Page 480 - Reading Mercury
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players:-Ladies: 1, Miss Gould; 2, Mrs. Bailey. Gentlemen:- 1, Mr. Reed; 2, Mr.
Andrews. Mr. L. Blackman was the M.C. for the whist drive and Mr. E. Langley for
the dancing, music for which was provided by the Military Band.
nd
Sat 22 July
WOKINGHAM WAR MEMORIAL
GIFT TO THE CLINIC
On Tuesday afternoon those interested in the Wokingham Clinic assembled in the
Town Hall to witness the official handing over of the title deeds of the new
headquarters in Denmark Street. The Mayor (Alderman M. Blake) presided, and there
were also present the Major-General Sir Walter Cayley, D.S.O., K.C.M.G., and Lady
Cayley, Admiral and Mrs. Eustace, Miss Burns, Miss Sturges, Miss Blandy, Mrs. F.
Piggott, the Misses Ellison, (2), Mr. G.J. Brodie, Councillors Barrett, Cheeseman,
Fryer and Whaley, Mrs. Fryer, Mrs. Melville Anderson, Mrs. And Miss Lloyd, Mr.
J.H. Ellison Clifton, Mr. H. Farrington Evans, Mrs. Blake, Miss D. Sale, Mr. and Mrs.
E.V. Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Newman, Mr. and Mrs. C. Scragg, and others.
The Mayor said they met on that interesting occasion to reap the benefit of the
success which had attended the efforts of the War Memorial Committee. During the
Great War the town of Wokingham lost many of its best. Some time ago a meeting
was held, when it was agreed to raise money in order that their memories might be
perpetuated in the form of a war memorial, and as a result they met that day to witness
the handing over of the title deeds of a building to the Orthopaedic Clinic. He was
sure that hospitals and hospital work claimed their thoughts and support, and that they
realised that there were a large number of their fellow creatures who were unable to
benefit by medical science which could be brought to their assistance through the
hospitals. To such there must be times of disappointment and despair because of the
handicaps under which they lived. It was here that the clinic came to their aid, and
endeavoured to remove that disappointment and to bring a ray of sunshine into their
lives. The work was going forward daily in their midst. The accommodation at the
Town Hall had become insufficient to meet their demands, and today, by Mr. Sale, the
title deeds of a more adequate building would be handed to the clinic. There had been
little in the town with Mr. Sale had not been connected, and to him, to his committee,
and to those generous supporters of their appeal he desired to pay grateful tribute.
(Applause).
Alderman Sale, speaking on behalf of the War Memorial Committee, said that,
while he did not intend to go over the ground which they had travelled so many times,
an occasion such as that, which celebrated the completion of a task, could not be
passed over without a backward glance. The scheme was launched from a feeling of
gratitude for work unselfishly done, (Applause.) To some that work meant simple
service, to others it meant the giving of lives, and thus it was thought fitting that the
memorial should take the form of assistance to a kindred work. He said kindred,
because the work of the clinic was a task done unselfishly for others. Reference had
been made to the value of that work and to the enormous benefits it was conferring
and would confer on those who were afflicted. It was a work of prevention, which
gave to those it aided a better start in life. War was a terrible hellish thing, which
could not be painted in too lurid colours, but there was nothing without redeeming
rays of light. Thus the war brought out unselfishness of character and deeds which
thrilled them, and here in Wokingham much work war accomplished. He would like
to refer to the work of their late Mayor (the late Mr. Mylne)—(Here, here)—and to
what was accomplished by the ladies at the hospitals—(applause)—in connection
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