Page 1113 - Reading Mercury

VIC IS BACK TO THRIVE
Greengrocer Vic Fletcher was angry and bitter when rising overheads forced him to
close his greengrocer shop in Peach Street that his family had owned since 1939. He
was forced out of Wokingham by the landlord who put up the rents to such an extent
that he couldn’t afford to pay.
He now runs a thriving farm in Forest Road. The farm has been so successful that he
intends to open a farm produce shop there on October 13th.

th
Thur 10 Nov
TOWN HALL
The town hall is scheduled to have repairs made to balconies and railings,
replacement of main doors, overhaul of timberwork around the clock tower, and
treatment of flagstaffs. The cost is expected to be around £5,000.

WOKINGHAM SOCIETY FACES CLOSURE THREAT
The Wokingham Society may have to disband after nearly a quarter of a century
because of apathy. Once a thriving watchdog body with around 700 members it
attracted just 13 members to its annual meeting. Last Wednesday’s turnout was the
lowest in its 24-year history and seven short of the minimum needed to form a
quorum.
For years the society acted as a bulwark against new development which would
detract from the town’s character. Past successes appear to have been forgotten except
for the faithful few who were clearly proud of their Wokingham heritage. About eight
years ago the society played an important part in ensuring that the land on Elms Field
was not sold for office development. Its joint effort with Berkshire and Wokingham
councils led to a public enquiry and the plans for development were subsequently
turned down.
The town could be affected in many other ways should the society fold. The society
proposes improvements necessary for the appearance, public open spaces, and other
amenities in the area. It strives to conserve the traditions and character of Wokingham
by preserving historic buildings and aims to monitor the needs of vehicles and
pedestrians. Basically by keeping in touch with local residents it tries to create as
civilised an environment as possible.

TOWN HALL TO UNDERGO ‘CONSIDERABLE’ REPAIRS
Wokingham’s Victorian town hall is set to undergo a major series of repairs,
including work on the stonework. Chartered surveyors have been called in to draw up
a list of repairs to the 130-year-old building. The most urgent work includes repairs to
the balconies and railings replacement on the main doors, and overhaul of the
timberwork around the clock tower and treatment of the flag staffs. The roof is still in
good condition although plant growth in the rain gutters needs to be cleared
According to Town Clerk Michael Taylor up until now the council has not had a
proper maintenance programme and repairs have been done as they are needed. This
is the first year we will have a formal maintenance programme so the work needed is
considerable.
The town hall maintenance sub-committee decided last week to submit the most
urgent works for approval to the Amenities Committee which meets in two weeks. If
they agree the council will put the contract out to tender. It is not known how much
the work will cost. Full council approval will be needed as the contract for the works

1111