Page 913 - Reading Mercury

series of explosions. Flames were leaping 60 feet in the air, and bits of the roof were
falling all around me.”

DEATH OF LADY WILSON
The death occurred on Wednesday last week of Lady Wilson, widow of Col. the Rt.
Hon. Sir Leslie Orme Wilson. A native of Australia. She passed away at Caloundra,
Queensland. Sir Leslie Wilson was M.P. of Reading in the years before the 1914-18
war and immediately after that war. He resided on his appointment as Governor of
Queensland, a post he held for a number of years. He and his wife, who were married
in 1909, lived for many years in Wokingham. Sir Leslie met his death in a road
accident in this country in 1955.

th
Sat 8 Aug
FATALITY AT MARTIN’S POOL
Colleague Thought Man Was Playing About
A 30-years-old man‘s cries for help whilst bathing in Martin’s Swimming Pool,
Wokingham, were ignored because it was thought he was playing about, it was stated
at an inquest in Reading on Thursday. A verdict of accidental death was recorded by
the Reading Borough Coroner, Mr. J.L. Martin, on the man, Raymond Richard Victor
Dowsett, an electrician, of 38, Birdhill Avenue, Reading, who was drowned on July
th
20 , whilst bathing during his lunchtime break from work.

th
Sat 15 Aug
TOWN HALL PAINTINGS
This week I wish to comment on the recent decision of the Town Council to spend a
great deal of money—possibly £300—on the restoration of the paintings that decorate
the Town Hall. Those who have followed these notes for some time will know that the
writer advocates the removal, not restoration, of these oversized and overbearing
canvases. But there was a feeling around the council table that the paintings should be
restored, and an expert was called in to make the necessary examination. Each
painting was cleaned, and this revealed a hitherto unsuspected brightness.
Unfortunately, however, it was seen fit to test a strip across the face of the portrait of
King James II, who now appears to have a prominent, shining nose. It is extremely
unlikely that any of the paintings will be restored during the next year, and under the
circumstances I suggest that it would be advisable to store them in the meanwhile—in
their present state they can only detract from the general appearance of a decorated
hall.

THEIR OWN THEATRE
At last the Wokingham Players are near to realising their greatest ambition—their
own theatre in the town. Since the company were formed immediately after the war
they have produced plays in the Masonic Hall, the Church House and the Town
Hall—but none of these places found a real home and the facilities they required.
After an initial success the Players had an unfortunate run when little seemed to go
right for them and public interest waned. With the move to the Town Hall, however,
came a new lease of life for the company, and many new members joined their ranks.
The Town Hall, however, increased production difficulties as players had only one
evening to rehearse “on stage,” to overcome this the Players committee looked for a
wooden hut which was suitable for conversion to a theatre. They found one near
Hindhead 94ft.x 24ft., and bought it for £100. A large part of the company’s

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