• Support Wokingham Today
  • Get the print edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Tuesday, June 10, 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
    Blackcroft Farm, between Arborfield and Farley Hill,

    Plans for 650 homes near Arborfield revealed

    One of the trees off Easthampstead Road. Pic: Andrew Batt.

    ‘Safety’ cited for footpath closures

    Jenni Donato.

    Wokingham businesswoman nominated for award

    Ascot Top Hats is based in Wokingham.

    Ten tips for a top day at Royal Ascot

    Wokingham Methodist Church

    Church Notes: Strength in weakness

    The Arts Society Wokingham looks at the work of Gertrude Jekyll this month. Picture: Sue Whitehead

    ‘Remember that in a garden we are painting a picture’

    Peter Markwick

    It’s top of the championship for Wokingham racing driver

    Clergy for the new Parish of the Holy Family in Maidenhead and Twyford Father Ephraim Odhiambo, Deacon Peter Kelly, Father Liam Cummins, Deacon Mike Jackson and Father Kevin Hughes.

    Twyford and Wargrave’s Catholic churches merge with two parishes in Maidenhead

    Cllr Mark Ashwell

    FROM THE CHAMBER: When we come together, we win!

  • SPORT
    • All
    • Binfield FC
    • Reading FC
    Peter Markwick

    It’s top of the championship for Wokingham racing driver

    1871 EVENTS PRESENTS: Jimmy Quinn

    Reading FC legend Jimmy Quinn to share his memories of title success and Wembley heartbreak

    Reading FC

    Reading FC to host Swindon Town and Oxford United in pre-season friendlies

    Reading FC fans

    Reading FC chairman Rob Couhig gives update on season ticket sales

    Golf Picture: Pixabay

    Unique Golf Club celebrates 50th anniversary with publication of a history book

    Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens

    Premier League club close in on signing Reading-born Borussia Dortmund star

    Chem Campbell

    Reading FC keen on bringing Campbell back on permanent deal

    Todd Trosclair and Rob Couhig

    Reading FC chairman sends message to supporters

    Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay.

    World-class polo plans for borough

  • READING FC
  • COMMUNITY
    Blackcroft Farm, between Arborfield and Farley Hill,

    Plans for 650 homes near Arborfield revealed

    One of the trees off Easthampstead Road. Pic: Andrew Batt.

    ‘Safety’ cited for footpath closures

    Ascot Top Hats is based in Wokingham.

    Ten tips for a top day at Royal Ascot

    Wokingham Methodist Church

    Church Notes: Strength in weakness

    The Arts Society Wokingham looks at the work of Gertrude Jekyll this month. Picture: Sue Whitehead

    ‘Remember that in a garden we are painting a picture’

    Clergy for the new Parish of the Holy Family in Maidenhead and Twyford Father Ephraim Odhiambo, Deacon Peter Kelly, Father Liam Cummins, Deacon Mike Jackson and Father Kevin Hughes.

    Twyford and Wargrave’s Catholic churches merge with two parishes in Maidenhead

    The new contract will start from June 2026. pic: WBC.

    Waste contract awarded to Biffa

    Claire Chappell's donated locks will be made into real hair wigs for young people who have lost their own. Picture: Claire Chappell

    Claire’s hair today, gone tomorrow, for little princesses

    Thames Valley Air Ambulance Picture: MICHAEL MOLLOY

    Thames Valley Air Ambulance urges people to ‘summer safely’

  • LIFESTYLE
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Obituaries
    • People
    Jenni Donato.

    Wokingham businesswoman nominated for award

    Ascot Top Hats is based in Wokingham.

    Ten tips for a top day at Royal Ascot

    Over 350,000 people in the region had been treated for seven common conditions without the need to visit a GP since the programme was launched in January last year.

    Pharmacy First initiative sees over 350,000 consultations in first year

    Thames Valley Air Ambulance Picture: MICHAEL MOLLOY

    Thames Valley Air Ambulance urges people to ‘summer safely’

    Shute End, Wokingham Borough Council.

    Compensation for care home ‘frustrations’

    Hurst Bowling Club, in an idyllic village setting, is England's second oldest club, and possibly its friendliest. Pictures: Emma Merchant

    Why ‘England’s friendliest bowling club’ needs a new clubhouse

    Party in the Park on Saturday.

A balcony view.

    Get ready for Party in the Park

    Marvellous is a tribute act festival. Pic: WBC.

    A Marvellous tribute at Dinton

    Wokingham MP Clive Jones at last Wednesday's PMQs. Pic: BBC Parliament.

