goal against Fulham. Then there’s Danny Drinkwater. The midfielder’s career has taken a nose dive in recent years, but ultimately he is still a player who won the Premier League and was capped by England five years ago. If he is willing to give everything to this loan spell, then it could work out very well for Reading.
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Royals away success at Fulham
ROCKETS RACE PAST WOLVES IN OPENER
By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokingham.today WOODLEY UNITED SUNDAY captured silverware at the weekend as they won the Bracknell & District Sultan Junior Cup.
The Kestrels were up against FC Showcase in the final, which was contested at Finchampstead Football Club, in the competition that was held over from last season. ISSN 2634-8330 38
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Attracting more than 100 spectators to watch the match, it was an entertaining spectacle that produced five goals. Woodley opened the scoring through Chris Dodds and then went two in front when Jake White latched onto the rebound of his initially saved shot. FC Showcase managed to pull a goal back in the 58th minute to put themselves back in contention to lift the trophy. Searching for a leveller, Woodley goalkeeper Myles Witt was kept busy between the sticks and made several important stops that led to him winning the man of the match award. White then bagged his second goal of the match to
restore Woodley’s two-goal lead as he got on the end of another brilliant free-kick delivery from Matt Leigh. Showcase set up a tense finish to the match as they clawed another goal back, but the Kestrels managed to defend their lead throughout seven minutes of stoppage time to be crowned as cup champions. A representative from the Bracknell Sunday League said: “Congratulations to Woodley United Sunday on winning the Sultan Balti Junior Cup by 3-2 over FC Showcase. “The league congratulates both teams on serving up such an entertaining and sporting final and would also thank both teams for making full use of the facilities after.”
SONNING COMPETE IN FINAL FRIENDLY
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KESTRELS FLY HIGH SUNDAY SIDE THE WINNERS
BRACKNELL CONTINUE UNBEATEN RUN
