Page 878 - Reading Mercury

on Friday last week several made their way to the Church House, Wokingham, to
accept the hospitality of the All Saints’ Youth Club and join them for supper. None
were refused admission, for all bore faint resemblances to well-known club members,
although hidden behind shaggy unkempt beards. One proved to be the club leader,
Mr. John West, and two who received prizes for their appearance gave their names as
W. Munday and D. Murphy. Whether a real tramp would have appreciated the first
prize—a free haircut—was a matter of much debate. The judges included Herr Hand
Willer, one of the leaders of the German visitors to Wokingham, of Bad Gandersheim
and Seesen, Mr. and Mrs. G. Miles, and Mr. J. Sparrow, and they also gave a prize to
Miss I. Grant for her gipsy costume. At this social the German visitors enjoyed seeing
an English youth club in action and joined in many of the games. Before the “tramp
supper” got under way, W. Munday beat L. Frith in the final of the club’s knock-out
table tennis competition.

th
Sat 27 Aug
LEAVING FOR BEIRUT
A man who will soon leave Wokingham for Beirut is Capt. Reginald Aldridge, of
143, Barkham Road, Wokingham, who is to be one of the pilots seconded from the
Hunting Clan Airlines to help the newly-formed Middle East Air Lines. He expects to
fly Viscounts, among other craft, and will be stationed in Beirut for two years. His
wife, son and daughter will also travel to Syria.

ANOTHER RECORD
Another attendance record was beaten at Martins Swimming Pool this week. On
Monday 1,069 swimmers paid to use the pool—the highest number on an ordinary
week-day since the Council took over the management in 1947. On the same day
there were 226 people who paid for admission to the grounds only. The total number
of swimmers on Saturday, Sunday and Monday was 2,182, and 595 people were
admitted to the grounds only.

CANADIAN CHOIR AT WOKINGHAM
For the second time in slightly more than a year, the Wokingham Town Hall echoed
to the voices of the Elgar Choir from Vancouver on Saturday. As on the first occasion,
this smartly uniformed choir was welcomed by Cllr. R.H. Brimblecombe, the deputy
Mayor, and by the Rev. Harold Ogden, minister of the Rose Street Methodist Church.
Those who were fortunate enough to hear the choir on their previous visit flocked to
the Town Hall again, for seldom can such fine singing be heard in Wokingham.
Despite the heat, the choir, under the direction of Mr. C.E. Findlater, gave a
programme of 27 items, well chosen from sacred and secular sources.
One of the most popular items was a highland dance admirably executed in costume
by one of the younger members.
This year there were five choristers who were on the 1954 tour, among them being
soloist Naomi Bartindale; they came up to the expectations of a critical and
appreciative audience. One of the most noticeable features of the choir was their own
enjoyment of the concert—they were very happy to sing “The Happy Wanderer” as an
encore and gave the impression that they would have continued singing as long as the
public cared to listen, had the conductor, Mr. Findlater, not had another appointment.
On Sunday the choir gave a sacred concert in the Rose Street Methodist Church.
This is the sixth overseas tour that the choir have made, their first visit to this
country being in 1936.

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