• Support Wokingham Today
  • Get the print edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Wokingham.Today
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • All
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
    • Riseley
    • Shinfield
    • Sindlesham
    • Sonning
    • Spencers Wood
    • Swallowfield
    • Three Mile Cross
    • Twyford
    • Wargrave
    • Winnersh
    • Wokingham
    • Wokingham Without
    • Woodley
    • Woosehill
    • Yateley
    The new house being built near the junction of South Lake Crescent and The Close in Woodley. Credit: Google Maps

    Landowner accused of breaching planning rules for newbuild home in Woodley

    Forest of Imagination

    Rooted in Imagination: Meet the Co-founders behind Wokingham’s Forest of Imagination

    Wokingham Pride

    Could you help Wokingham Pride 2025?

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

    Annual photography exhibition starts today

    Mike's company, Kill A Watt, aims to help households cut down their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment. PIcture: Dock8 via PIxabay

    Naturally Speaking

    Trinity Concert Band celebrates platinum success. Concert manager and E flat clarinettist stuart Freebody proudly holds the award. Picture courtesy of Trinity Concert Band

    Enjoy a fiesta of a concert in Wokingham

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: Impossible things to believe?

    Young readers can earn rewards for reading six books this summer. Picture: Amore Seymore via Pixabay

    Open six books, and step into a world of imagination

    Dalia's CoppaFeel Curry Night at The Tamarind Tree restaurant was another delicious success for the cancer charity fundraiser. Picture: Emma Merchant

    CoppaFeel Curry Night in Wokingham a joyful fundraiser

  • SPORT
    • All
    • Binfield FC
    • Reading FC
    Goalkeeping coach Tony Warner Picture: Luke Adams

    Reading FC coach set to depart to join fellow League One side

    Reading FC

    ‘Reading FC is a sleeping giant’: Club gains new investors just weeks into Couhig’s takeover

    Reading FC owners Todd Trosclair and Rob Couhig

    Rob Couhig speaks on the future of Reading FC’s Academy and Category One status

    The Select Car Leasing Stadium

    Reading FC’s pitch set for major improvements ahead of 2025/26 campaign

    Cricket Picture: Wikimedia Commons

    Berkshire CCC look to seek revenge against Cheshire

    Sell Before We Dai

    Supporters’ Trust at Reading joins 21-group alliance calling for Football Governance Bill amendment

    The Forest School U15s football team

    The Forest School U15s make history with another National Elite Cup victory

    Sam Green and Megan Bartlett, who both took part in the Wokingham half marathon earlier this year. Pic: Harry McBain.

    Sam and Megan take Sumas supporters’ awards

    Reading FC

    Former Reading FC player announces shock international retirement

  • READING FC
  • COMMUNITY
    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

    Annual photography exhibition starts today

    Trinity Concert Band celebrates platinum success. Concert manager and E flat clarinettist stuart Freebody proudly holds the award. Picture courtesy of Trinity Concert Band

    Enjoy a fiesta of a concert in Wokingham

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: Impossible things to believe?

    Hands-up: Doreen and Lizzie Picture: WADE Day Care Centre

    Smiles, Songs and Good Company – The Wade Experience

    Dalia's CoppaFeel Curry Night at The Tamarind Tree restaurant was another delicious success for the cancer charity fundraiser. Picture: Emma Merchant

    CoppaFeel Curry Night in Wokingham a joyful fundraiser

    Claire Revie, founder of SHARE Wokingham, helps to create the new brew.

    Special brew to benefit SHARE

    Entries are open for this year's event.

    Enter now for Wokingham Bikeathon

    Sonning bridge. Pic: Google.

    Fine for Sonning weight breach

    This year's event is being held on Saturday, June 14.

    Carnival fun is coming to Woodley

  • LIFESTYLE
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Obituaries
    • People
    Mike's company, Kill A Watt, aims to help households cut down their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment. PIcture: Dock8 via PIxabay

    Naturally Speaking

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: Impossible things to believe?

    Entries are open for this year's event.

    Enter now for Wokingham Bikeathon

    A government push for more radiotherapy machines has been welcomed by ministers as the Royal Berkshire Hospital is among the services to benefit from them.

    Royal Berks one of 28 Trusts to see new radiotherapy machine investment

    A banking hub in Yorkshire. Pic: Murray Scott/Link.

    Banking hub plans for village

    Retrospective plans have been refused. Pic: WBC.

    Vending machine plans refused

    Mind in Berkshire, which provides support, advice, and signposting for mental health services in Berkshire, was commissioned to examine Black people's access to necessary services, as part of a wider drive from the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to address inequalities in local services. Picture: PixaBay

    Mind in Berkshire report finds serious deficits in mental health provisions for Black people

    AB Walker

    VAUGHAN, David Raymond

    The Hope & Anchor. Pic: Rightmove.

    Historic town pub listed for sale

  • WHAT’S ON
    • All
    • Arts
    • Entertainment
    Double Standards

    New play ‘Double Standards’ at South Streets Art Centre to explore hypocrisy in dating

    Wokingham Pride

    Could you help Wokingham Pride 2025?

