Time for fun as beer festival and carnival return, while new mayors are made
SUPPORT for a banking hub in Wokingham town centre gained momentum in June. Following the closure of Barclays, businesses keen to preserve footfall in the town centre called for a shared facility for a number of banks to provide cash and counter transactions.
In other news, Royal Berkshire Hospital was not named by the Government as one of five sites to be rebuilt by 2030, despite the ageing Victorian site making it difficult to deliver modern healthcare for a growing number of people.
A lack of secondary school places in the borough, meant possible change for a Winnersh school.
The Forest School for boys launched a consultation to decide whether to welcome girls too.
If approved, it would begin to accept Year 7 girls from September 2024, with the process of full co-education taking seven years to complete.
Wokingham gained two new mayors.
Councillor Beth Rowland took over the role of Wokingham Borough Mayor from Councillor Caroline Smith, and said that she was delighted to have the opportunity to serve the community.
Councillor Sally Gurney, Wokingham’s new town mayor, was sworn in at a ceremony held in the Town Hall.
She said she loved living in the town, and looked forward to supporting its many activities and events.
A new security system installed at Sainsbury’s Winnersh store caused a borough furore, when angry shoppers said it made them feel like thieves.
Forced to scan their receipts at a barrier to exit the selfservice area, some said it felt like airport security, and made them uncomfortable when receipts wouldn’t scan and their bags were checked by staff.
Feeling happier were a group of borough refugees living in hotel accommodation, who were given tickets to watch premier football matches.
Thanks to donations from charities and businesses, eight people were able to watch premier West Ham play Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth face Chelsea.
Less helpfully, a life-saving defibrillator was stolen from a Wokingham phone box.
But thanks to a quick thinking member of the public, it was retrieved and returned it to the Town Council, who were able to reinstall it for emergency use.
And then, suddenly, parking was on everyone’s minds.
Motorists saw Wokingham Borough car park fees rise in June, an introduction of evening and Sunday charges, and increases to short and long term parking prices.
Worried that shoppers would begin to avoid coming to Wokingham because of this, The Sultan Restaurant in Market Place offered to pay its diners’ parking fees to help maintain footfall and visitor confidence in the town.
Summer cheer arrived in the form of Woodley’s annual carnival, which drew thousands to what was a successful event in brilliant sunshine.
Classic cars, a fly-past and an evening firework display were just a few of the attractions that took people’s minds off parking for a while.
And hundreds of residents got out of their cars, and on their bikes, to take part in Wokingham’s annual bikeathon.
Despite hot weather and the threat of storms, the riders pedalled from Cantley Park, some cycling 51 miles on a long route to Wokingham Foodbank.
Glasses were raised for Twyford’s 13th annual Beer Festival when crowds gathered to enjoy a selection of liquid refreshments, food and music in the sunshine.
And in no way connected, a car was driven into a Wokingham house, where the owner was having breakfast.
A loud bang alerted them to a crashed vehicle embedded in their property.
Fortunately no-one was injured, with emergency crews arriving in minutes.
As the end of the summer term approached, First Days Charity appealed to the borough for school uniform donations to help struggling families prepare for September term costs.
Finally, to honour the late Queen’s jubilee, seventy birch trees were planted in Thames Valley Park, to become a haven for wildlife as they grow.