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Bake Off winner puts Emmer Green in the news

THE WINNER of the Channel 4 Junior Bake Off competition this year, Austin, has put Emmer Green in the spotlight recently. Austin has grown up in the village and attends Emmer Green Primary School.
The series was filmed in summer 2024, but the final was not broadcast until this January. The family were not able tell anyone during the intervening months, which Austin said made it seem “unreal”.
He started baking whilst at Checkendon pre-school, where they ran a weekly Little Chefs baking session, and mum Georgina later taught him how to make a Victoria sponge. He has enjoyed baking ever since. His mum and sister encouraged him to apply for the Bake Off competition saying, “You could do that!” but it was Austin who put in his entry, “Spelling errors and all”. The filming was in Kent, in one-week blocks, although the final session was an intense ten days, spent with Georgina in a hotel…Read more

Longer Days

AS THE DAYS lengthen, we can really feel as if the Spring has arrived. Gardeners will already have planted the first potatoes, and with luck the cherry trees will be in blossom. We also have the Easter holidays to look forward to, with Easter Sunday on 20 April.
On the subject of Easter, our Talking Point article takes a look at Jesus’ encounters with his followers on the day of his resurrection from the dead, or soon after (p2). We have provided a summary of Easter services and events at our churches (p4).
In celebration of Spring, this month’s Creative Caversham features local landscape gardener, Hugh Netley…Read more

Beanpole Day: Get your garden ready for summer!

BEANPOLE DAY is coming to Caversham Court on Saturday 26 April, with or without the benefit of additional scaffolding!
We’ll be open from 10:00-15:00 for you to buy very reasonably priced plants and plant supports, whilst learning about wildlife-friendly gardening and all kinds of environmental issues. We have vegetable and ornamental plants grown by charitable organisations, and a range of beanpoles, peasticks and plant supports for them to grow on.

Our plant supports come from locally managed coppiced woodland and willow beds, and your purchase helps maintain this traditional technique…Read more

An evening to remember

The Mill at Sonning Theatre featured in our Creative Caversham article in February as the venue for author Rebecca Netley’s play The Whistling last year. Regular reader Rowena Waddington sent us this report of a recent visit.

TOM AND I celebrated our 54th Wedding Anniversary on Friday (13th!) by enjoying the first evening performance of It Runs in the Family at The Mill at Sonning Theatre. Not only was it a first
performance, but it was the first time ever this dinner-theatre had table service, as opposed to the usual buffet. Along with other show-goers, we were allocated a table on arrival in the beautifully lit dining room. The young and enthusiastic waiting staff wasted no time in taking our drinks order, followed by our choice of food from the selection of dishes…Read more

Making Music

FOR MUSIC LOVERS, there are two musical evenings hosted in local churches to enjoy this April.On Sunday 6 April, Glass Ensemble will present a selection of highlights from Handel’s iconic Messiah with a Passion and Eastertide flavour. This will feature favourite arias and choruses from the larger work, performed in an arrangement for upper voices. The concert will be held at St Barnabas Church, Emmer Green, RG4 8RA from 16:00.  Tickets £12.50 in advance from 07930 690 873 or £15 on the door. Under 18s’ free. There will be a retiring collection for charity
Later in the month, on 26 April, Concerts in Caversham present their Late Spring Concert at St Andrew’s Church, Albert Road, Caversham, RG4 7PL. The concert will feature an eclectic programme of trios and solos for bassoon, flute and piano, ranging from Weber to Chick Corea, Ravel and Poulenc…Read More

For Your Bookshelf

I OFTEN SELL books for Hillingdon Library Author Events near Uxbridge and, on occasion, they ask me to interview the featured author. It was my absolute pleasure to interview David Fennell recently. His Grace Archer series are fast paced, full of action, and not for the faint at heart. A Violent Heart is the fourth book in the series, but this is a book you can read as a standalone without having read the first three.  Of course, there will be the odd reference here or there, but you will still enjoy the book. A Violent Heart is a police procedural case where Grace Archer and her team try to solve the murder of someone Grace once knew. All of a sudden, there are links to cases from over 20 years ago. Could this be the same killer? Grace Archer is one of my most favourite characters in this type of books in several years. She is compelling, and the teamwork and chemistry with her partner Harry is a recipe for success. Throw in a True Crime blogger and you have an emotional, tense mystery which you’ll race through. I would recommend reading the first three in the series if you haven’t read any of David Fennell’s books, especially if you don’t mind the odd brutal murder.

