Page 1165 - Reading Mercury

Additionally to all these activities, she ran a farm at Knowl Hill, where she had
moved in 1952, after most of the family estate had been sold. Here she cultivated
things—cattle, horses, dogs, made good hay with a 1947 tractor, grew exotic plants in
her ancient greenhouses. Here it was through her kitchen door, which was never
closed, streamed endless people. Effie never married and her family of brothers and
their wives, nieces and, nephews, great and great, great nieces and nephews were a
great joy to her.
All came to laugh, listen and never went away without learning something new,
intelligent and practical. No one was ever turned away. She loved people and their
interests, old and young, urban or rural, rich or poor, she wanted to know all about
them and they, in turn, left feeling brighter and happier.
R. J. Palmer, Swallowfield.

th
Thur 5 June
CELIA’S LIVING IN A DOLL’S HOUSE
A Wokingham resident has decided to turn her home into a doll’s house. Celia Read
who lives in Rose Street made the decision after her listed house, Wingmore Lodge,
became known locally by that name.
Her interest started a few years ago when the house held a Victorian Day and she
joined in by displaying her children’s Victorian dolls at the Queen Anne House. After
that whenever she tried to remove the dolls from the widow people would ask why.
Often people would knock to see if the items were for sale.
Celia has now decided to turn her drawing room into an exclusive small shop selling
collectors’ artisan porcelain dolls, teddy bears and traditional rocking horses made
from mahogany, cherry, walnut and oak. Anyone interested in viewing the items
strictly by appointment can call 0118 989 2457.

th
Thur 12 June
WOKINGHAM CARNIVAL CROSSES THE FINAL FRONTIER
Brightly coloured aliens and astronauts touched down in Wokingham last Saturday.
But despite initial alarm, the weird and wonderful visitors did not come to conquer.
They had landed in Wokingham especially to participate in the annual carnival with
the theme “Space, the Final Frontier”.
Budding Buzz Lightyears dressed in costumes of silver foil peacefully co-existed
alongside green faced extraterrestrials in the procession, organised by Wokingham
Round Table. Eleven inter-galactic floats massed at St. Crispin’s School on London
Road where they were judged by Wokingham’s Mayor Cllr. Jack Earnshaw and
Wokingham Round Table chairman Chris Liebert.
The award for the best float in the 18-plus section went to the Red Cross. The
Under-18 award went to First Wokingham Scout Group, and the Under-12 section
was won by First Woosehill Scout Group.
Following the judging, the procession passed through the town centre slightly
behind schedule at 1.15 pm. Hundreds of onlookers lined the streets to wave at the
colourful procession. As well as the prize-winning floats, there were entries from
Emmbrook After School Club, Wokingham Girls’ Brigade, Norreys Evangelical
Church, Third Wokingham Scouts and Reading sci-fi club U.S.S. Runnymede.
Music was provided by the St. Sebastian’s marching band and drum majorettes from
Swindon. The carnival procession was headed by carnival princess, lucky Ria Poole
of Ellis Road, Crowthorne.

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