Page 989 - Reading Mercury

Wokingham’s long-serving woman mayor, Dr. Phyllys Pleasance Pigott, will not be
seeking re-election at the municipal elections in May, as she is leaving the town. After
the elections Dr. Pigott, who is Deputy Mayor, is moving to Banbury to be near her
daughter, who acted as Mayoress during her mother’s term of office from 1961 to
1964.
Only two other women have held the office of Mayor of Wokingham. The late Hon.
Mrs. Corfield was Mayor from November 1947 to May 1950, and Mrs C.E.A. La
Bouchardiere in 1956/7.
Dr. Pigott takes a keen interest in the history of Wokingham. She showed our
reporter several items of historic interest which she intends giving to the town. These
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include some articles of agreement dating back to the 18 century, which were found
in the property next to the Old House, a reprinted first copy of the Reading Mercury
and a painting of old Wokingham.
Dr. Pigott’s husband, the late Wing-Commander Pigott and his mother, Mrs. M.
Pigott, gave the town an Act of Parliament clock which was found at The Old House,
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Shute End, Dr. Pigott’s home which dates back to the late 16 and early 17 century.
It is one of the oldest houses in Wokingham and has been in the family since 1917.

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Sat 16 April
DR. P. PIGOTT PRESENTS CASKET
Dr. P. Pigott, Deputy-Mayor, presented a silver casket on Thursday to the Mayor so
it could be used at the civic ball later this month. She is leaving Wokingham next
month.

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Sat 2 July
WOKINGHAM CARNIVAL MAKES PROFIT OF £500.
Fashions were left for Henley and umbrellas were “in” at Wokingham Carnival Day
festivities on Saturday. But the rain held off until after the procession, watched by
over 2,000 people, had toured the town’s crowded streets.
To ensure that the carnival would make a profit and partly to ensure against the
weather, the organisers, Wokingham Round Table, spent many hours during the
evening leading up to Carnival Day touring the town selling programmes. Something
like 4,500 programmes were sold at 2s. each.
This week Tablers estimated that the carnival week had made a net profit of at least
£500. Most of this will be sent to the Guide Dogs for the Blind association, but a
fraction will be reserved for other charities.
The carnival festivities got fully underway on Friday evening last week with the
crowning of the Carnival Queen, Wendy Carpenter, of Wellington Road, Wokingham.
Reigning Queen of Reading and Woodley, Vanessa Way, of Haddon Drive, Woodley,
came second in the contest, and third place went to freelance model, Sandra Lewis, of
Rances Lane, Wokingham.
The crowning ceremony was performed by athlete Bruce Tullogh, who lives in
Wargrave. Wendy secured the prizes of a four-day holiday for two in Germany, £25
for going-away clothes and £10 in spending money. She and one of her attendants,
Sandra Lewis, travelled in the procession in a veteran car, which was preceded at the
head of the decorated vehicles by St. Sebastian’s Band.
First prize in the commercial class was awarded to the Molly Millars Lane firm of
Radyne, who recently received the Queen’s Award to Industry for helping the export
drive. Baylis’s, Reading came second.

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