The children’s pick is a lot gentler this month. Do Not Eat The Egg! is the latest picture book by Fiona Barker. It’s a straightforward simple story that will be familiar in any household where someone, child or adult, has a weakness for chocolate…Read More

Poetry Slam in Caversham

HERE IS SOMETHING new for Caversham! A Poetry Slam. This is a poetry competition in which poets each have up to three minutes to read their own work. The readings are then judged by three, randomly selected, members of the audience. The judges mark each poet out of 10, based on how much they (and maybe the audience) liked the poem/performance.
Dreading Slam is a friendly Open Mic Poetry Competition which runs monthly at the Rising Sun Arts Centre in central Reading (RG1 2ST). The winner gets the opportunity to compete in the Grand Slam in January 2026.
The Poetry Slam is coming to the Angel Bar in Caversham on Thursday 10 April, where you will be able to take part or join the audience for an evening of live poetry entertainment. There is also a lively quick-fire round of short poems up to five lines long, won by the loudest cheer! If you wish to take part in the Slam, you will need to bring three of your own poems. Anyone who turns up can compete – there is no need to book in advance. We have had a wide variety of poets, both in style and experience, take part at the Rising Sun, so look forward to hosting the evening in Caversham…Read More

Happy Wanderer revisits Springfield House

IT MUST HAVE been around 1973 when I first saw Springfield House, a listed building on Surley Row, Emmer Green. At the time I was a member of St Laurence Players, and at Christmas, we would hold a Players’ Service in the church in the middle of Reading. This often involved a Nativity Play, and we sometimes repeated the play for the elderly ladies at Springfield St Luke nursing home. This was built around Springfield House, which was run by Anglican nuns from the Community of St Mary the Virgin at Wantage. I seem to remember it was summertime when we went there – an outdoor performance on the lawn. The house had been built on the site of a farmhouse in the late eighteenth century. As a private house it had been occupied by Lieutenant-General Sir Rufane Donkin, according to the book, Emmer Green Past and Present, published by the Emmer Green Residents’ Association…Read More

Swallows and Easter Eggs

OF ALL THE symbols associated with Easter, birds are perhaps not the most obvious ones. The cross, crown of thorns, tomb – yes. Eggs, doves, and chicks – not so much. Let’s not even get started on rabbits – unless it’s eating the chocolate variety. What all symbols have in common, however, is the idea of new life, so central a theme to Easter. Birds of all kinds, even those not typically linked to the season, also bring associations with freedom and new hope. Indeed, a welcome sight for many around this time of year is the migrant bird. Swifts, swallows and other migrant birds may begin to be seen or heard from Spring in the skies and buildings of Caversham or further afield. Often interpreted as the promise and sign of Summer, heralding the end of darkness and welcoming in the light, swallows in particular are beloved by many people. They are mentioned in the Bible, and are the subjects of much literature and poetry, from Tennyson and Wordsworth to Rossetti and others…Read More

Fruit for the Future

SATURDAY 16 FEBRUARY saw a flurry of tree planting in our area. Wokingham-based charity Freely Fruity worked with Econet and Reading Tree Wardens to plant two new community orchards and replace some dead apple trees at an existing site. The planting kicked off at Mapledurham playing fields with the Friends of Mapledurham Playing Fields, and the replacement of dead trees at the existing community orchard there.

Later in the morning, Reading Tree Wardens, led by Dave Kenny, set to work in Bugs Bottom to plant a selection of new fruit trees for a mini community orchard. In the afternoon, Econet led the planting of another new orchard, this time in Emmer Green Playing Fields. If you are local to Emmer Green Playing Fields, or have an allotment next door, then please consider doing some watering duties this summer. There is a tap on site, so there is no need to carry from afar. Contact me at tricia@marcouse.com if you could help…Read More

Bird Table Warning

DID YOU realise that the bird table in your garden, which each day you conscientiously fill with bird food, is a death trap? I guess you, dear reader, maybe did know, but others, like me, may not have noticed this warning. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has ceased selling flat bird feeders because of the likelihood of spreading disease. The numbers of finches, mostly greenfinches, have fallen dramatically because of the diseases they have caught through eating from our bird tables. I had no idea of the amount of bird food people in our country put out each year but in 2019 it was 50,000 – 60,000 tons! I didn’t realise that I could be doing more harm than good by putting food on a bird table, but when I think back, I cannot remember seeing one single greenfinch last year. From now on, rather than flat bird feeders, we are advised to use hanging feeders to lessen the chances of spreading disease. An alternative would be to scatter food such as sunflower hearts onto flat areas making sure you swap these around frequently…Read More

