Page 1058 - Reading Mercury

THE POTTER’S WHEEL
The first exhibition of handicraft held at Montague House, showed pottery,
paintings, needlecraft and flower arranging. Mrs. Rita Padden, the new principal of
this further education college, hopes the display will encourage people who have
always wanted to be able to do something like this to enrol and learn. She already has
some elderly folk from Lord Harris Court, Sindlesham, planning lessons and hopes
the old folk at Palmer Court, Wokingham, will take advantage of the amenities.
“I want everybody of all age groups to realise just what can be done. When children
are off hand, many mothers just don't know what to do with their spare time. They can
come here and enjoy a hobby.”
In September she hopes to start a small crèche so that mothers of young children can
have lessons, perhaps not handicraft, but typewriting, shorthand, languages--anything
the College supplies and they want to do,
The exhibition was held for two days and enticed a great many interested people- in,
especially early morning and evening.

th
Thur 27 June
METHODISTS RAISE £200
The pleasant garden at 11, Murdoch Road, Wokingham, home of Dr. and Mrs. D.
MacDonald, was the venue this year for the annual garden party organised by the
Rose Street Methodist Church. It was officially opened by two former members of the
church, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bailey who said how pleased they were to hear that the
building fund, to which the money raised that day would go, needed only £3,500 to
reach its target.
The crowds found numerous stalls to keep them amused and there were pony rides
for the children, a fancy dress competition which produced some original and
attractive costumes; a colouring competition and strawberry teas.
The amount was approximately £200.

OYEZ! FOR WINNERS
“Oyez! Oyes! Oyex! intoned Wokingham’s Town Crier, Herbert (Chick) Biddle, after
he had rung his bell for silence at Wescott Road Primary School summer fair, held on
Saturday in the school grounds. He had been invited officially to open the day's
proceedings and to help to judge the fancy dress display with Elizabeth Sawers, a
former teacher at the school, and her husband Clive. Their task proved to be very
difficult, as the many youngsters, who had entered in the three classes, paraded before
them.
They decided that in the “Character from a book” class, the Mad Hatter (David
Grindy" aged 5) was the winner, with Richard the Lionheart (Alexander Metcalf, 5)
second.
In the Topical class, in which a miniature Gary Glitter could be seen, Susan Tizard
(8) as a newspaper collection for the school's swimming pool fund was first, and
Jonathan Mock (7) as a Womble, second. The third class was “Traditional” and
produced .the largest number of entries. The winner was Russell Rowlands (6), as a
cave man, complete with flint-headed spear and axe. Second prize was shared
between three young people, as puppets and manipulator.
Stalls and competitions kept the crowd happily engaged all afternoon and for their
extra enjoyment, James Walton, of Wescott Road, had arranged an exhibition of
Edwardian prams and bicycles, old telephones, cameras and phonographs and a
collection of antique hats, including a toupee, a top hat, I bowler and a straw boater.

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