Page 1102 - Reading Mercury

Council Colonel John Cole and Wokingham town Mayor Keith Cattran both praised
the joint effort of the two councils to help provide the theatre with a new home.
The theatre is being built at Cantley adjacent to the Cantley House Hotel to the
north of Wokingham and will have 120 seats. This is six more seats than the theatre
group’s current home, a temporary old wooden building on the Norreys Avenue.
The theatre will not be completed until spring 1986, a few months later than
planned. The cost of the theatre will be £160,000, and the district council has given
the theatre group a £60,000 low interest loan and a £4,500 grant. The town council
has given £1,000 and is considering buying a row of seats when decoration of the
inside of the theatre gets under way.

rd
Thur 3 Oct
CENTENARY OF THE COUNCIL
The day opened with the arrival of the Lord Lieut. Of Berkshire, the Hon. Gordon
Palmer led by the REME Staff Band and travelling in a horse-drawn carriage. The
Lord Lieut. was given a trumpet fanfare at the town hall. The Mayor Keith Cattran
welcomed the Deputy-Mayor of Erfstadt, Herr Adolf Kappes and Town Clerk, Herr
Johannes Mrasek. Fifteen past town mayors were presented with commemorative pins
and a commemorative scroll was signed. The rest of the day featured various displays,
including stiltwalkers, Wokingham Firemen with an old manual pump fire engine, a
wild west show and morris dancing. The day ended with a firework display at the
carnival field

th
Thur 17 Oct
MAYOR OPENS LUXURY HOTEL
A new luxury hotel was opened in Wokingham aimed at catching the business trade
in Berkshire. The Edward Court Hotel at Wellington Road, which has 25 bedrooms all
with en suite bathrooms was opened last week by Wokingham Town Mayor, Cllr.
Keith Cattran.
Hotel managing director, Miss Judith Simpson said the hotel was small and able to
offer a personal service. She added Wokingham had very few hotels and they hoped
to attract trade from the many businessmen passing through the area.
The hotel is owned by the Luff Building Company of Wokingham who have
previous experience in constructing hotels as they built Bracknell’s Ladbroke
Mercury but this is the first time they will be taking on running one. Miss Simpson
said the hotel was a milestone for Luff who was this year celebrating its 25th
anniversary. If it proved a success then there was a possibility of further hotel
ventures.

th
Thur 7 Nov
FUN IN THE STREETS AS THE TOWN CELEBRATES MAKING HISTORY
Wokingham turned the clock back 100 years on Saturday as the town celebrated its
mayoral centenary. Thousands of eager townspeople, many dressed in Victorian
costume, turned out to enjoy a day of nostalgia and celebrations. Stalls, displays and
entertainments were laid on to commemorate the town’s historic centenary which
began with Wokingham’s first Mayor, Alderman Thomas Manley Wescott, in 1885.
The day began with the arrival of the lord Lieut. of Berkshire, the Honourable
Gordon Palmer. Led by the marching R.E.M.E. staff band and travelling in a horse-
drawn carriage, the Lord Lieut. was given a trumpet fanfare welcome at the Town

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