A Natural Star!
HAPPY WANDERER has been writing about local and natural history for the Caversham Bridge for more than 10 years. In May this year he was surprised and delighted to hear the British Association for Natural History were presenting him with an award for his ‘outstanding individual contribution to promoting local history through his work in the local studies library at Reading, and his support of others in the field of local history.’
After all these years, it is probably no secret that the ‘Happy Wanderer’ is none other than David Cliffe. “When I began writing for the ‘Bridge,’ most of the contributors had pen-names” he explained …Read more
GETTING SET FOR SPORT!
THIS MONTH we have the first of what we hope will be an occasional series of articles on sport, which features our own Janina Maher. Whilst many people are familiar with her paintings of local scenes such as the Bina Restaurant on Prospect Street (p15), her water-skiing achievements (p10) may be less well known.
Our lead article marks an award to another of our regular contributors, David Cliffe, the Happy Wanderer (above), recognised for his work on natural and local history. His article this month considers the unusual sight of a Slender Thistle in Caversham (p7)…Read more
No more shake and rattle? – Reading Buses stepping in
IF YOU HAVE ever taken the Arriva 800 or 850 Bus Service to Henley you will know what we mean! It seems the sight of the blue buses passing through Caversham will soon be just a memory, as Arriva have closed their High Wycombe operation.
Fortunately, Reading Buses have announced they will be stepping in, with a new service between Reading, Caversham, Shiplake and Henley-on-Thames, from Monday 29 July. This new ‘Aqua 28’ route will run every 30 minutes Mondays-Saturdays, and up to every hour evenings and Sundays…Read more
Must I wear that helmet?
IN RECENT weeks, the importance of wearing a helmet when out and about on a bicycle has been in the headlines, following Gordon Ramsay’s accident in America. But the team which produces the Caversham Bridge had its own reminder in June.
Our designer, Pete, has been exploring West Berkshire on his bike for the past year or so. With the work on the July paper nearly completed, he decided to make the most of a sunny day, setting out to explore the area around Yattendon. In one of the many narrow lanes in the area, he met a car coming in the opposite direction. Both car and bike stopped, but Pete’s brakes worked too well, and he was thrown over the handlebars and landed on his head. His helmet took the impact…Read more
60th Anniversary of the Caversham Bridge newspaper beckons
OCTOBER MARKS the 60th Anniversary of the Caversham Bridge newspaper. We would like to include some memories from our readers in a special edition to celebrate this landmark.
Have you been involved in the production of the paper in the past? Do you have any special memories you would like to share…Read more
In retreat together
EIGHT LEADERS from Caversham Churches went on retreat together at Stanton House near Oxford in June. The retreat gives church leaders from different denominations time to deepen their friendships and strengthen ecumenical bonds as they worship, study the Bible, pray and have fun together. This year’s theme was ‘Finding hope in uncertain times’, and we looked at St Paul’s letter to the Philippians in the Bible, a letter that is full of joy and hope, even though Paul wrote it from prison, when he was facing a possible death sentence…Read more
St Andrew’s Tea Party – A wonderful way to enjoy midsummer!
HOMEMADE CAKES and teas, traditional children’s games, and a variety of stalls tempted scores of visitors to St Andrew’s church hall recently. The Tea Party was organised in aid of Daisy’s Dream, a charity supporting children and young people affected by bereavement. As if on cue for the start of the tea party, the rain clouds blew away, revealing blue skies and warm, midsummer sunshine.
Outside, children played traditional games such as hula hoop and catch-a-duck, and had a try on the pogo sticks. Beat the goalie, giant wooden Jenga, and pick-up sticks were also on offer…Read more
For your bookshelf….
Welcome to ‘Fourbears Reviews’ where we briefly review a couple of titles chosen from our book shop ‘Fourbears Books’ in Caversham.
HELLO. MY name is Jennifer, I go to Maiden Erlegh School and I have been on work experience at Fourbears Books during June 2024.
My first choice is Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. Ariadne is a radical retelling from the Greek myth of the Minotaur. It follows the perspective of the sisters, Ariadne and Phaedra, who have grown up watching children being sent to the Labyrinth to satisfy their half-brother, the Minotaur’s, appetite. One of these boys is Theseus, charming prince of Athens and the object of Ariadne’s desires. What are the consequences of protecting him and betraying her family, and how does this affect innocent Phaedra?…Read more
A PROPER MOTHER – Isobel Shirlaw
Caversham resident Isobel recently launched her book at Fourbears Books. We asked her to tell us something about how she came to write it.
I STARTED writing ‘A Proper Mother’ almost ten years ago. I was living in Cairo at the time; my husband, young daughter and I had recently moved there for a couple of years for his job. I was pregnant and working remotely for Refuge, the domestic violence charity, where I had worked for several years in London.
