Page 543 - Reading Mercury

The opening of the new club house of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Aero Club .at
Woodley Aerodrome near Reading, was made the occasion of an air pageant on
Saturday, when between 3,000 and 4,000 spectators watched air races and thrilling
stunts by some of the best-known pilots of the day. The clerk of the weather did his
best to spoil the event, a morning’s rain not having improved the state of the ground
nor made flying conditions admirable. Fog over London also prevented the No.600
Auxiliary Squadron of the Royal Air Force from putting in an appearance, while Mr.
John Tranium, the intrepid Parachutist, who was to have descended from a Desoutter
air taxi, was unable to get across from the continent in time to put in an appearance.
Despite these handicaps, the Pageant was carried through with success.
Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker, A.F.C., the Director of Civil Aviation, was
to have visited the pageant by air, but he was prevented from flying by the weather,
and he made the journey by road. Other distinguished visitors included Lieut.-Colonel
the Right Hon. Sir Leslie Wilson, Captain the Right Hon. F. E. Guest (formerly
Secretary of State for Air), Lord Wyfold, Miss Diana Guest, Miss Ariel Lee, Miss
Beatrix Thompson, Colonel Thwaites, of the Air League, Sir Charles Russell, Mr.
Arthur Russell, Col. A.F. Poulton (Chief Constable of Berkshire), Mr. T. A. Burrows
(Chief Constable of Reading), Mr. W.J. Fryer, Mr. L. Noel Sutton, Miss “Toby”
Cribb (hon. secretary of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Aero Club), etc.
The new club house was formally opened by Sir Leslie Wilson. The club house has
been well built to suit the needs of the club members. It contains an up-to-date lounge,
dining room, bar, dressing rooms, and residential accommodation with an excellent
standard of catering. The provision of tennis courts and other social amenities at the
club will naturally depend upon the extent of the membership. At the present rate of
progress these additional attractions will soon be forthcoming, and will have a
particular appeal to the non-flying members.
LADY WINS FIRST RACE
Miss Winifred Spooner, of Wokingham, the intrepid airwoman who has competed
in the Air Derby for the King’s Cup, won the first race, which was open to all private
aircraft owners in Berks, Bucks and Oxon, and a trophy for which was presented by
Sir Charles Russell. There were twelve entries altogether, and four competitors
appeared in the final—Miss Spooner in a Gipsy Moth, Mr. M. Bainbridge and Mr. A.
Jacksman, also in Gipsy Moths, and Mr. H.H. Leach, flying a Martlet. The four
competitors taxied across the ground, and Miss Spooner was the first to take off. She
increased her lead with every lap of six miles, and finished the 30 miles course in 18
mins. 38 secs., 11 seconds before the next competitor, Mr. M. Bainbridge. Her
“ground” speed was 106½ miles an hour, while that of Mr. Bainbridge was 105½
m.p.h. Mr. A. Jacksman finished third, and Mr. H.H. Leach brought up the tail end.

th
Sat 19 July
SUCCESSFUL FETE
The fete held at High Close to raise funds for the purchase of cottages adjacent to
All Saints’ Church, to be acquired by the parochial council, proved highly
satisfactory. The takings amounted to £268 7s. 4d., while expenses were £34 14s. 3d.,
so that there was a satisfactory profit of £233 13s. 1d.

PALMER SCHOOL OUTING
On Friday last week a party of 150 scholars and teachers from the Palmer School
(with Mr. H.F. Maidment, head master, in charge) journeyed to London in seven

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