Page 1097 - Reading Mercury

planting bulbs in between them. The one big red rose bed would become three smaller
circular ones and litter bins would be installed. Special signs prohibiting ball games
and dogs would be put up.
The plans were approved subject to certain protective coatings being put into the
play equipment to deter vandalism and Cllr Davis suggested a grand opening which
she would like to host when everything was complete.

THE FIRST ERFSTADT INVASION OF 1985
A group of German visitors from Wokingham’s twin-town Erfstadt was due to
arrive in Wokingham last night at the start of a four-day springtime visit. They are the
first twinning visitors to arrive this year and follow the visit to Germany in February
of a group of Wokinghamers (as natives of the town are known over there) to enjoy
the Erfstadt carnival.
The highlight of the visit will be on Saturday night when the Wokingham Twinning
Association holds a social evening for its visitors to which all and sundry in
Wokingham are invited. The Saints (from St. Sebastian’s Band) will be there, as will
the All Saints’ bell-ringers—it should be quite a saintly evening
. There will be supper provided and, the social committee hopes, plenty of dancing.
The Mayor, Cllr. Ann Davis, will be present and all are invited to dress up I fancy
dress on a nursery rhyme theme. Tickets cost £2 (£1 for children) and anyone wanting
to go should ring Mark Richards.

th
Thur 16 May
TALENTED REBEL KNEW HER CAUSE
Mrs. Jean Whitford of Finchampstead, the founder of Wokingham Arts Group has
died in her hundredth year. She was a remarkable person and knew what she wanted.
She was not afraid to be a touch rebellious—dyeing her hair and wearing light
stockings well before such practices were fully accepted.
First and foremost she was a journalist—a prolific writer of articles on a huge
variety of topics, particularly issues affecting women, their rights and their feelings.
She submitted dozens of articles for radio broadcasting which were accepted, and
which she presented herself on the airwaves—often giving the title in advance of
writing the actual work simply so the programme controllers could print the
programme of talks. Later on she wrote an autobiography entitled, No Dizzy Heights.
Born in Penge, London, in 1885, she went to school in Shrewsbury, Shropshire,
moving to Ludlow and then to West Kirby in Merseyside before coming to rest
approaching forty years ago in Warren Lane, Finchampstead. After a thorough
schooling she worked in censorship in Ireland in the First World War, when she wrote
her first and only play.
She married in her early twenties and had five children, but her joy in being active
was never quashed and she would haunt salesrooms, campaign for a bus service down
Finchampstead way and even stand on street corners distributing leaflets for causes
she believed in.
“She always wanted to go into journalism—from a very young girl she was
interested in journalism but at that time it wasn’t easy to get into,” said her daughter,
Mrs. Jean Holloway, who lives in Ashridge Road. She never made any money but she
led a happy and full life and we were very happy as children—she was never a
clinging mother. She would do anything at all as long as it was exciting and was not
sitting at home.”

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