Page 922 - Reading Mercury

of a tray was made to Lady Victoria Villiers, who has been president of the branch for
30 years.

WEATHER RECORDS
Weather statistics for 1959 relating to Wokingham were issued last week. The
year’s total rainfall was, at 22.36 inches, almost three inches below the average for 59
years. The driest year on record was 1921, when only 13.83 inches of rain fell. During
1959 there were 147 days on which .01 inches of rain fell—this was 20 below the
average for 59 years, the highest on record being 218 in 1910, and the lowest 114 in
th
1949. The wettest day in 1959 was July 10 , when 1.88 inches was recorded, more
than double the figure of the preceding day, .85 inches, which had the next highest
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rainfall in 24 hours. The wettest day on record was May 25 , 1911, when 1.97 inches
was recorded. The lowest temperature recorded in Wokingham in 1959 was 20
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degrees, on January 16 . The lowest recorded since records were started in May,
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1948, was 11 degrees on January 27 , 1954. The highest temperature recorded during
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the year was 89 degrees on July 8 , the highest on record being 93 degrees on
July29th, 1948.

FIRE-GUTTED FACTORY
Moving To New site
The Wokingham Plastics, Ltd., factory which was gutted by fire in December, will
not be rebuilt on the old site. The Wokingham Town Council learned at their meeting
on Thursday that the county planning authority had agreed to give permission for the
factory to be rebuilt on a site in the Eastheath Industrial Estate, and for residential
development of the existing factory site.
A report to the Financial Committee revealed that the basis of discussions for the
move were that the borough council should buy the present factory site, and that a
sum of about £1,250 should be paid—by the Borough and County Councils—as
compensation and removal expenses.

THE MIRROR RETURNS
The Town Hall mirror—now a century old—is to be repaired at a cost of £50 and
rehung in its original position in the hall. An amendment that a quotation of £180 for
complete restoration and regilding be accepted, was not carried. It was also proposed,
in committee, that in view of the expense the mirror should not be replaced, but this
was also defeated.

FUTURE OF WOKINGHAM CLUB
The President’s Action
The president of the Wokingham Club—Mr. R.H.R. Palmer—described his own
action at a second meeting of the club on Wednesday as “unconstitutional and high-
handed.” But the members approved his suggestion that the resignation of the entire
committee and secretary be accepted and that he appoint a new five-man committee to
put the club back on its feet.
The meeting had been called after the annual meeting a month previously—at which
it was revealed that the club was virtually bankrupt—was poorly attended.
Before the president made known his plan to appoint a new committee a number of
suggestions were put forward. The former chairman, Mr. C.T. May, urged that thirty
members should each give £10 and that a further £300 should be raised from a bank.
Mr. F. Medcalf said that the club premises—owned by Mr. R.H.R. Palmer—could be

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