Page 283 - Reading Mercury

th
Sat 19 Oct
BLIND CHARITY
On Wednesday the Corporation met at the Town Hall to distribute the charity of the
late Mrs Sarah Yarnold who left £20 yearly to four blind persons-two men and two
women-those residing in Hurst and Ruscombe to be preferred. There were numerous
applications and the following were elected: William Alder of Hurst, Charles Waite of
Reading, Lucy New of Woodley and Ann Mellet of Swyncombe, each receiving five
pounds.

th
Sat 26 Oct
For some time past the good people of Wokingham (like the numerous letter writers
to the London journals) have been vainly trying to ascertain the reason of the wide
difference between the wholesale and retail price of meat. However, last Saturday
evening the Town Crier announced that an enterprising West End butcher would sell
any joints of beef for 6d per pound and a thriving trade he drove ere he closed his
shutters he had sold out. He appears as well satisfied with the results that he
announced his intention of repeating the experiment.

th
Sat 9 Nov
COUNTY BALL
On Wednesday evening our Town Hall presented a most animated scene on the
occasion of this ball being held. The room had been very tastefully decorated and at
ten o’clock dancing commenced to the music of Burnham’s Band, and the party
which numbered 20 was composed of the principle county families in this
neighbourhood, and included a numerous sprinkling of officers from Aldershot.
Everything passed off most satisfactorily. The refreshment department as usual in the
hands of Mr. W. Chambers of the Market Place receiving the unqualified approval of
the company.

THE LITERARY INSTITUTION
The “season” of this institution will be inaugurated on Thursday evening by an
address from John Walter, Esq., who will also give particulars of his recent tour
through the United States. The particulars are advertised elsewhere.

FAIR
This Annual November Pleasure Fair was held on Saturday and Monday last when
there was the usual motley assemblage of shows, stalls and itinerant exhibitions, and
as the weather was fine each day there was a large attendance, especially in the
evening. Some of the inhabitants feared that as the fair extended over Sunday the
usual quiet of the town on that day would be disturbed, but it was not so as a more
orderly fair we do not recollect.
On Sunday afternoon the Rev. J. W. Charlton, the Incumbant of St. Sebastian’s,
held a special service in the Market Place, and delivered a most suitable address to an
audience most exclusively of the fair people, who listened to the rev. gentleman with
marked attention.
There was no case calling for the attention of the magistrates arising from the fair.
The police keeping a close watch on the few suspicious characters observed.

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