Page 663 - Reading Mercury

Householders providing lodging only for a teacher or helper accompanying a party
of schoolchildren will be paid at the rate of 5s. a week for each adult and 3s. a week.
The Billeting Officer will leave the householder a form to be presented for payment
at the local Post Office. Payment will be made weekly in advance.
CLOTHES.
The children will bring hand luggage, and their parents will be asked to send them
with their gas masks, a change of underclothing, night clothes, house shoes or
plimsolls, spare stockings or socks, a tooth-brush, comb, towel and handkerchiefs, and
a warm coat or mackintosh. Some parents will no doubt be unable to supply their
children with all these articles, but the householder will be under no obligation to
supply extra clothes or equipment. The teachers who come with the children would be
able to say whether the parents were likely to be able to send further clothes or money
to buy them, and in cases where the clothes or boots and shoes need replenishing and
the parents have not sent further supplies, the matter should be reported to the Local
Welfare Committee in order that steps may be taken to remedy these deficiencies
through other sources.
MENDING AND WASHING.
lt is hoped that volunteers in the reception areas will be forthcoming to help
householders who find difficulty with the mending and washing of the children's
clothes.
MEDICAL AND NURSING EXPENSES.
The local Doctor or the District Nurse should be called in in the ordinary way if the
child's health seems to require it. It is not intended that house holders should have to
pay any expenses in connection with medical or nursing services that the children may
require. The Local Authority will arrange for payment. Volunteers are now being
enrolled and trained as Nursing Auxiliaries in order to supplement the local nursing
staff, which may also be augmented by other trained personnel. It is anticipated that
extra isolation accommodation will be provided in the district to take infectious cases
and special houses may be set aside as sick bays if the hospital facilities already
available are inadequate.

th
Sat 9 Sept
BERKSHIRE AND ADJOINING COUNTIES HEAR AIR RAID RIREN
People in Berkshire and adjoining counties heard their first air raid warning since
the declaration of war, on Wednesday morning.
EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK
Busy, yet not perturbed, is an apt description of the attitude of Wokingham citizens
during the fateful happenings of Sunday and subsequent days. On Friday last week the
Evacuation Committee received some 150 children, teachers and helpers, who arrived
by train, while the officials of the Rural District Council dealt with 450 evacuees.
These were dealt with during the day, supplied with refreshments, and before evening
billeted in their new homes.
Saturday and Sunday brought similar scenes, in which mothers, expectant mothers
and small children formed the evacuees. Speaking generally, all are settling down in
their new quarters, and hosts of new friendships are now in process of formation.
Schools have been open for registration only, but study will commence next week.
The Mayor (Cllr. J.E. Thorpe) is chairman, Cllr. H. Lush is evacuation officer, and
Miss Harwood secretary, of the Wokingham Evacuation Committee, the members of
which are all acting in an honorary capacity.

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