Night at the opera – at St Andrew’s

CULTURE LOVERS in Caversham are increasingly spoilt for choice these days, with an extraordinary range of artistic and musical treats on offer. And as well as concerts showcasing some highly talented instrumentalists, there is also the chance to enjoy a night at the opera. Touring company Merry Opera, the brainchild of Matthew Quirk, made its third visit to St Andrew’s at the end of February with a production of Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus. Set up in 2007, the company is a bursary scheme for rising opera stars, offering the chance to learn a role then perform it on a tour around the country – giving invaluable experience to the young singers. The perils of touring notwithstanding (there were a few issues with the lighting and props), the talented cast, accompanied on the piano by Elspeth Wilkes, threw themselves into their roles…Read More

Wings Fish Bar and Smith’s News and Off Licence

THERE IS A small row of terraced houses in Gosbrook Road which were all private residences in 1921. However, later, the ground floors of numbers 63 and 65 were converted into shop premises. Today number 63 is Smith’s News and Off Licence, and number 65 is The Wings Fish Bar. Both businesses are very familiar to local residents and have been serving customers for many years, although they have changed hands over that time. Mr Selvakumar has been running the corner shop as a family business for over twenty years. He previously owned a similar business in Kidmore Road. The shop is crammed with provisions of all kinds but, today, a large part of the business is as a delivery and collection point for parcels. Mr Selvakumar is also proud of his early morning newspaper delivery service, which at one time his children helped with. He greatly values his role in providing a service for the local people, particularly the elderly, who rely on the convenience of his store….Read More

Little Pickers

PUPILS IN year three at St Martin’s Primary School in Caversham Park Village spent an afternoon litter picking along the path between the school and the Milestone centre. They went out fully equipped with rubbish bags, high-vis jackets, litter grabbers and smiles. The class managed to fill several bags with the rubbish they found, which included sweet wrappers and cans. One of the students commented that they were surprised how much litter they found, and another noted that often it was hidden under hedges. The children very much enjoyed getting out of the school grounds together…Read More

The Call of the Sea

THE READING OFFSHORE Sailing Club (ROSC) is a social club for all those interested in sailing and the sea, including non-boat owners. We hold a series of talks, usually on the first
Monday of the month, and at least one sailing rally on the sea. We also organise social activities, such as a Summer BBQ, an Autumn ‘laying up supper’, and a New Year walk and pub lunch.
We are lucky enough to have the use of the Upper Thames Motor Yacht Club premises on the waterside behind the Mill at Sonning for our meetings. It is a delightful spot to socialise with others with similar interests, share our experiences, make plans, and enjoy the beautiful…Read More

Can you help the Gurkha Ladies?

We have featured the work of the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers Sailors and Airmen Families’ Association (SSAFA) with Gurkha ladies in Reading in past editions. Last March we reported on a recipe book produced in support of the work of SSAFA, which came out of a local SSAFA project, the Gurkha
Ladies Project, which provides support and weekly English-language sessions for local Gurkha women. Local resident, Pam Reynolds, who has led the Project for the last 14 years, has now stepped down, and a new Project leader, Andrew Jones, has taken the helm.
ANDREW BRINGS a host of valuable experience to the Project. He served in the Royal Navy for 14 years, leaving with the rank of Chief Petty Officer. During this time, he also ran the ship’s voluntary education classes, teaching maths and computer skills to those sailors… Read More

Don’t be fooled in your job search!

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY may be all about pranks and jokes but, for job hunting, being misled — or misleading employers – can have serious consequences. This
month, I’ll look at four job search lessons inspired by the origins of April Fools’ Day.
Calendar confusion (applying for the wrong roles) – Just like those who didn’t get the memo about France’s calendar change in 1582, some jobseekers apply for roles when they’re not the right fit. Read job adverts carefully and tailor your CV. However, don’t be discouraged if you don’t meet 100% of the criteria. If you have most of the requirements being asked for, it’s still worth applying — employers often value potential as much as experience.
Roman ‘Hilaria’ (don’t fake it until you make it) – The ancient Roman festival of Hilaria involved people wearing disguises and playing tricks — similar to job seekers who exaggerate their skills or qualifications. Being caught out in an interview (or worse, on the job) can ruin your credibility (or worse). Instead, highlight…Read More

Timeless Threads

GRANDMA HOBBIES” typically refer to activities traditionally associated with older generations, like knitting, crocheting, quilting, baking, gardening, scrapbooking, sewing, preserving, needlepoint, birdwatching, and reading book clubs; essentially, crafts and domestic pursuits that often involve manual dexterity and a focus on creating something tangible.
These hobbies often evoke a sense of tradition and comfort, associated with a slower pace of life. Interestingly,
younger generations are increasingly embracing these activities, often seen as a relaxing and creative outlet, sometimes referred to as the ‘slow living’ aesthetic. On TikTok, posts with #needlepoint increased by 400% in 2024!..Read More