Page 1172 - Reading Mercury

A home has been found for Wokingham’s pioneering mobility scheme thanks to the
generosity of the Luff Group. Peter Luff, chairman, handed over the keys to the
garage in Broad Street Walk to Cllr. Jack Earnshaw, Mayor of Wokingham. The
garage will be adapted by Wokingham Town Mobility to house scooters and
wheelchairs giving a boost to elderly and disabled people who find it difficult to shop
in town.
The garage will be equipped with electrical sockets t charge at least ten scooters. A
group of volunteers are expected to help give the garage a facelift in the next few
weeks.
Town councillor Tina Marinos thanked all the sponsors, including Waitrose,
Savacentre and Boots.

Thur 21st May
SOLDIERS MARCH A MILE FOR CHARITY
Hundreds of soldiers jogged a mile at the double in almost all ways imaginable.
Students, staff and their families took part in the Macmillan Mile event held at the
Arborfield Garrison last Wednesday which was one of the many across the country
Not content with simply jogging, many of the participants dressed up or covered the
distance in an unusual way. Some passed a rugby ball between them, others a football
or a basketball. Some wore fancy dress and one group even dressed up as Romans and
pulled a chariot along. Another group of adventurous souls ran carrying surf boards,
and some others carried an egg and spoon.
A serious mile race at 5.30 p.m. Started off the proceedings, which saw the Corps
Band marching a “musical mile.” Junior soldiers in the waiting platoon at the garrison
then had the job of transporting their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Nigel May around
the course in 17 different ways which ranged from being carried on a stretcher, on a
hospital bed, on the back of a motorbike, and even being shouted at by the regimental
police corporal.
The event was a great success and everyone enjoyed it. It appeared to have made
more than £1,000 at the end of last week, but money was still coming in.

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Thur 4 June
The Tourist Information Centre at the town hall is to close at the end of the month.

Thur 11th June
ARMY TAKES TO PEDAL POWER TO HELP THIRD WORLD COUNTRY
A crack team of eleven Arborfield soldiers cycled all the way to Gambia in West
Africa in just five days but the iron-men did not move an inch, because their 3,852
mile effort was confined to the main hall at the Coombes Infant School, in School
Road, Arborfield.
They went the distance on three exercise bikes in a marathon attempt to raise about
£9,000 for a foetal monitor for the Kuntaur Medical Centre, and has raised money for
it in the past. The soldiers from the School of Electronic and Aeronautical
Engineering cycled non-stop for 24 hours until Friday afternoon.
Pupils used the riders as impromptu laboratory subjects and monitored their hearts
and blood pressure as they rode. .some also helped by riding a few miles on the third
bike as part of their science lessons.
The hall where the marathon took place was also used for lessons while the soldiers
kept cycling. They sat through dance and P.T. Lessons. Warrant Officer John
Canham, whose children go the school, said with the soldiers doing one hour shifts

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