Page 1023 - Reading Mercury

town and the environment may have changed in the sixty or so years since Berry and
Painter first let off steam but the actual character of the smithy has hardly changed
one bit.

Thur 20th May
THE ROSE INN BLAZE
The blaze at the Rose Inn, Wokingham, would not have been so disastrous if the
town had a full-time brigade with better equipment, it was claimed this week. The
damage to the 15th century inn is estimated at £100,000. Wokingham’s Chamber of
Trade has now called for a full-time fire brigade.
The secretary of the Chamber of Trade said that with Wokingham’s population
soaring to 50,000 and with the large number of old buildings in the area, there was
hardly a town with more fire risks. The fire was reported at 3.30 am on Thursday and
it was about 3.45 am before the turntable ladder came. It would seem quite possible
that if the turntable ladder had arrived earlier the fire could have been controlled and
stopped from spreading to the building next door.

Thur 3rd June
WOKINGHAM’S DERELICT BOWLING GREEN
A Wokingham bowling green has become “derelict and useless” an alderman said
this week. So now the borough council’s Parks Committee has decided to open it for
more general Recreation. The council had been asked by a playgroup at the Salvation
Army Hall if the children could use Howard Palmer Bowling Green during break
periods, and the committee heard it was being used “unofficially” by other children
during the day.
Mr. Richard Gwynne, the deputy borough surveyor said no harm could come to the
actual bowling area as it would have to be re-laid before it could be used for bowling
again. The drainage enclosing the green would have to be protected, but otherwise he
could see no objection
Said Coun. John Tattersall: “I would be delighted for the playgroup or any other
group to use it. It was donated to the town for the town’s use. For God’s sake, let us
use it. It has been literally year since we began talking about what we were going to
do with this piece of land.” Added Coun. John West: “It is exactly the same as
Langborough Recreation Ground—as far as I can see it is just an extension. We have
inherited it and we have got to make use of it.”

th
Thur 29 July
SKEW BRIDGE
Last week saw the end of the work on Skew Bridge, Reading Road. For the first
time for nearly four years we now have a clear run without Bailey Bridges, lights, and
bumps enough to crack your chassis. It has been a long time coming, this widened and
strengthened bridge. In February 1968, British Rail and Berkshire County Council
agreed to provide the two Bailey Bridges to carry road traffic during the
reconstruction period but it wasn’t until May of that year they were put in position.
Then, according to the borough council, the whole job was expected to be completed
early in 1969.
Before all this, of course the old Skew Bridge had lasted a long time and seen a lot
of traffic change.]

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