NON-ESSENTIAL shops were given permission to reopen from June 15, while outdoor markets were able to resume from June 1. It was the first sign that lockdown was starting to ease – and it was welcomed by Sir john Redwood, Wokingham MP, who said that it would save livelihoods as well as lives.
But to ensure 2 metre social distancing could take place, measures had to be put in place and these proved to be controversial.
One way systems on wide pavements were straightforward, but there were barriers erected in Rose Street, Wiltshire Road and Peach Street to help people stay away from each other. However, they took away space for motorists including disabled parking bays.
Ultimately, the council removed them as quickly as allowed, but it took some weeks for this to happen.
And both Bracknell MP James Sunderland, and Wokingham MP Sir John Redwood called for the two-metre rule to be relaxed, and it was changed to 1 metre plus where possible.
With retail environments, spot checks were promised to ensure that companies were sticking to the guidelines aimed to be a ‘vital framework’ so that they were safe for everyone.
Help was continued to be dished out by the One Front Door scheme, although the community hub which had been based at St Crispin’s leisure centre was to be wound down as demand for food parcels fell. This was because supermarkets had had time to create a priority delivery scheme and also people were started to return to normal life.
However, £100,000 was given out in emergency grants by Wokingham United Charities, to help residents with white goods such as a washing machine, or a cooker. They had been referred by One Front Door.
Other schemes included The Cowshed’s goodie bags which contained craft materials, colouring books and pens, funded by a grant from the National Lottery.
Taxi drivers appealed for help from the council after seeing fares drop – with few people commuting, or going out out, their income had dropped massively. Some were considering giving up the trade and finding alternative work as they couldn’t make a living.
There had been widespread anger over Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s advisor who took his family to Durham instead of self-isolating at home and then claimed a trip to Barnard Castle was to test his eyesight before driving.
One Wokingham man added a message to the side of his van that read: ‘Dominic Cummings advice on double standards, hypocrite tips, Durham tours, taking the p*ss, references from Downing Street’.
Colin Ballard said: “I created the sign to highlight the hypocrisy of the situation after reading about it in The Wokingham Paper”. He added that the response to it had been very positive.
A sure sign that nature was healing was the return of traffic wardens to the streets of the borough. After a lockdown rest, they returned first of all with warning notices before handing out tickets once again.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, the executive member for Highways, said that it had been the right thing to suspend ticketing during lockdown, but they needed to return to ensure roads were kept clear and safe.
During lockdown, Wokingham Borough Council had used the reduced volume of traffic to work on the roads, notably a major project at Showcase Roundabout in Winnersh, which is hoped will avoid any major flooding events in future.
And a major project to install a cycleway from the Coppid Beech roundabout to the town centre was launched, with kerbstones made from recycled plastic – one of the ways in which the council hopes to reduce its carbon footprint.
One of the big stories of the year was a row over the council’s support for Black Lives Matter. Wokingham Borough Council leader John Halsall gave a statement at a virtual council meeting where he said he couldn’t support it over fears it was becoming an anti-police message in the United States.
He made the situation more complication when his initial statement about the terror attack in Forbury Gardens linked a Black Lives Matter protest earlier in the day. Cllr Halsall has since apologised for this error and vowed to make good his mistake by doing everything he could to ensure the council was committed to equality.
Another Spoonyville appeared, this time outside Emmbrook Infant and Junior schools, featuring colourful characters created by children who were attending the school. And there was also one in Winnersh Farm.
The coronavirus sadly led to the demise of the John Nike Leisuresport Complex – no more dry skiing, or ice hockey. The closure was mooted in June, and announced later in the summer. It meant that the Bracknell Bees had to move, with their games going to Slough.
Residents had been asking for doorstep glass collections, and an enterprising company launched such a scheme. For those willing to pay, The Glass Company will make regular pickups to save trips to bottle banks.
And two summer events were cancelled: Dinton Pastures Country Show was due to be held for the first time in August, but moved to 2021, while the Earley Green Fair was also pulled.
Zoom calls have been one of the watchwords of the year, and the use of technology has allowed groups to do some amazing things. They included Woodley Concert Band who recorded a version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow using the conference call technology, each musician playing a part and then having it stitched together. The result was quite amazing.
The Earley Panda made his first appearance in our pages at the end of the month. A cyclist wearing a panda costume used GPS to create routes that would eventually draw an object such as a turtle, raising funds for mental health charities (see page 16).
Unspeakable tragedy
AN UNSPEAKABLE tragedy befell both Reading and Wokingham on Saturday, June 20, after three men were killed as they enjoyed the summer sunshine with friends in Forbury Gardens.
Joe Ritchie-Bennett, David Wails and James Furlong died of stab wounds following an incident described by police as a terrorist attack.
Martin Cooper, from Reading Pride, paid tribute to the three men, saying that they were true gentlemen, each with their own unique personalities.
The home secretary Priti Patel thanked Thames Valley Police for their work in the town in the aftermath of the incident, offering heartfelt condolences to the families.
Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds visited with Reading East MP Matt Rodda. He said: “I wanted to show respect for those who lost their lives in this horrible event”.
Mr Furlong was a teacher at The Holt School, respected and admired by staff and pupils alike.
Their shock was palpable as they came together on the Monday after the event to pay tribute to him and his two friends. The moment’s silence was broadcast live on news channels.
Floral tributes were left at the school gates, and pupils were given the opportunity to say prayers and light candles in neighbouring St Paul’s Church.
Charities offered counselling and a listening ear to those affected: Soulscape, which works in the borough’s schools, and LBGTQ+ group SupportU.
