Page 1164 - Reading Mercury

fruit and vegetables, cards and jewellery stalls. It is a very different market they had
here up until the middle of this century. Cattle were still being driven up Rose Street.
Old byelaws regulating the market activities are still in existence and could still be
enforced if they were not so impractical in the 20th century. One byelaw allows cattle
and sheep to be penned up at the other side of this market, exactly where Dorothy
Perkins is located.
Today’s market stands on the original site with the town hall built in 1859/60 and
surrounding business and homes encroaching into its space. The market and the town
have captured the imagination of television producers who are using it as a backdrop
to the programme Soldier Soldier. The market is looking into the future to bring more
traders and entice more customers. Mr. Hook has issued a questionnaire for the traders
to build up a relationship where they can work together to get the market to prosper.
The reputation of the market is important to Mr Hook who screens all stallholders and
closely examines their products before letting them have a regular pitch.

nd
Thur 22 May
MISS EFFIE BARKER—A TRIBUTE
Effie Lucile Barker died on May 3rd aged 85. She was born on February 16th 1912.
Effie was the epitome of all that is best in a gentlewoman. She followed the principles
of fulfilling what she recognised to be the duty of people born into a well-to-do
family. She was one of those who was more interested in others than in herself.
She was born in, lived in, and loved the countryside and all that it had to offer.
Horses and hunting were her favourite pastime. Indeed, at the age of six she already
had a pet donkey, two hound puppies, a terrier, a Pekinese and a beagle.
Effie was born at Stanlake Park, an elegant Georgian house near Twyford, Berkshire
situated in a beautiful park. She was the only daughter and last child of Colonel and
Mrs. F.G. Barker. Her father was a typical country gentleman; her mother was French,
from whom Effie inherited her sense of fun, humour and fluency in the French
language.
In the early thirties she formed her own pack of beagles and joined her father as
Master of the Garth Hunt, of which she remained for 30 years. Whilst horses and
hunting were her major passion, she enjoyed all country sports, as well as being a
capable squash and tennis player. She was a line judge at Wimbledon. Her energy was
unbounded which, considering that her diet seemed to consist of chocolate biscuits,
black coffee, cigarettes and an odd lettuce leaf, was remarkable.
She was an expert judge of horses and judged at the Royal Windsor Horse Show for
many years. She continued to judge at many horse shows till she was 80.
However it was for her sympathetic work for others that she will be remembered
best. She joined the Red Cross in 1938 and worked during the war at the Royal
Berkshire Hospital. In her usual self-deprecating manner she referred to being in
charge of B.B and B—baths, bedpans, biscuits. After D-Day, she volunteered for
overseas service and was in the first relief group to enter Belsen. She was chairman of
the Berkshire Red Cross for many years and received the Red Cross Certificate for
Distinguished War Service to add to her other campaign medals, and later the Medal
of Honour for exceptional service to the Society.
Amongst much other charitable work was the Presidency of the women’s section of
the British Legion, chairmanship of charities in the local village of Hurst, Governor of
Heathfield School, where she had been head girl. Her endless involvement in the
County of Berkshire was recognised in 1978 by her being appointed a Deputy
Lieutenant.

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