    MP reacts to RBH ‘massive shortfall’

  • WHAT’S ON
    • All
    • Arts
    • Entertainment

    RaW Sounds celebrates five years of championing local music

    Party in the Park on Saturday.

A balcony view.

    Get ready for Party in the Park

    Marvellous is a tribute act festival. Pic: WBC.

    A Marvellous tribute at Dinton

    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

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

JUNE 2022: The borough parties as it marks 70 years of the Queen’s long reign over us

by Phil Creighton
January 2, 2023
in Featured, Wokingham
The Street Party in Welby Crescent in Winnersh on Sunday.

The Street Party in Welby Crescent in Winnersh on Sunday.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

ONE event dominated our coverage in June as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.

Starting on Thursday, June 2, through to Sunday, June 5, the borough came together for a range of activities to recognise the Queen’s public service.

Beacon lighting took place across the country to mark the start of the festivities.

Tears welled up as the Hurst beacon was lit and the St Nicholas Singers performed the jubilee song A Life Filled with Grace. A sliver of crescent moon looked down on the crowd in the community orchard opposite St Nicholas Church.

Among those enjoying the DJ Paul Palmer’s music afterwards were local MP Theresa May and her husband Philip – who obligingly threw some shapes to dance for a young villager’s phone videos.

Related posts

Wokingham racing driver Bobby Trundley creates ‘super team’ with Club Enduro

++ UPDATED ++ Residents without water after burst water main

A large band of 14 took turns to ring the church bells. Two new ringers were Janice Howell of Whistley Green, Hurst and Angela Vickery of Winnersh. They had answered a call, backed by Wokingham Today, for more ringers for the jubilee. They said tower captain Graham Slade was a great teacher.

Wokingham Rock Choir’s 80 singers performed. The Hurst Clangers played the national anthem with their hand bells. Reading bagpipe player Colleen Scott gave moving renditions of the jubilee bagpipe tune Diu Regnare [Latin for Long to Reign] and other tunes.

The beacon was lit by Lucy Zeal, Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire and John Jones engineer at Haines Hill Estate, Hurst. Mr Jones made the beacon which was the estate’s gift to the village.

Hundreds of Finchampstead residents came together as Revd Dr Leonard Onugha welcomed people to the ceremony at St James Church.

Pipe Major Ron Paterson then performed Diu Regnare, a tune composed for the jubilee which was played by pipers around the country.

The crowd joined together for a rendition of the national anthem before Cllr Simon Weeks, chair of Finchampstead Parish Council, raised a toast to the queen and signalled for the beacon to be lit.

In Woodley, the town council mayor Cllr Janet Sartorel welcomed people to a short before taking the large taper to light the crown-shaped beacon.

The crowds applauded as the Bel Canto Chorus sang the special jubilee anthem, A Song for the Commonwealth.

Cllr Sartorel then joined the choir to lead everyone in the singing of the national anthem.

Sonning held a series of special events to mark the occasion.

On Jubilee Thursday and Friday, the bi-annual scarecrow trail took place with thousands of visitors admiring all kinds of witty tableaux, some with a royal theme.

There was also a classic car show and some open gardens to explore.

The village church, St Andrews, welcomed bellringers who rang out a full peal of Spliced Surprise Major.

This piece of music lasts three hours and seven minutes.

In the evening, attention switched from the village to the King George V recreation ground for the village’s beacon lighting ceremony.

Children were allowed to gather at the front of the crowds to ensure they could see, and the beacon blazed.

On Jubilee Saturday, Six bands representing all seven decades of the Queen’s reign performed in Elms Field on – and the town partied on.

From rock n roll to the present day, all genres of music were represented.

The show kicked off with the sound of the 50s, courtesy of Peggy Sue & The Jukebox.

That was followed by some of the greatest Motown hits, thanks to the Midnight Soul Sisters.

The 70s was represented by a tribute to Bob Marley and the Wailers, Trenchtown Experience. The band performed all of the Wailers’ greatest hits and encouraged the audience to join in.

Well and truly warmed up, by the time Supersonic Queen took to the stage the dancing shoes were on, and the crowds took to their feet as classics such as We Are The Champions and I Want To Break Free were heard.

Spice! Celebrated all things Girl Power, and the audience wholeheartedly joined in on the singing of top tunes including Mama, Wannabe, and Say You’ll Be There.

The evening closed with everyone on their feet for Fully Funktional, playing 21st century musical hits.

Thousands flocked to Elms Field for the event, which replaced this year’s international street concert and was the first time that the field had been used in this way.

Judging from the success of the evening, it won’t be the last.

