THE ONGOING problem from late-night car meets hit the headlines again. This time, the focus was on Wokingham town centre, where petrolheads had been meeting in a multi-storey car park.
Readers told us that the noise was making it an “ongoing and extremely distressing” situation, with the motorists reportedly backfiring engines, hooting horns and racing about.
Thames Valley Police said they were aware of the incidents and had patrols in the area.
One of the knock-on effects of the pandemic was a boom in the property market. The Chancellor’s stamp duty holiday helped people buying homes under £500,000, and Wokingham became a seller’s market.
Online property portal Zoopla said that demand in the borough had risen 71% in two months, with people looking for four- and five-bedroom homes. The company said it was Wokingham being in the sweet spot of close to Reading, London and other key cities, as well as the borough’s excellent schools. We like to think it’s down to the brilliant local newspaper, but they didn’t mention that, funnily enough.
After seeing the covid rate plummet, it started to rise again in June, with Wokingham being above the average for the region at 45.6 per 100,000 in the first week in June. It is not known why, but the number of schools in the borough is thought to have been a factor.
The borough was one of the areas affected by the new Delta variant of the virus, and surge testing for affected parts of the borough was introduced – 40,000 residents were asked to get a PCR test as part of the push, with the rate per 100,000 soaring to 220. Special test sites were set up across parts of Wescott, Norreys, Evendons and Bulmershe and Whitegates. Residents in parts of Newtown in Reading were also asked to take part and special messages boards were driven round the area to remind people to take part.
As the month went on, the vaccination programme was extended to all adults aged 18-24, with a mass vaccination site set up in Bulmershe Leisure Centre attracting large queues.
Sir John Redwood, Wokingham MP, called for all covid restrictions to be ended, saying: “The current restrictions have gone on long enough”, adding “There was no simple relationship between length and severity of lockdown and death rates”. He also felt that businesses were harmed by being forced to operate well below normal capacity.
“I favour letting people make more of their own decisions about how much risk they are willing to run in their lives,” he said.
It was not all bad news. Residents were asked to help thank volunteers who had taken part in the vaccination programme in Wokingham. David Dunham was planning a party for these brilliant people in September and made an appeal for residents to make donations, including goodies, so it would be a real beano.
In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Sonning-lad Professor Ben Cowling, who accurately predicted the pandemic back in February 2020, was awarded an MBE. Council leader John Halsall said: “His work at this time has been invaluable.”
Plans were also announced for the return of the Wokingham winter carnival in November, but to help with social distancing, there would be no procession at the end of the day.
With people working from home, that meant plenty of working cheese and wine parties. So it was no wonder we had to print an appeal asking residents not to dump empty bottles next to overflowing recycling facilities. The Sainsbury’s Winnersh site had been given a makeover and the replacement bins, not part of the council’s recycling scheme, was overflowing. Cllr Paul Fishwick urged residents to use alternative sites such as Sindlesham Court and Winnersh British Legion if Sainsbury’s was full.
Also on the increase was fly-tipping: up 79% in a year, but prosecution levels were just 1%.
Three charities received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service: CLASP, The Link Visiting Scheme and The Link Foundation all celebrated their honour.
Elsewhere, a touch of Hollywood came to Wokingham with filming for The Devil’s Hour in Starmead Drive. The drama will be screened on Amazon Prime when it is completed.
Wokingham railway station’s Grade II listed bridge was finally due to be refurbished, and it would reopen by the end of the summer. Network Rail had run a public consultation on its plans with the Wokingham Society giving them the approval needed.
More details about the plans for Swallows Meadows were released in June. Earley Town Council expressed their concerns for the 43-home plan that included a Lidl supermarket. Its leader, Cllr Clive Jones, said its petition against the development had garnered 1,500 signatures and the council had applied for a public footpath to be created on the land which had been used by dog walkers for many years, while tree protection orders were made on the patch’s trees.
Fundraising continued with 12-year-old Jessica Widdicombe having a big chop for the first time ever. Her haircut saw 26in taken off, with at least 18in going to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children with or recovering from cancer. She raised nearly £700, which covers the cost of making the wig.
A shake-up to local democracy was revealed, with the Boundary Commission’s review into parliamentary seats unveiled. If it goes ahead, there would be a Wokingham County seat, Earley and Woodley Constituyency, Bracknell Borough and Reading County. Each would have between 70,000 and 77,000 electors, making the seats fairer and taking into account changes to the population in recent years.
Catsy’s pictures hit the big time, with his efforts making headlines in national newspapers. The mysterious artist created paintings which he then hid in various locations across Wokingham for people to find. We interviewed him to find out more about the pictures and he promised to try some different poses to keep people interested.
There was more art on show, with the unveiling of a horse-themed sculpture at Arborfield Green, playing homage to its heritage. Amy Goodman, who devised the three sculptures received a large round of applause at the event as people admired the three statues she had devised.
Members of St Catherine’s of Bearwood held a flower festival to mark its 150th anniversary, saying it with flowers to tell the story of the church.
The council’s mowing team made a mistake when they cut down some rare bee orchid plants growing at Shepherds Hill … and also at the Black Boy roundabout. An apology was issued and contractors reminded of the various wildflower areas in the borough.
Our issue of June 24 marked the first anniversary of the Forbury Gardens terrorist attack, which saw three people lose their lives. We featured pictures from the memorial service held in Reading and broadcast by BBC Radio Berkshire. It included a performance by members of the Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra, and contributions from Holt School pupils taught by James Furlong. Members of James’ family joined with the families of Joe Richie-Bennett and David Wails, council leaders, police officers and MPs to share their condolences and ensure that the three will never be forgotten.
Shinfield Studios put in its planning application for Thames Valley Park, making the dream of Hollywood in Shinfield edge that little bit closer.
Wokingham Borough Council switched its domestic abuse contract from Berkshire Women’s Aid to Cranstoun, a decision that was met with concern, not least as Cranstoun did not have any refuges set up locally. Cllr Bill Soane said that he hoped the council would continue to work closely with Berkshire Women’s Aid and its primary focus was on supporting victims.
