Page 1073 - Reading Mercury

Mr. and Mrs. Chapman spent last Christmas in Wokingham with their daughter and
grandchildren and it was then they began to think seriously about returning. They also
have a son who is a deputy headmaster of a school in Germany.
Mr. Chapman was an executive with H.M. stationery Office when he retired in
1965. Ten years earlier, a year after he and his family had arrived in Wokingham, he
was elected to Wokingham Town Council.
It was in 1955 that he formed the Wokingham Literary Society, which is still
flourishing today. He was also active in the Wokingham Players, a manager of
Emmbrook Primary School and a Governor of St. Crispins. He was also elected
Mayor of Wokingham in 1964. He left the town in 1970.
While Mr. Chapman is “relaxing” in his retirement he will probably be painting—in
oils. Samples of his skill on canvas hang in their new flat at, 3, Burfield Court,
Wokingham, where their many friends will be delighted to find them again after five
years away from home.

BOOKSELLER CLOSING UP
Wokingham bookseller, Mr. Jim Bate, is closing up his Peach Street shop and
moving to Dorset because he has exhausted his enthusiasm for selling books.
Mr. Bate, President of the Wokingham Chamber of Commerce and a former
borough councillor, went into the bookselling business four years ago. He looked
around and decided that there wasn’t a decent book shop in Wokingham and he
thought he would try something about it. And there is no doubt he has succeeded,
because since then, Bate’s Bookshop has become a familiar haunt for lovers of books
from all over the district.
He and his wife Olga came to this area 10 years ago, when Mr. Bate retired as a
Technical Advisor for Shell Oil Company. But total retirement was too leisurely for
him and he looked around for ways to keep busy. He worked as an Estate Agent for a
time and was appointed to the Board of Governors of Hephaistos School, Farley Hill,
and was elected councillor for Wokingham.
He has served for a number of years on the committee of Wokingham Chamber of
Commerce. He says that he will be sorry to leave Wokingham and hopes that whoever
takes over the Peach Street premises will continue to run it as a bookshop.

ST. CRISPIN’S SPORTS COMPLEX
Berkshire planners have given approval for the proposed sports complex at St.
Crispin's School, Wokingham. The county council’s development committee gave the
scheme outline planning consent on Tuesday, after they heard that the main problems
had been settled at a meeting between Wokingham District and Town Councils and a
special section from county.
It had been hoped to build the sports hall complex without disturbing the all-weather
tennis/football pitches and retaining as much of the Wokingham Road frontage.
However, it was found that there was no alternative but to build on part of the
tennis/netball pitches and the frontage of the school. The swimming pool, which will
be constructed at a much later date, will take up part of the all-weather pitches.
By taking this course, the council hone that phase one of the scheme—to build two
halls and ancillary accommodation—can proceed at an early date.
At a meeting of Wokingham Town Council on Tuesday, Mr. W.C.A. Smith
suggested that the plans should be dropped, on the grounds that it could cost
Wokingham rate-payers another £15,000 on top of the money already contributed.

1071