    REVIEW: “Three Hens In A Boat” at The Watermill Theatre

    Siren RG1

    Siren RG1 to mark first anniversary with weekender celebration

    Wellington Farm Shop

    Wellington Farm Shop celebrates its 20th anniversary

    Two concerts in one day from Reading's APO. Picture: Pexels via Pixabay

    An orchestral event in Wokingham promises evening of drama and contrast

    Eva Wong Nava will be at Trinity Hall Church on Monday from 4pm until 5pm. Picture: Eva Wong Nava

    Young writers can meet children’s author Eva Wong Nava

    Crafters can join a project  to decorate Twyford village centre with bunting Picture: Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

    Get out the bunting for VE Day at Wokingham’s May Fayre

    Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra's performance of American music promises to be a fun and high energy evening. Picture: CSO

    Discounted tickets available for summer concert in Wokingham

  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
No Result
View All Result
Wokingham.Today
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

ANOTHER VIEW: Vaccine joy

by Neil Coupe
April 15, 2021
in Featured, Opinion
Covid-19

The Covid-19 vaccine being prepared for injection Picture: Phil Creighton

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

It is quite exciting to be one of the 52% of the population to have had at least one vaccine.

As everybody I have spoken to has said, the vaccination process has been superbly organised.

I turned up at the Madejski Stadium at the allotted time, and as there was a chill in the air, was told to sit on my car for ‘5 minutes’.

Literally 5 minutes later I was whisked into the facility to join on to the end of a socially distanced queue, which never stopped, and seamlessly went from stage to stage with my various details being checked before finding myself in a booth to face up the needle. 

2 minutes of small talk and one injection later, I was ready to face the world again (after a 15 minute rest). 

For the first time, I felt privileged to be considered as a vulnerable older person.

Related posts

ANOTHER VIEW: Family ties

ANOTHER VIEW: Lessons from the Women’s World Cup

The past 12 months have presented massive challenges, leaving some people bereaved, sick or with major financial problems.

For us adults, I am certain that the very strange period in our history will never be forgotten. 

IT literate, communicative teenagers and young adults appear to have adapted to the new world reasonably comfortably, on the whole, but I wonder how younger primary school age children will remember this period. 

It might be appropriate to create some type of Memory Book for the younger children, with photographs and other mementoes and anecdotes about what they did when they were unable to go to school or see their friends and relatives in person. 

In 20 years time, for young adults it would surely be fascinating to look back at what they lived through and what their parents did to help and guide them through unprecedented times. 

The roadmap out of lockdown set up a few weeks ago appears to be going to plan, and this week with hairdressers, shops and pubs reopening it really feels like a significant step forward.

Even a simple pleasure such as sitting for a limited period in a pub beer garden (or converted car park) in the unreliable April weather seems like an exotic thrill.

It is by no means straightforward to book a slot, which suggests that there is great demand for this, enabling our local pub landlords to start earning a living again.

One of the lessons of lockdown has been how much social activity we can still enjoy, just by using a little imagination and by taking advantage of the technology available. 

Once the novelty of Netflix box-sets had worn off, it was the people with the more creative minds who seemed to thrive, whether converting ‘real life’ activity to an on-line equivalent, be it say language lessons, wine tasting or organising Murder Mystery Nights, giving a genuine reason to dress up. 

Others may have enjoyed doing things they do not usually have time for such as building bird boxes or starting to read Dickens.

In our complicated post-lockdown world, no doubt the most successful businesses will be those able to adapt and make an imaginative offering. 

I am certain that there is a pent-up demand for people to start leading a normal life again.

It is tantalising to see on social media how local pubs and restaurants are reacting to the challenges of being alfresco, at least in the short term, by innovating and making their outdoor space as appealing and hospitable as possible.

I for one wish them all well and look forward to pursuing a social life as the country gradually returns to normal.

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: coronavirus vaccineNeil Coupeneil coupe opinionneil coupe wokinghamopinionopinion wokingham.todayvaccineswokingham coronavirus vaccine
Previous Post

Enjoy a curry to help Wokingham youngster Dawson

Next Post

Forget Banksy, have you seen Catsy?

FOLLOW US

POPULAR THIS WEEK

Earley Station

Petition calling for crossing at Earley Station presented to council

May 26, 2025
A banking hub in Yorkshire. Pic: Murray Scott/Link.

Banking hub plans for village

May 28, 2025
Wokingham Pride

Could you help Wokingham Pride 2025?

May 30, 2025
1 The Parade, credit google maps

Woodley off-licence sale of alcohol to underage children ‘disappointing beyond words’

May 26, 2025
Double Standards

New play ‘Double Standards’ at South Streets Art Centre to explore hypocrisy in dating

May 30, 2025
Sam Green and Megan Bartlett, who both took part in the Wokingham half marathon earlier this year. Pic: Harry McBain.

Sam and Megan take Sumas supporters’ awards

May 28, 2025

ABOUT US

Wokingham Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Wokingham. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham.Today is a Social Enterprise and aims to ensure that everyone within the Borough has free access to independent and up-to-date news. However, providing this service is not without costs. If you are able to, please make a contribution to support our work.

CONTACT US

[email protected]

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Support Us
  • Book Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: [email protected], or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
  • COMMUNITY
  • LIFESTYLE
  • SPORT
  • READING FC
  • OBITUARIES
  • WHAT’S ON
  • JOBS
  • PHOTOS
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • CONTACT US
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION
  • SUPPORT US

© 2022 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.