A WOKINGHAM pub helped honour the Forbury Three with a special fundraising event on Bank Holiday Monday.
In normal times, The Hope & Anchor in Station Road hosts live music every Saturday night — this has not been possible during lockdown.
But last weekend it turned its beer garden into a festival arena.
On Sunday, it hosted three acts: Flick, Stuart Hutton and Peach and two of the Prairie Dogs.
The beer garden, with tables set for social distancing, was as packed with people enjoying the last blast of summer.
And the following evening, Kara Van Park came up from Brighton to serenade and entertain people and raise funds in honour of the three victims of the recent alleged Forbury Gardens attack: James Furlong, David Wails and Joe Ritchie-Bennett.
Ms Park was making her debut in Wokingham, and had come up from Brighton especially for the occasion.
“I do feel it’s very important to raise awareness and also to try and create something positive out of something that has been so negative and so bad,” she said.
“As a community, I think we’ve all got so much more to go. I will do just what I can to make sure that there is awareness out there and to try and put a smile (on people’s faces) and get through things.”
And as this was her first visit to Wokingham, how was it?
“It’s been amazing, it’s been so much fun,” she said. “I was a little bit worried because it’s always difficult coming to a new venue in an area you don’t know, and not knowing how you’re going to be received, but it has been so good.
“Everyone has been really warm, really welcoming and it’s been a lot of fun.”
