Page 978 - Reading Mercury

to an error, only a quarter of the gas they expected was delivered.. The profit was said
on Monday by the District Commissioner to be £28 3s. 3d.
Already one label has been returned from King’s Lynn. The closing date for return
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of labels is October 17 .

SECOND WIN
To prove that it is not necessarily the most expensive equipment which produces the
best photographs, the Wokingham Color-photo Society has a “communal camera”
contest each year. Members are each allowed to take three photographs on a cheap
camera that they “borrow” for a few days—and the member whose pictures are
judged the best keep the camera. On Tuesday, for the second year running, the winner
was the former chairman, Mr. C.D. Conway.

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Sat 10 Oct
WOKINGHAM TRAFFIC TALKS
The Wokingham Society are to ask for a meeting with the County Surveyor at
which they hope to discuss, informally, their proposals for the easing of traffic
congestion in the town.
The Society’s Traffic and Plans Group has now analysed a sample survey of traffic
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taken between 11.30 and 12.30 p.m. on Monday, July 13 , by girls of the Holt
Grammar School. These girls kept observation at points in Reading Road, Milton
Road, London Road, Easthampstead Road, Finchampstead Road, and Barkham Road,
and noted the description and registration numbers of commercial vehicles, and the
time first seen and direction.
From this it was possible to trace the routes of entry and exit and the time spent in
Wokingham. A total of 359 vehicles were checked—129 light vans, 73 heavy vans
and 157 lorries. The majority of these passed through the town in less than 10
minutes.
A traffic expert who is a member of the Wokingham Society analysed the
information collected, and had concluded that 59% of the through traffic would use a
northern by-pass. A southern by-pass would draw off 93% of the through traffic, and
a scheme of employing the northern by-pass and a link road between the
Finchampstead and Reading Roads would filter off 87% of the through traffic.
These figures and conclusions are to be the basis of talks between the Wokingham
Society and county council officials.

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Sat 10 Oct
FRESH LIGHT ON AN OLD BERKSHIRE NEWSPAPER
A date and initials above the " Reading and Berkshire Chronicle:” offices in Valpy
Street might lead you to believe that the newspaper was founded in 1770. No proof
exists that this was so.
A “Berkshire Chronicle” did indeed have its first issue in 1771, but published in
Wokingham. Until recently it was thought that only one copy remained in existence,
dated December 1st, 1775. Most unexpectedly, the discovery has been made of issues
running in sequence with few breaks from the second of volume one dated January
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14 , 1771, to the 260 of volume five, dated December 29 , 1775.
Lady Russell, of Swallowfield Park found these “Berkshire Chronicles”--almost all
in excellent condition—when turning out family treasures. With most thoughtful
generosity, she has presented them to the present “Chronicle.”

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