Headlines for April issue

Caversham Bridge Spring Photo Competition – Share your “take” on Caversham
Our brand new photography competition, with the winning images featuring in the Caversham Bridge, is launched this month. A prize of £25 in John Lewis vouchers will be awarded for each winning image chosen by the Caversham Bridge editorial team. From the River Thames to the woods of South Oxfordshire, our area offers great opportunities for photographers of all kinds. We would like to share the best photos you have taken in Caversham, Emmer Green and the immediate area. We will feature Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter photos over the next year, starting with our May edition… Read more

Sunday Club at St John’s: Sparks, Flames and Blaze!
Whilst growing up, my main impression of church was that it was for “old people”. Don’t get me wrong, I loved those “old people” who would surreptitiously slip me a mint imperial or let me have an extra biscuit when my mum was looking the other way, but my view was simply that church and Christianity was irrelevant for young people like myself. When I went away to university, I was overwhelmed by the number of young people involved in the Christian Union and churches in the area. I began to explore Christianity for myself…Read more

Give us your views on the Caversham Bridge
We are considering improvements to the Caversham Bridge Newspaper and our on-line services to you. So we would like to understand you, our readers, better and find out what you like about your local paper, along with any new features or ideas you would like us to look into for future editions. We have a number of questions for you, such as…Read more

Churches in Caversham this Easter
As we are making final preparations for the publication of the April Caversham Bridge, it is clear the Covid19 pandemic will affect every aspect of our lives. In normal times, we would list Easter Services on this page. However, most churches have decided to put on hold their usual pattern of mid-week gatherings and Sunday services. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a letter to all Church of England clergy…Read more

Supporting Samaritans – a Friday Fundraiser
St John’s Church on Gosbrook Road hosted a coffee morning which raised £220 for the Samaritans on 21 February. The idea came from Marie Barnett, manager of the 3Cs café, which runs on Tuesdays in St John’s. The Samaritans answer a phone call every 6 seconds from people who have reached out for help. A survey on loneliness…Read more

Getting it back together – new life for a pre-school playhouse
The children and staff of Caversham Heights Pre-School are all ready to use their playhouse again! Time and use had taken their toll on it but, rather than buying a new one, it’s been given a complete refurbishment by members of the church. As part of Caversham Heights Methodist Church’s Eco Church initiative, it has been re-used rather than replaced…Read more

The Reading and Caversham Laundry
When I think back to the 1950s, and the weekly ordeal my mother went through, I’m grateful for the invention of the automatic washing machine. It took her the best part of a Monday to get the weekly wash done. In the 1960s, I came to Reading for my first job, with no savings and as yet no knowledge of the area. I stayed at the Y.M.C.A. Hostel in Parkside Road, thinking that I should at least be safe there, and it would give me time to look around and find somewhere more permanent to live. Like many other young people, all I could afford was a bed sitting-room with a shared bathroom, in a house in multiple occupation. There was a laundrette around the corner…Read more

Climate Crisis – the role of the churches
The need for the Churches and faith communities to play their part in responding to the climate crisis was the subject of a speech in the House of Lords by Bishop Steven of Oxford in February. He emphasised the unprecedented threat to our ecosystem and to human flourishing we are facing and the limitations of relying on technology. He quoted from Pope Francis’ letter to the whole world in 2016, in which he writes “the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor”…Read more

News from St Anne’s School
Year 5 pupils at St Anne’s Primary School have been learning about Fast Cars and Rockets for their winter topic, and two teams will be going on to represent the school at the 2020 Jaguar Primary School Challenge (JPSC) Berkshire Finals at the end of March. The JPSC encourages children to develop science and engineering skills…Read more

Knit one, purl one and save the planet
If you like to knit or crochet, you probably have a selection of yarns made from a variety of fibres. It is worth pausing before purchasing yarn for that next project to consider its impact on our environment…Read more

A pile of rubbish
Local environmental group Plastic Free Caversham joined forces with Globe (Go Local On a Better Environment) to organise a community spring clean event around the River Thames in Caversham on Sunday 8 March…Read more

Consultation on Reading Climate Action Plan
The Reading Climate Action Plan 2020-2025 is out to public consultation until 24 April. It has six “themes”: low carbon development, water and flooding, resources, transport, health and nature and green spaces. You can comment on everything or restrict yourself…Read more

Les Cooper in the garden – Regrets
Are you like me and have you bought things for the garden because they look so pretty in the advertisement? Do you always thoroughly study what the plant will be doing in a few years’ time? If you do then you are better than I am. I would hate to disillusion anyone…Read more

Walking a Labyrinth – A Prayer Journey
Walking a labyrinth is like going on a pilgrimage – it’s a prayerful walk during which you are seeking God and listening for his voice. Labyrinths are an ancient design, dating back 3000 years. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has one path, with no dead ends – you can’t get lost…Read more

New technology in healthcare – The Caversham Heights Society
The Society meets every alternate Wednesday evening at the Caversham Heights Methodist Church Hall to hear talks on a range of topics. The meetings start with coffee at 7.15pm. New members are always welcome and further details can be found at www.cavershamheights.org In February Professor Rachel McCrindle of the University of Reading spoke on the topic ‘Can new technologies transform healthcare?’…Read more

Time for a change (of clothes)
The Weller Centre organised its first “Swishing” event on 29 February to encourage people to swap clothes and toys they no longer want…Read more

The story of Redlands – from Roman burial ground to Reading suburb
The History of Reading Society usually meets on the third Wednesday of the month at the Abbey Baptist Church (behind Reading Central library). Doors open at 7.15pm and talks start at 7.30pm. Their February subject was about ‘Old Redlands Estate or Shackel’s Fields’. The speaker, Keith Jerrome, is a local historian…Read more

The Heights are alive with the sound of music
NINE years ago Adrienne Black and Timothy Watts launched the first of their Concerts in Caversham at St Andrews Church. It was to be the start of a series that would bring the finest of music and musicians to entertain parishioners and other music-lovers from all parts of the district…Read more

Heights School move to Mapledurham
Local residents were invited to attend a meeting of The Mapledurham Playing Field Management Committee as observers on 3 February 2020…Read more

South Chiltern Choral Society – An Easter offering: Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle
At the age of 38, having written over 30 operas, notably The Barber of Seville and William Tell, Rossini retired and many years later wrote something completely different – ‘Petite Messe Solennelle’ (Little Solemn Mass)…Read more

The Retirement Habit
I was asked to write a few words about retiring from ministry at St. Peter’s, Caversham in Febuary. It’s not my first retirement…Read more

Caversham Heights Townswomen’s Guild
After a break, Caversham Heights Townswomen’s Guild’s meetings re-started with a talk on “The Emergence of England” by Jaye Windmill…Read more

The Face Behind the Mask – Madame Tussaud: Chazey WI
She is one of the most famous women in the world with a global empire spanning every continent which still bears her name 170 years after her death. But who was Madame Tussaud…Read more