Page 915 - Reading Mercury

Half-a-century is a long time for anyone to remain in business in one shop in the
town. Yet Fred Painter has been at the blacksmith’s shop in Peach Street, Wokingham
for 53 years.—and still the ring of his hammer as it sends showers of sparks cascading
over the anvil draws children—and adults—to his dark doorway, eager to see an old
craft being perpetuated. Today his forge is flanked by garages on either side, and the
days when he and other brawny men made and fitted no fewer than 400 shoes per
week are gone forever. Fred has seen many changes in his street—he is one of the
oldest still working there—but time has not changed his shop. He still uses the same
tools, the same forge and the same technique that he was taught as a lad when he left a
firm of engineers to become a “blackie.”
On Tuesday, however, the usually placid Fred was a worried man. He had been
asked to attend at the Mayor’s Parlour at 10 a.m.—and could not think why. Perhaps
the authorities were going to close his smithy to retire after all these years, this was
something he had not planned. But his fears were unfounded. He was welcomed by
the Mayor, Ald. S.L. Bowyer, and Mr. W. Harold Lee, and, to mark the town’s
appreciation of his services, particularly with regard to pre-war carnivals, was
presented with a framed portrait of himself—taken by Mr. W.H. Lee.

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Sat 26 September
WELL!
Workmen engaged on improvements at The Victoria Arms, Easthampstead Road,
Wokingham, discovered a brick-in well this week. Ten feet deep, it was still, after the
abnormally dry season, full of water.

A SHIP ADOPTED
How can an interest in geography be stimulated in school? The problem has been
solved, to a very large extent, by Mr. F. Stone, of St. Crispin’s School, Wokingham,
who has formed a “Ship Adoption Society” at the school. Mr. Stone told the Mercury
that the society had “adopted” a 10,000-ton cargo liner, the Port Alma, a motor vessel
of the Port Line, built in 1928.
Each week the society meets during the lunch hour, and about forty boys and girls
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follow the latest news of the vessel which is at present on its 62 voyage, and
returning from New Zealand. Letters are received at the school from time to time from
the captain and crew and in a prominent place by the world map are a photograph of
the Port Alma and an oil painting by one of the crew, of the ship passing through the
Panama Canal.
The owners have provided the scale plans of the vessel, from which a model is
being made in the school workshops. Two girls are making a table runner which they
hope to present to the captain when the ship next docks at Southampton. The children
are also preparing a large album showing details of the school and school activities,
which they hope to present at the same time.
Mr. Stone said that by following the movements of the Port Alma as it covers the
globe the children have added a personal interest to the study of geography, and other
subjects. It is hoped to have the captain or a senior officer from the ship at the
st
school’s speech day on October 21 .

Fri 20th Nov
PEOPLE HANG COATS, PUT CUPS OF TEA ON ROLL OF HONOUR
What should happen to Wokingham’s Roll of Honour…..tribute to those who gave
their lives in two world wars? Town councillors attacked moves to transfer it from the

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