Page 1045 - Reading Mercury

annoyance caused to some motorists in obeying these instructions. Some drivers once
they have parked their car have to walk 100 yards to the machine to get a ticket, return
to stick it on their windscreens and then walk back again to get to the shops.
During last Wednesday’s bad weather he had seen young mothers with pushchairs
having to make their way to and fro across the muddy flooded ground and it was
obvious how frustrated they felt.
A letter is to be sent to the council advising them of the Chamber’s feelings on the
inadequacy of the system.

nd
Thur 2 Aug
AALTEN SCOUTS VISIT WOKINGHAM
Friendship between Wokingham and the Dutch town of Aalten took another step
with the visit to this country of Scout Leader Kees van Loon and three of his troop.
They came by ferry and car to stay with fellow Scouts in the Wokingham district.
Kees renewed an old acquaintance with Chairman of the District Scouts Committee,
Mr. W. Vincent of Crescent Road, Wokingham, and the three boys were guests of
Crowthorne Scouts.
Together they made a tour of London, visited Windsor and the castle, and on Friday
evening the Ditch boys joined in the weekly Scout meeting of their Crowthorne hosts.
While their leader viewed various camp sites in and around Wokingham on Sunday
with the object of the whole of his troop over next year, the three Scouts, Jos Geling
(14), Nico Selink (13) and Leo Koelman (13) together with the three boys, they stayed
with enjoyed a day’s hike.
A party at Mr. Vincent’s home on Sunday for the host families ended the visit. The
Chamber of Trade, the main instigator of the “twinning” with Aalten, saw them off on
Monday after a coffee session.

KEEPING OIL AWAY FROM EMM BROOK
Firm action is being taken by the Public Health Committee of Wokingham Borough
Council to eliminate oil pollution of the Emm Brook. Despite their efforts, however,
they have not been entirely successful, it was revealed at their meeting on Tuesday
last week.
Mr. J.B. Bowden, Chief Public Health Inspector, reported that he had recently
written to two companies with adjoining premises in Fishponds Road in connection
with the discharge of oil into the surface water drainage. Since writing he visited the
site and noticed that oil was continuing to find access to this drainage.
Mr. Bowden said that following his letter the manager of one of the firms told him
he had had certain drains cleaned out, and on the visit, Mr. Bowden was able to
confirm that efforts were being made in that direction.
But while he was there he noticed a film of oil on the surface of the water. The oil
was seeping into the drain from the sump of an old car engine which was lying on the
ground outside the neighbouring premises, although a great amount of cleaning of the
drain inlets and inspection chambers had been undertaken by both firms.
It was agreed to serve a notice on the company from whose premises the oil had
drained, Messrs. M.C. Pigott & Co. Ltd. The other firm to whom the Chief Public
Health Inspector had written was the Ridat Engineering Company.
“I would not like to think that the whole of the oil pollution of the Emm Brook was
due to these main premises,” Mr. Bowden said. “We think the oil getting into the
brook is from several sources.”

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