Page 512 - Reading Mercury

Motorists of Wokingham decided at a meeting held at Bush Hotel to organise
themselves and formed the Wokingham and District Motor club, with the Bush Hotel
as headquarters. Mr. Alan Perkins was elected chairman; Mr. Ganson, hon. treasurer;
Mr. T.A. Hatfield, hon. secretary; and Mr. J. Lewis, captain. The subscriptions were
fixed at members, 10s 6d.; associates, 5s.; and cars, £1 1s. A further meeting is to be
held.

THE CAGE BIRD SOCIETY
The second annual jumble sale and concert of the above was held on Saturday. The
goods found ready purchasers—a credit to the ladies committee of the society. Mr.
F.W. Mattingley, the hon. secretary was very busy as the organiser of the variety
concert which followed the sale. Mr. P. Fuller at the piano both entertained the
audience and acted as accompanist, the latter duty being shared with Mrs. Lear. The
artistes were popular local performers and included Messrs. D. Goddard, B. Dicker,
Westlake, Townsend and E.R. Thatcher in songs and monologues, Messrs. Thatcher
and Goodeve in sketches, and Miss Marjorie Sharp, etc.

rd
Sat 23 April
AIR CRASH AT WOKINGHAM
Narrow Escapes
A MOTHER’S ANXIETY
A mother’s anxiety for her son’s safety led to her arrival on the scene just after the
aeroplane bearing him crashed to earth at Homefield, Wokingham, on Saturday.
The mother, Mrs. Garland, a well-known horsewoman, of Barkham Manor, was
riding on horseback to Wokingham, when she had a feeling that her son, who was
taking part in the local “Air Week,” would meet with an accident. After she had
ridden a short distance her presentiment was confirmed by passers-by, who stopped
her and told her that the machine had crashed. She hurried on, and on arriving at the
flying field she saw the wrecked aeroplane lying on its back on the grass. Mrs.
Garland found her son, Mr. Victor Garland, in The Three Frogs Inn, Wokingham, in a
dazed condition, but otherwise unhurt.
Mr. Garland, fortunately, had a remarkable escape from injury, as did also the pilot
of the machine, Mr. Leslie H. Lewis, and another passenger, Mr. Albert Twitchin, of
The Three Frogs, Wokingham.
The plane, and Avro pleasure machine, had come to Wokingham for the Easter
holidays, was giving circular flights at 5s. each, and had just started on the first trip
when the mishap occurred.
Snapped in Two Pieces
The machine had taken off well and had ascended to a height of about 40 feet when
the engine suddenly stopped. As a result the plane crashed to earth, turned a complete
somersault flinging the occupants out of their seats, and snapped in two pieces.
Spectators at once rushed to the wrecked plane to extricate the men, who were
partially stunned. On the handbills advertising the flights, which were headed “Safety
flying for all,” it was announced that Mr. Garland, who was described as a film actor,
would walk along the wings of the machine when in full flight.
Mrs. Garland was strongly opposed to her son’s proposal to perform such feats, and
was most anxious for him. So great was her fear that he would be hurt that she set out
in fact for the scene of the flight.

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