The year began on a sad note as news that John Wood had died on New Year’s Day. Famous for his support of the sporting community, he had played football for Fulham Juniors, Wimbledon and Sutton United. Locally, he ran the sports shop in Wokingham town centre for many years, launched a squash club in 1975, worked on the half-marathon, and was a key part of Finchampstead FC. Truly a local legend.
Wokingham, like the rest of the country, began 2021 in another lockdown. Schools were closed after just a day of the new term starting, and the nation was ordered to stay at home unless there was a ‘reasonable excuse’ to go out. Wokingham MP Sir John Redwood had concerns about the damage lockdown would cause to economy. Charities continued to pull together through the One Front Door scheme to help vulnerable members of our community. The included Wokingham Citizens Advice, Wokingham Foodbank, SHARE Wokingham and The Link Visiting Scheme.
We were at the very start of the vaccine roll-out programme, and UllaKarin Clark, the then executive member for children’s services at Wokingham Borough Council, called for teachers to be given priority for a jab.
Our January 14 launched a campaign for Wokingham residents to support local businesses. Take Out To Help Out had a simple message, that’s just as important today. Order a takeaway to help hospitality businesses that are struggling due to the pandemic. Under the national lockdown, there was no dining in allowed so click and collect, and home deliveries was a vital lifeline for many businesses.
And in the middle of all this, Wokingham gained a new Indian restaurant. Dabbawalla opened in Place Place on Thursday, January 14.
The venue is part of Wokingham town centre’s regeneration project, masterminded by the borough council. The scheme won an award for its housing at the Association for Public Service Excellence awards, one of a number of gongs the overall project would win this year, while disease resistant trees were planned in Elms Field by the Wokingham District Veteran Tree Association.
The new lockdown rules looked like they were starting to take effect by mid-January as case numbers started to come down, vaccination centres were opening and 500 people had signed up to help out. But the virus was still making its presence felt in many ways.
Families who received free school meals were given hampers instead and there was both a national and local outcry at their contents, and slow delivery. Cllr UllaKarin Clark said the council was offering food vouchers as well as food parcels featuring recipe cards.
“We have reviewed the hampers to ensure they provide nutritious meals for children and are good value,” she said.
Labour’s then group leader, Cllr Andy Croy, called for families to be given cash instead, while Reading East MP Matt Rodda said he was very disappointed with the situation: “It worries me deeply that the government is putting families last at this difficult time.”
A story that would rumble on across the year was the planned development of Swallows Meadows. We exclusively broke the news that Lower Earley Properties wanted to build a Lidl supermarket and 40 homes on the land off Meldreth Way. Announcing the scheme, Andy Jansons said he was delighted. “We think our plans will provide a real boost to the local economy,” he said.
A petition against the scheme was immediately launched by the Save Swallows Meadow campaign.
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A small story revealed that the new green recycling sacks would finally start to be delivered from February, replacing the black boxes that had been so familiar to residents. The old boxes could be kept and repurposed, or handed back for recycling.
Another award-winner was David Cliff Estate Agencies. The Peach Street-based property company won Right Move’s Top Selling Agent honour for the Wokingham area, with the company helped by the Stamp Duty holiday and also being appointed selling agents for the Elms Field redevelopment homes.
And the owner, David Cliff, said part of the reason for the firm’s success was its levels of communication, raising the bar during lockdowns to help both staff and clients. “As long as we look after our clients and look after each other, it will be fine,” he said.
A special report focused on fears that a plan to build a bus lane bridge over the historic Kennetmouth canal was published in January 28. The campaigning group SOAR were concerned that the first draft of the Local Green Space Topic Paper didn’t mention the area as one that should be protected. The council essentially gave a ‘watch this space’ reply, and in the draft local plan update published later in the year revealed that the area would be protected.
The best possible snowfall came and went within a day. Residents woke up to a blanket of the white stuff on Sunday, January 24. The early morning snow started melting as the morning wore on and was mostly gone by the evening. However, there was enough for people to enjoy snowball fights, making snowmen and going sledging as our photos showed.
The impact of covid meant that the Lions felt they had to cancel the annual May Fayre for the second year in a row. Organiser Ian Grange said it was a difficult to choice for the team to make, not least as the day was meant to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Another covid cancellation was the inperson ceremony for the annual Wokingham Town Civic Awards. Instead, Wokingham town mayor Cllr Tony Lack presented a virtual ceremony, revealing the seven winners, including Mr Grange.
Also among the winners were Rob abd Sue Hughes for their work at Evendons Schools, Michael Saynor for his work with Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers, and Ken Rowlands for his work with the Evendons Neighbourhood Action Group.
Woodley’s branch of HSBC was earmarked for closure in June, but Nationwide in the precinct had a makeover which ensure it was planning to stick around. Barclays also said there were no plans to shut its branch in the town, although its opening hours were adjusted due to covid.
Theatre continued, just online. With venues shut, members of Twyford and Ruscomebe Theatre group produced six short plays under the banner Fives Pints and a Pig.
