Page 1176 - Reading Mercury

was described as a reserved but helpful man whose main interest since retiring was
local history.
Mr. Ayres moved to Wokingham 16 years ago with his wife Helen from Shenfield
in Essex.

TOWN COUNCIL TO TAKE OVER’DECAYING’ LEISURE SITE
Wokingham Town Council has offered to come to the rescue of the beleaguered
Elms Road leisure facilities. The town council wants to run the pitch and putt golf
course and tennis courts which were both moth-balled by Wokingham District
Council as part of a disastrous £9M of cuts.
The town council is to explore whether it can afford to purchase the land and run the
pitch and putt and tennis courts under contract. The district council which hoped to
reopen the facilities when cash became available has welcomed the idea.

th
Thus 17 Sept
HISTORIC CHAPEL SERVICES ARE SAVED
Churchgoers were relieved last week when they learned that the monthly public
chapel services at Lucas Hospital, off Luckley Road that were under threat, because of
the death of a minister, are to continue. At a meeting attended by representatives of
many of Wokingham’s churches in the chapel last Tuesday it was agreed that the
services would continue. The services were traditionally held from 1665.
Volunteers are needed to lead the short services which take place at 3pm every third
Sunday of the month and members of different Wokingham churches have agreed to
organise them well into next year.

th
Thur 24 Sept
Major Harding welcomed members of the Wokingham and Woodley RAF
Association to the district on Saturday as they collected for ex-servicemen, one of his
favourite charities.

st
Thur 1 Oct
In 1973 Wokingham Borough Council became Wokingham District Council, and in
April 1998 the District Council became a unitary authority.

The clinic at Wokingham Hospital and others in Tilehurst and Battle Hospital,
Reading, are set to close today as part of a £200,000 cut in the West Berks family
planning budget.

nd
Thur 22 Oct
A TOUCH OF CLASS
Just minutes after a colourful opening ceremony the new £6M Marks & Spencer
food hall in Peach Street was heaving with happy customers. At 10 am, Cllr Philip
Harding, the Mayor of Wokingham, cut the cord and declared the store open,
accompanied by Stuart Brien, the regional manager for Marks and Spencer.

th
Thur 5 Nov
RON RIMMER DIES
Ron Rimmer has died in hospital after a long battle against leukaemia. Mr. Rimmer,
who was town crier for nine years, died at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on

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