Page 1039 - Reading Mercury

The spade used was borrowed specially for the occasion from the Royal Borough of
Windsor. When the tree grows to its full height it will be 30 feet tall with an attractive
green stem and white flowers. It also has the characteristics of seasonally shedding its
bark, thus enhancing its appearance during the winter period.

WOKINGHAM’S HIGH STEWARD IS INSTALLED
A ceremony that linked the centuries took place in Wokingham Town Hall on
Thursday last week, when Major John Lycett Wills, former High Sheriff of Berkshire,
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was installed as Wokingham’s 18 High Steward. The appointment follows the death
last year of the Marquis of Ormonde.
The Mayor of Wokingham, Cllr. I. Crail said he considered it an honour and
highlight of his year of office to be able to introduce a new High Steward of the
Borough. The office of High Steward was an ancient one dating back to the charter
granted by King James I of England which named Sir Henry Neville of Billingbear
for that role. Indeed many other members of the Billingbear family were the names
that appeared right down to the eighth Lord Braybrooke, High Steward in 1895.
Perhaps it was appropriate that the custodian of Allenby Park, so close to
Billingbear, should be their High Steward.
Major Wills, late of the Life Guards, lives at Allenby Park, Binfield. During the war
he saw service in North Africa, Syria and Cyprus, returning to Windsor where he was
with the training battalion of his regiment. He retired from the Army in 1947.
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In 1936 he married the Hon. Jean Constance, second daughter of the 16 Baron
Elphinstone, Kt. And they have one son and two daughters. Mrs. Wills has been an
extra Lady-In-Waiting to Princess Margaret since 1970. She is a niece of Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
Major Wilkes, who is engaged in farming, takes a keen interest in youth work and is
chairman of the organising committee of the famous Dockland Settlement which
promotes boys’ clubs and also takes a benevolent interest in the elderly.
After the Corporate Seal of the council was affixed to the instrument of
appointment, and Mr. Nigel Butler, Town Clerk, read the Letters Patent, the
instrument was presented by Cllr. Crail to Major Wills. His coat-of-arms had already
been added to those of 17 predecessors which are emblazoned on the ends of the
hammer beams above the audience.

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Thur 29 March
SEVEN THOUSAND GO STD IN HALF-MINUTE
Only 30 seconds was the time it took to switch over some 7,000 subscribers to STD
at Wokingham on Friday morning. But one line remained disconnected in the town’s
new automatic telephone exchange, and by pulling out a plug in the main distribution
frame. Mr. W.R. van Straubenzee. M.P. for Wokingham, completed the operation.
Appropriately, the last line to be connected turned out to be that of his own divisional
headquarters in Rose Street.

FULL WEEK-END FOR DUTCH VISITORS
Visitors from Aalten, Holland who stayed at Wokingham for the week-end by
invitation of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce to meet the people of the town and
to see its industries, enjoyed a very full three days. They were met at the airport on
Friday afternoon and taken on a coach tour of London before being brought to
Wokingham and a reception at the Bush Hotel that evening.

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