To close the weekend, hundreds of street parties were held in every corner of the borough with roads closed so communities could host their own festivities.

A double celebration was held at a Sonning church.

Not only did St Andrew’s hold a service to celebrate Pentecost and 70 years of the Queen’s reign, but they also dedicated a new buggy which will be used to help parishioners with mobility issues get around the church grounds.

The service featured a Scripture reading from former prime minister Theresa May, and an address by Lord Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury.

Celesete Hexter, head chorister of the church and a pupil of St Joseph’s College in Reading, also gave a Bible reading, while the choir sang a number of anthems including a setting of Psalm 150, and a performance of Zadok The Priest, which was composed for the coronation of King George II in 1727, and performed at every British coronation since.

Hymns included I Vow To thee My Country and Lord For the Years, Your Love Has Kept and Guided.

Afterwards, people headed to the church’s garden room, The Ark, for a drinks reception and the unveiling of the mobility buggy, which has been called Bertie.

Funding was provided by Christina Goodacre, in memory of her late husband, Peter, and by Janet Robson, in thanksgiving for the work of the church.

In Woodley, the town council saw plenty of people pitch up with their own tables, chairs and picnics to enjoy an afternoon of entertainment as part of its big lunch.

Cllr Sartorel addressed the crowd before the town crier called for three cheers to the Queen adding: “God bless the Queen”.

She was joined at the main table by deputy mayor, Cllr Kay Gilder along with the winners of the town centre’s jubilee stone competition.

Cllr Sartorel said: “Thank you to everyone for joining me and my very special guests to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”

As part of the weekend, the Twyford Donkey Derby returned for the first time since the start of the pandemic to a crowd of more than 3,000 people.

The popular event saw several heats take place, with competition almost as fierce as the horse racing.

Away from the jubilee, the University of Reading had been busy preparing for #ShowYourStripes Day.

This included unveiling its latest climate stripes for Wokingham.

No words. No numbers. No graphs. Just a series of vertical coloured bars, showing the progressive heating of our planet in a single, striking image.

The stripes, created by Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading in 2018, show clearly and vividly how global average temperatures have risen over nearly two centuries.

Each stripe represents the average temperature for a single year, relative to the longer-term average temperature. Shades of blue indicate cooler-than-average years, while red shows years that were hotter than average.

The deep red stripes on the right-hand side of the graphic are a stark reminder of the rapid heating our planet has seen in recent decades, especially given the temperatures we endured over the summer.

In our final edition of the month, we revealed that Wokingham Conservatives had hatched a secret plan to disrupt council meetings as much as possible.

A briefing given to councillors laid out a number of tactics including interfering speeches, accusations of bias and taking credit for the policies of other parties.

The confidential document, obtained by Wokingham.Today, was titled Using Council for Effective Opposition and sets out a strategy for the party to get their “own way” during council meetings.

This included challenging rulings made by the borough mayor, Cllr Caroline Smith, and disrupting the administration to keep them “constantly on their toes”.

Cllr Clive Jones, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, heavily criticised the tactics, describing them as “shameful”.

A spokesperson for the Wokingham Conservative Group has said it is the “democratic responsibility” of the opposition to “robustly challenge” the actions and comments of the administration”.

They added: “The administration may not like this, but it is an integral part of our political process.”

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: opinionwokingham newsWokingham ukwoky uk
Previous Post

APRIL 2022: The sound of drums, a visit from a rugby legend, and the return of the wee donkey

Next Post

West Brom 1-0 Reading: Royals rocked in 2023 opener against in-form Albion

FOLLOW US

POPULAR THIS WEEK

One of the trees off Easthampstead Road. Pic: Andrew Batt.

‘Safety’ cited for footpath closures

June 10, 2025
Chem Campbell

Reading FC keen on bringing Campbell back on permanent deal

June 7, 2025
Hurst Bowling Club, in an idyllic village setting, is England's second oldest club, and possibly its friendliest. Pictures: Emma Merchant

Why ‘England’s friendliest bowling club’ needs a new clubhouse

June 6, 2025
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens

Premier League club close in on signing Reading-born Borussia Dortmund star

June 8, 2025
Sign up to receive emergency alerts from the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Sign up for AWE emergency texts

June 9, 2025
Clergy for the new Parish of the Holy Family in Maidenhead and Twyford Father Ephraim Odhiambo, Deacon Peter Kelly, Father Liam Cummins, Deacon Mike Jackson and Father Kevin Hughes.

Twyford and Wargrave’s Catholic churches merge with two parishes in Maidenhead

June 10, 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.