Page 1123 - Reading Mercury

A service will be held at the Salvation Army Citadel in Sturges Road, Wokingham
at 2 p.m. and Olive will be buried in the family grave in Finchampstead Cemetery.

1990
th
Thur 4 Jan
Wokingham C.A.B. moved from the Town Hall to the Old Social Club in Elms

st
Thur 1 Feb
CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION
Winds gusting at 80 mph swept through the Wokingham district, closing schools,
blacking out villages and leaving homes and buildings battered in a carbon copy of
the 1987 mini-hurricane. And the London Weather Centre is forecasting, “There’s
more to come.”
Finchampstead was completely blacked out as electricity supplies to the villages
were cut by last Thursday’s gale. Blankets and supplies had to be taken to the elderly
and emergency gangs were drafted in from all over the country to help restore power.
The Southern electricity offices in Wokingham remained open throughout Sunday to
advise and coordinate work.
Wokingham’s Broad Street library has been closed until further notice after the high
winds wrecked the chimney leaving it hanging dangerously. Whitelocke Infants’
School was expected to be closed until the end of this week after winds ripped off the
roof and heavy rain flooded the building.
Trains
A number of trains were stranded at Ascot, unable to go further.
Heathlands County Market suffered extensive damage in the gales with the plant
house and coffee shop roof ripped off. Nothing was left standing as the winds hurtled
through the centre and Julia Carter said,”It looked as though a whirlwind had gone
through it.”
There was praise from all quarters for the police, council workers, electricity
workers and other services who worked through the night to ease the suffering and
inconvenience as the Dunkirk spirit enveloped the area.
The meteorological officer for Wokingham Town Council, Bernard Burton, said the
storm “was very similar” to the hurricane of 1987. Equipment stationed at Emmbrook
School measured a top wind of 80 mph at around 1.30 p.m. Many of the winds
throughout the day measured 70-80 mph he said.
Roy Fuller, at Wokingham District Council’s engineering department said that in
terms of manpower and machinery he estimated that the clean up would cost about
£20,000.
About 300 tenants rang the district council after the storm to report damage that
looks set to run into thousands of pounds. Gutterings and tiles were blown off,
structures were damaged.
Berkshire County Council put early estimates of its clean up at £1.25 million. A
spokeswoman said the elderly had been particularly badly affected and several of the
county’s own homes had been damaged.
Advice
She said, “Gas heaters and cookers were provided for some people and hot foods
delivered to many vulnerable people. And staff pulled out the stops to make sure the
disabled, elderly and frail were well cared for and had enough to eat. Some people
were temporarily checked into residential homes.”

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