Page 998 - Reading Mercury

and the Berkshire Archaeological Society, who consider there is a possibility that the
cottages were once used as a Guildhall.

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Sat 23 March
SCOUTS GET SITE FOR NEW H.Q.
After an 18-month-search for a small piece of land on which to build a Scout hut,
Embrook scouts are now able to realise their dream. They have been granted a 21-year
lease on a plot of land behind Toutley Pumping Station by Wokingham Town
Council. With £1,000 in the bank collected by the scouts and architects plans drawn
up by the boys’ parents, the Embrook Group have waited in vain to begin work on
their dream hut. But at last week’s meeting of Wokingham Town Council, the Council
approved a recommendation by the Public Health Committee that the scouts should be
leased the land.
The length of the lease is important to the scouts if they are to secure grants for their
£2,500 headquarters.

th
Sat 30 March
AWARDS TO SAVINGS WORKERS
Seventy voluntary workers attended a cheese and wine party organised by the
Wokingham Municipal Borough Savings Committee in the Civil Defence Training
Centre last week. They were welcomed by Chairman of the Savings Committee, Mr.
D.W. Irvin, who reported that the total savings from all sources in the borough at the
last return was about a million and a quarter pounds.
Deputy Mayor of Wokingham, Cllr. W. Smith, presented long service awards to
Mrs. I Fish, Mrs. D. Wills, Mrs. Y. Hawkes, Mrs. G. Firsdon, Mrs. W. Oliver, Mrs. E.
Smalley, and Mrs. E. Smith.
The Stanley Bowyer trophy was presented to Mts. E. Smith, Secretary of the Street
and Village Groups for her service during the year. A Regional Certificate of Merit
was presented to Mrs. M. F. O’Connor on recognition of her 24years service. In
addition a flower vase was given to her on behalf of the savings workers. District
Commissioner of the National Savings Movement, Mr. A. Pindar, thanked the
workers for their efforts during the year and in spite of the previous economic
situation, hoped that a further improvement could be maintained.

WOKINGHAM BRIDGE REBUILDING SCHEME
Work has already begun on these Bailey bridges to take traffic and pedestrians prior
to the reconstruction of Skew Bridge, Wokingham, classed unsafe by a Ministry of
Transport survey team. Signs have been erected on each side of the bridge warning of
long delays and single-line traffic.
The first bridge under construction is a “mini” Bailey bridge—alongside the
existing railway bridge—for pedestrians. Work will continue during the night and
next weekend, and is expected to be completed by early April, when work will begin
on the first of the larger bridges to be contracted over the existing one.
A finishing date for the rebuilding of Skew Bridge, described by town councillors as
“highly dangerous” has not yet been fixed, but it is expected to be completely rebuilt
within two to five years. The Borough Surveyor, Mr. H.G. Bathurst, is advising
motorists and drivers of heavy lorries to use an alternative route via Forest Road and
Amen Corner to avoid delays.
The “fly-over” Bailey bridges are intended to take heavy vehicles off the bridge, but
are only a temporary measure while Skew Bridge is rebuilt.

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