Page 917 - Reading Mercury

on seeing his reflection in the mirror, and if this is so perhaps a useful purpose has
been served!
However, I am again going to suggest that the appropriate committee should
seriously consider removing at least the inferior canvases which have for so long
given the hall a decidedly gloomy character. This would make it possible for the Roll
of Honour to be placed in the corridor side of the hall, and the wreath stand could be
placed in position only when required, as suggested by Cllr. E. W. Goodchild, thus
preventing its misuse by the public. QUERCUS

th
Sat 5 Dec
BIG FIRE AT WOKINGHAM
Plastic Factory Partially Gutted
One of the worst fires in Wokingham in living memory almost totally destroyed the
Denton Road Factory of Messrs. Wokingham Plastics on Saturday morning. The loss
was estimated by Major T. Astley Herd on Monday at “about £150,000.” Five of the
seven blocks were gutted, including the office block adjacent to the Ritz Cinema.
The cause of the fire and the time that it started remain a mystery. Strong criticism
was levelled at the fire service by the watchers, who said that no firemen arrived until
5.30 a.m., although the fire had started at least half-an-hour before this. But the
official records show that the first warning call was made by a Mr. P. Wiggins—who
lives by the main entrance to the factory—at 5.18 a.m. The fire authority headquarters
at Reading said on Monday that their records showed the fire call was received at 5.21
a.m., and within ten minutes firemen were on the scene.
Unfortunately, the bells in two firemen’s houses failed to ring, but this, said an
official, did not affect the turn-out of the appliance from Wokingham, which was
adequately manned.
Also criticised by many of the hundreds of people who quickly arrived was the
water supply—but this criticism was equally strongly repudiated by Mr. C. Carey, the
assistant divisional officer, who himself attended the fire. As soon as they arrived,
said Mr. Carey, the first fireman used a nearby hydrant, but later it was necessary to
change the method of obtaining water—the eight-inch main in the Market Place being
brought into use. At this stage people might have seen the water supply temporarily
reduced owing to the change-over procedure. But the Bracknell appliance had brought
with it 400 gallons of water, and this was available in the early stages of the battle.
“I formed the conclusion that the water supply was an exceedingly good one,” said
Mr. Carey, who added that the public’s lack of knowledge of the brigade procedure
might have given rise to a false impression. “There was no delay in getting the first
jets to work,” said Mr. Carey.
At that time, however, the fire had a good hold on the factory, and it was clear that
little of the contents could be saved. The greatest problem was to prevent the fire
spreading to the houses in Easthampstead Road, and the cinema, which was only a
few feet away.
Flames Eighty Feet High
The noise of the asbestos roof disintegrating awoke people in a wide radius, and the
mass of flames leaping 70 or 80 feet skywards drew great crowds. Many of the first
arrivals responded quickly to an appeal to carry furniture, clothing and bedding from
Mr. N. Hunt’s home at 9, Easthampstead Road, and one local tradesman, Mr. A.T.
Caiger, placed his van at their disposal. Nuns from the nearby Convent of the
Presentation were also soon on the scene to render what help and comfort they could.

915