Page 1067 - Reading Mercury

th
Wed 26 March
EX-MAYOR ATTACKS ‘DISGRACEFUL STATE’ OF WOKINGHAM’S
MARKET PLACE
A petition deploring the ‘disgraceful state’ of Wokingham’s Market Place has been
raised by a former Mayor of the Borough and handed over to the District Council. The
man behind the protest is Mr. Ernest Bland, who is manager of a men’s wear shop
facing on to the market.
Describing the area as looking like a” slum,” Mr. Bland said this week, “In all the
28 years I have lived and worked in Wokingham, I have never seen it in such a
disgraceful state as it is now.”
Mr. Bland was referring in particular to dirty torn covers flapping in the wind, and
to “scruffy” scaffolding that has stood against what was once Kirby’s for the past two
or three years.
“I am not knocking the market people. I believe them to be an asset to this part of
the town but what I am against is the ugly look of the stalls when the traders have
gone.”
He took a petition round to all the shops and inns and public houses in the centre of
the town and nearly everyone signed it. The petition asks for the council to take action
to tidy up the Market Place, and Mr. Bland suggests that the covers be taken down
each day and only put up again when the stalls are in use.
“On Sunday evening there are no lights at all in that part of the town. It is dark,
dirty, and presents a wholly disreputable appearance which is enough to frighten
everybody away. Shoppers now go to towns outside Wokingham and find pleasant,
clean shopping precincts with plenty of car parking spaces. Of course they don’t want
to shop in Wokingham. I love the town, and hate to see it going downhill so rapidly.
Something must be done and done soon.”

rd
Thur 3 April
‘CHAMBER OF TRADE MAY DIE’ WARNS OFFICIAL
The Wokingham Chamber of Trade is to try to present a new image in an effort to
gain more members. At a meeting last week they agreed to concentrate more on local
issues than on national ones and to try to help businessmen in Wokingham. By doing
so they hope to break through the apathy that appears to surround them. If they don’t
the chamber may die.
Invitations had been sent to all traders and businessmen in the town for the last
meeting, but only the eight that usually attended had bothered to turn up.
A change of name had been suggested at a previous meeting but it was decided to
take no action on this move. Instead the chamber stated its objectives. They are to
concentrate on local issues more than national ones to try to reduce unpaid work on
behalf of the Government such as filling tax forms, to expand membership to include
the self-employed and local companies and to try to reduce further tax burdens on the
self-employed, to make chamber of mutual benefit to others and to make Wokingham
a pleasant place in which to work and live.

th
Thur 10 April
IMPROVING WOKINGHAM MARKET
New covers have replaced dirty torn ones on stalls at Wokingham Market Place
since a petition regarding the “disgusting state” of the market was handed to the
District Council. The petition was organised by former Mayor of Wokingham, Mr.

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