Page 1186 - Reading Mercury

female patient, who had been trapped for four hours to the Central Middlesex Hospital
where she was treated for spinal injuries, abdominal pain and hypothermia.
Presenting the awards, Keith Kerr, chairman of the Royal Berkshire Ambulance
N.H.S. Trust said,” I’m sure it was a difficult day for you but I am pleased that the
emergency services involved in helping in that incident have been recognised.”
The Queen’s telegram thanked members of the emergency services for their bravery
and courage in helping save lives during a difficult rescue operation.

Wed 10th Nov
EXPLOSIONS ROCK LONDON ROAD
Houses near a Wokingham junk yard were rocked by massive explosions as fire
swept through it at the weekend. As 50 foot flames lit up the sky, London Road
residents were warned to stay away from their windows as gas cylinders exploded in
the mystery blaze at the abandoned car yard at Plough Farm.
Around six or seven propane gas cylinders exploded but firefighters called to the
scene at 2.07 pm on Sunday risked their lives to remove even more dangerous
acetylene gas cylinders. Described as being like bombs. They were littered around the
site.
The acetylene was finally contained by submerging the cylinders in water. A
thermal imaging camera was used to determine when the cylinders were safe to be
moved.
A fire engine from Wokingham, two from Bracknell and one from Wokingham
Road, two police cars and paramedics were on the scene for the three hour battle with
the blaze.

PARTY OFFICE INUNDATED AS SIR WILLIAM, 74, DIES
Sir William van Straubenzee who served as MP for the people of Wokingham for 28
years has died at the age of 74. Staff in the Wokingham Conservative Party office
were flooded with calls from shocked friends and colleagues wishing to pay tribute to
the man who was known for fiercely defending the interests of his constituents.
William Radcliffe van Straubenzee, who was of Dutch-German ancestry, entered
Parliament in 1959—the year of Harold Macmillan’s electoral triumph. A qualified
solicitor, in 1960 he was made parliamentary private secretary to the Minister of
Education, Sir David Eccles.
In 1970 Edward Heath appointed him Under Secretary of State for Education, under
Margaret Thatcher, an appointment which reflected his lifelong interest in education.
In 1972 he was sent to Northern Ireland as /minister of State under William Whitelaw,
a man he had great admiration for.
After the double defeat of the Conservatives in 1974 his career ceased to flourish-he
was left with his role as a Second Church Estates Commissioner, to which he had
been appointed in 1971. He stepped down as MP for Wokingham in 1987 but never
severed his ties with the town and the people he knew so well.
He made a point of writing to old friends at times of trouble. Most recently he wrote
to a newly widowed party member to express his sadness at her husband’s death.
When the witty figure celebrated 25 years in office, members of Wokingham
Conservatives wanted to present him with a gift. The privately generous man—who
purchased the display cabinets still on show in the town council offices limited
contributions to 50p.
He was astounded when money was raised to buy a barograph and a hip flask
leaving a £100 to spend himself.

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