Page 1006 - Reading Mercury

under one umbrella. Wokingham was the only burgh in Berkshire without such an
association and was missing out on benefits available from the county. ”
“The first object of the new association would be to introduce a Meals-on-Wheels
service. We badly need a master plan and would like to start Meals-on-Wheels early
in the New Year. We need car drivers and I hope the people of Wokingham will get
together to help—you all can help.”
Mrs. Davy expressed her thanks to Wokingham Scouts for the help they had already
given. They had delivered over 300 letters by hand and the first donation cheque
received had been from them.

1969
th
Thur 30 Jan
NB--The mace bearer and town crier was Mr. Biddle

WOKINGHAM SOCIETY’S ONE-DAY EXHIBITION
More than 1,000 visitors visited Wokingham Town Hall on Saturday to see a one-
day exhibition, staged by the Wokingham Society, with the intention of not only
attracting interest in the future development in the town, but also in the hope of
reflecting some of the past which makes the town what it is today.
Taking the visitor right back are relics of the Bronze Age, including axe-heads, and
other locally-collected finds. From there on most periods were included, and with the
aid of pictures, maps and other items, many facets of the town’s past were revealed.
Many visitors were interested in the civic robes worn by the Mayor, deputy Mayor
and the Town Clerk, and in the mace and the corporation silver. The town’s Mace
Bearer, Mr. C. Biddle, was kept busy answering questions. The local fire service had
not been forgotten, and the splendid uniform of the Captain of the brigade was once
again visible to the public.
Other exhibits linked the railway with the town and its commercial development.
An example of early Wokingham engineering was an early penny-farthing bicycle
which had been made by the Finchampstead Road firm, the Butler Brothers.
One of the highlights of the exhibition was the presentation of the schools’ History
Prize for 1968, which had been donated by the Society, and had been held over to the
time of the exhibition. The prize was presented by the Mayor of Wokingham, Cllr.
Mrs. Jean Davy, to 15-year-old Martin Gornall, of Lyneham Road, Crowthorne.
After the exhibition Mr. Croft said that the response had been fantastic and that the
Council Chamber, where it was held, had been overcrowded most of the time.
She said that the Wokingham Society which staged the exhibition played an important
part in the town and offered much constructive comment. She deplored the changes in
Wokingham but it is essential that the changes have to come about. The town was
very grateful to the Society for the exhibition which she hoped would be the
forerunner of many more.
Interest of young people
Welcoming the many visitors to the exhibition—the council chamber was packed
with people—she said it was a particular pleasure to her to see so many young people
present.
Introducing the Mayor, the chairman of the Wokingham Society, Mr. Anthony
Cross said the project had been in mind since the formation of the society. The
exhibition had become possible because of the cooperation of a large number of
people in the town and in particular, the Corporation of Wokingham.

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