Page 462 - Reading Mercury

The Wokingham Fire Brigade with their engine cooked the vegetables. The meal
comprised cold meat, meat pies, salad, pickles, fruit tarts, jam tarts, jellies, cheese,
etc. with beer and lemonade in abundance. Mr A T Heelas made the round of the
tables with the usual military formula “any complaints,” and was received with
cheers. Grace was said by the Rev. H M Walter. By the kindness of the Guardians and
Mr and Mrs Cooper, the committee were relieved of the responsibility of cooking the
whole of the meat provided at the luncheon. The fire brigade boiled the water, etc. in
their engine.

SPORTS AND GYMKHANA.
A fine list of events for the sports programme took up the afternoon. The events and
prize winners were as follows:
Tent pegging on cycles
Greasy pole
Black and white tournament
Wheelbarrow race
Half-mile flat race for service or ex-service men.
Slow bicycle race (ladies)
Slow bicycle race (men)
Bun and treacle race
Threading the needle
Three-legged race
(The list goes on)
THE TEA
About a thousand wives of service and ex-servicemen, and the widows of the fallen,
who numbered in Wokingham about 200, were entertained to tea at the luncheon table
in a marquee. Both the sports and tea were very successful despite the rain which fell
during the afternoon.
The invitation card bore the white ensign and Union Jack, with laurel leaves in
colours, and the word “Victory” in gold letters.

A GRAND CARNIVAL
The evening carnival was a great success
(Address to the Mayor) …The Food Control, the organisation of War Savings
Associations and the establishment of War Relief Funds.
The organisation of these many schemes was due mainly to your initiation,
superintendence and encouragement without which they would not have attained that
success which we gladly recognise was achieved.
The organisation of these many schemes was due mainly to your initiation,
superintendence and encouragement without which they would not have attained that
success which we gladly recognise was achieved.
When it is borne in mind that these multifarious demands on your time and personal
engagements have been superimposed on the arduous duties of the mayorality and
your responsibilities as Justice of the Peace, we feel that it is only your due that some
public recognition, some cordial and formal acknowledgement of your valuable and
self-sacrificing services, should form a part of our rejoicing at this auspicious time,
and in fulfilment of that obligation we beg to tender to you, on behalf of the
inhabitants of the borough and parish of Wokingham, our thanks, in gratitude for all
that you have done for the benefit and honour of the town and to offer for your
acceptance this silver tray as a token of our esteem.

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