Having recently finished writing a different novel that I had failed to get published, I was determined to write another one before leaving Egypt, preferably before the new baby came along – I respond well to a deadline!…Read more
Happy Wanderer spots A SLENDER THISTLE IN CAVERSHAM
IN THE PAST, I’ve reported on various unexpected plants and fungi which have turned up in Caversham. There was the Pokeweed that sprang up in the garden outside Caversham Library, which is sometimes planted on farms in the strips of alien plants grown to feed pheasants where the birds are reared. It probably arrived via a bird dropping.
There was speculation that the Alexanders growing in the hedge on Priest Hill were enjoying the increased salinity caused by the bin of salt and grit put there for use in icy weather. The Common Tare near the pillar box in Hemdean Road one summer is usually a cornfield weed, and the Red Cage Fungus which appeared on a Caversham lawn came as a complete surprise…Read more
A Bittersweet Celebration
PUPILS, PARENTS and staff, past and present, gathered at Hemdean House to celebrate the 165th anniversary of the school on 29 June, just a few days before its final closure on 12 July. The event featured musical performances by both pupils and a local rock choir, as well as a dance and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art performance by pupils from Breaking Barriers, which meets at the school’s hall.
Former teachers from around the country took the opportunity to meet up and share memories, along with pupils who reminisced about their time at the school. Local residents took the opportunity to explore the buildings and grounds while they were open…Read more
A Little Water Music
WONDER how many songs about rivers you can name – without resorting to an online search. At this time of year, it is easy to find music beside the river – July’s Readipop Festival takes place by the Thames, while August’s Reading Festival conducts regular shuttle boat trips to its location further upstream. Further back in time, and not too far from the river, Caversham pub The Fox and Hounds notably played host to a couple of singers who formed the Nerk Twins for one weekend in 1960: John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Less famous, but no less important, are the many other musicians and singers dotted along the river, from bands and orchestras to church and community choirs…Read more
Sporting Profiles – Janina Maher
WHO WOULD have imagined that Caversham is home to a world champion water skier? Janina Maher, yes, the same Janina who provides the lovely drawings of local buildings each month in the Caversham Bridge. Janina is also an international water skier who has competed in events in Europe, America and as far afield as New Zealand, and represented Great Britain as part of the senior waterski team.
A friend suggested the sport when Janina was in her mid-twenties, and her first efforts were not very promising but, with characteristic determination, she kept going – practicing until she began to master the skills involved and her enjoyment increased…Read more
The Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust
With the prospect of new development at the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH), involvement of all parts of the local community is crucial and can really make a difference to the future hospital. Richard Havelock, Chair of the Governors’ Membership Committee, asks if you would like to have a say in its future as a member.
THE ROYAL BERKS is a Foundation Trust, which means it has a certain amount of independence within the NHS. Day-to-day running is in the hands of the Chief Executive, accountable to the Trust Board. The Board is headed by the Chair and made up of full-time executive directors, the principal officers for each of the main functions such as medical, nursing, financial, estates and personnel…Read more
St Peter’s Patronal Festival
SUNDAY June 30 saw a packed St Peter’s church with a congregation made up of worshippers from St Peter’s together with a number from St John’s Caversham and St Margaret’s Mapledurham. The three churches are linked within a single parish. It was a unique event, as the whole service was led by children and young people, with a sermon from Ben Nicholls, the parish youth worker…Read more
GETTING IT COVERED
IN APRIL AND May I had two gardens. One part was stunningly beautiful, with our crab apple trees overflowing with white blossom and that old invader the Spanish bluebell providing a blue background.
Regrettably, the top end of my garden was awful; it was an overgrown, couch grass infested mess. A combination of wet weather and my own health difficulties meant nothing much had been done to it.
There are some misguided gardeners, and I am probably one of them, who try to leave a clear area of soil around their flowers and bushes to make things look ‘neat and tidy’. But we are meant to be working with nature and the way of nature is to occupy the land fully…Read more
Pilates for Everyone
Several Pilates classes run in and around our area. We asked Wendy, a local instructor, if she could tell us about Pilates and explain its benefits.
PILATES IS a low impact total body workout that incorporates the whole body, strengthening from within, combining body and mind.
People of all ages and fitness levels can benefit from this regime, and exercises can be modified to account for any existing musculo-skeletal issues. It was developed by Joseph Pilates in the late 1880s/early 1900s to obtain the ideal balance of strength and flexibility…Read more
Live and Local
Marc Valentine – Face Bar – 31 May
The McCartney Songbook – The Hexagon – 30 June
WHEN I SAW that Marc Valentine, frontman of cult glam rock inspired band, Last Great Dreamers, was playing The Face Bar on Chatham Street in support of his second solo album, I knew I had to go.
I’ve been a fan of Marc’s catchy pop rock since the days of his old band, and he still has a way to build a poignant lyric into an instantly catchy song. The venue was buzzing when Marc took to the stage, and he had the audience captivated instantly…Read more
EcoTip – Browsing is worse than flying?
IF IT WAS a country, the internet would be the fourth biggest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet, and a major consumer of water for cooling. In 2018, Google used 15 billion tonnes of drinking water for cooling its data centres. There are around 200 million active websites, with some 6.9 million tonnes of carbon per month emitted by the action of people looking at these sites. Every time we look at a webpage, it’s contributing another 0.7-1.1 gms to CO2 emissions…Read more
PAM’S REAL-LIFE DRAMA…PLAYED OUT ON STAGE
RABBLE THEATRE’s studio performances of Glitch took place to a series of sell-out crowds at the Minghella Theatre on the University of Reading campus last month. Together with the university’s Law School, the theatre group has been working since 2021 to create a drama publicising the story of Pam Stubbs, a local sub-postmistress, caught up in the Post Office/Horizon scandal.
With Elizabeth Elvin playing Pam Stubbs, the story begins as Pam has moved her Barkham Post Office business into a temporary Portakabin in 2009 while the shop is being rebuilt. To her alarm, the computer starts showing mystery figures she can’t account for…Read more
On The March
Local residents Antony and Jenny boarded a packed train to London to March for Nature in June. This was not widely reported in the media, so we asked them for their account.
ON 22 JUNE we set off from Reading Station for London and made our way to Park Lane, where thousands of people from all over the country were gathering to join the March for Nature. This was the first such protest march organised to highlight the plight of our environment and to put pressure on the incoming government to devote more resources to matters relating to climate change and loss of biodiversity. It brought together many national and local groups, including the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, National Trust…Read more
The Local Scene – BINA – Bengali and Indian Cuisine
WHEN I visited Bina on one of the hottest days of the summer so far, I was grateful for the cool air-conditioning and the warm welcome from the staff – Abdul Mubin, Porosh Ahmed and Jhony Deb. Chatting to the manager, Yeabin Chowdhory, he told me the Bina had new management in 2023 but that the restaurant and take-away has been established in Caversham since 1989. The varied and extensive menu is full of authentic traditional Indian and Bengali cuisine, and I am sure the take-away has been very popular during the European football. For those ‘eating in’ the décor is elegant, the food delicious, and the service excellent…Read more
Community Connections
IN FEBRUARY 2024, Good Old Days, a relatively new local restaurant offering Hong Kong Chinese cuisine, went viral on social media following a glowing review by Jay Rayner in the Observer. There is a copy of the review proudly displayed on the walls, and several months later locals are still flocking there.
Back home in Hong Kong owner Nicola was a social worker but, prompted by the changing political situation there, came to the UK in 2021 to secure a better future for her four children. After extensive research into schools and a good place to live, the family landed in Emmer Green…Read more
Walk, don’t run
YOU MAY never have heard of it before, but I would like to introduce you to Walking Football. It is similar to regular football but is a small sided game, played at a slower pace, with its own rules. It is the perfect fit for anyone who wants to play the game, make new friends, stay active and have fun in a friendly, supportive environment…Read more
Long ago but not so far away
We were contacted recently by a former Caversham resident asking if we would like to have his memories of growing up in Caversham during the Second World War. Here is the first part of his story – we will publish the second part in a future edition.
MY FIRST remembrance of Caversham was in 1936, walking in a snow-covered Chiltern Road, in the newly built Elms Estate, looking at the house that was to be our family home. We were not long back from India, where I was born, and where my father was in the British army. Some three years later, through an open kitchen window, I heard on the radio my parents were listening to the declaration of war against Germany…Read more
Reflexology And the Menopause
Reflexology calms the nervous system through the soothing effect of touch and the stimulation of reflex point.
SOME WOMEN sail through the menopause, while others struggle with symptoms that can negatively impact wellbeing, the most common being low mood, anxiety, hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, and difficulties with concentration and memory.
Reflexology, in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, can support a positive menopause by working on the key areas of hormonal balance, stress reduction, improved sleep and an enhanced sense of wellbeing…Read more
First Impressions Matter – Online Job Boards
THIS MONTH, I’m giving you an overview of online job boards. Job boards have two primary purposes:
1. For recruiters and employers to post job adverts
2. For jobseekers to search and apply for roles. You can browse roles without signing up, but usually need to register to apply or upload your CV…Read more
Wellbeing – Closing the fear gap
AFTER MY initial worry, then fear, and finally deep sorrow at the untimely passing of Dr Michael Mosley recently, I took an afternoon to read some of his writing and listen to his voice on his podcast.
I wanted to start this month by taking a moment to recognise his tremendous contribution to our understanding of our bodies. He was especially skilled at simplifying complex scientific concepts, and offering small, manageable changes we could all incorporate in our daily life…Read more