Headlines for February 2020 Issue

St John’s Altar Rail Kneelers Completed at last!
In 1998, Christine Rowe, the wife of Rev. Stephen Rowe of St Johns Church in Lower Caversham, had an idea for an Altar rail kneeler which would celebrate the beauty and character of Caversham beside the River Thames and also honour the Lord’s goodness to us. After approval from the PCC, she challenged Penelope Burns, a tapestry designer from Dorset, with the task of designing something to fit the brief …. (Read more)

Sue Ryder Hospice to close
The Sue Ryder charity is to close its south Oxfordshire palliative care hospice at Joyce Grove, Nettlebed at the end of March 2020, after 35 years. The charity has decided instead to focus on its ‘hospice at home’ service. It said there had been a ‘steady decline’ in the number of patients and a survey suggested …. (Read more)

Cooking up friendship ……. ‘Stay Awhile’ – Could you help?
There is no feeling quite like being lonely and always eating alone. Eating meals together is a recurring theme in the Bible and social meals are deeply ingrained in our God created being. A number of churches in Caversham organise lunch clubs or similar opportunities for people to eat or meet together. ‘Stay Awhile’ is one such ministry…. (Read more)

‘Newcomers to Reading’: a presentation by the History of Reading Society
The subject of the December talk was ‘What did Newcomers do for Reading’. The speaker was Joan Dils, the Society’s President. In December 2019 the Reading Chronicle reported that ‘nearly one third of people living in Reading were born outside the UK’. The town’s location and its ability to attract migrants over the last millenium has helped to…. (Read more)

Caversham Retail Review: February 2020
Caversham Bridge is a strong supporter of retailing and services in Caversham (in all its parts) for the contribution they make in different ways to a viable and sustainable community. Very little stays completely the same from one year to the next and changes can be both small and large. So, your community paper is going to provide …. (Read more)

The West Memorial Institute – Happy Wanderer
Here is one of Caversham’s most distinctive buildings, still there, on Gosbrook Road. It has been many different things in its time. I decided to find out about it after coming across a leaflet in the local ephemera collection at Reading Central Library …. (Read more)

Christmas Eve in Caversham
Christmas Eve was busy in Caversham. At St Peter’s church, in the early morning, there was a production line of children and adults making Christingles for the afternoon’s double festivities. In St Martin’s Centre, Forresters Hair Salon was buzzing as votes were being cast by customers for the best pantomime costume worn by staff. At The Caversham Butcher …. (Read more)

Out and about – a winter visit to Windsor
Windsor is one of our middle-distance neighbours. In a world ranking of known places to visit (which to the best of my knowledge does not exist, and why should it?) Windsor would likely be a candidate and a member. As UK residents, we are aware of Windsor for many reasons …. (Read more)

‘The life and work of William Hogarth’: a talk given to the Caversham Heights Society
Having not met since the concert by the Glass Ensemble on 4th December 2019, followed by a Christmas Party, it was good to gather together on 15th January 2020 for our first talk of this year when John Brearley, a former Head of Visual Arts at Waingel’s Copse School, entertained us with his talk on ‘The life and work of William Hogarth.’ I say “entertained” because this was one of the most fascinating, humorous and informative talks on art …. (Read more)

Pre-school boxes clever – reducing waste
Caversham Heights Pre-School has come up with a clever new scheme to reduce waste, save time and money whilst raising funds for the preschool. Their ‘Party Box’ contains a range of easy to clean plates, cups, bowls and jugs for up to 36 people and can be hired …. (Read more)

Help the Swans survive Winter
Cold weather and fast flowing rivers can mean can that the swan’s natural food source is scarce. We have many swans on the Thames in Caversham and we are urged to feed them. Suggested foods are …. (Read more)

Let the train take the strain – cut your carbon footprint
At this time of the year, many of us are considering summer holidays. Cheap flights have transformed travel. Short breaks in Europe or holidays in the sun are increasingly popular and affordable. But the carbon dioxide emitted from flying …. (Read more)

Les Cooper in the garden – be different!
Surely you are not one of those ‘easy life gardeners’ who motor down to the nearest garden centre to buy a box or two of lobelia in order to enhance their front garden? No, you would not be reading this if you were. I just know that you are one of the brave types like me who love to grow their own flowers…. (Read more)

Caversham Horticultural Society 
Caversham Horticultural Society’s first talk of the year will be held on Tuesday 4 February at 7.45pm, given by Lou Phillips on the subject ‘Down to Earth: learn about your soil and how to look after it’. This talk, as with all others in 2020, will be held at the new venue …. (Read more)

Chazey WI
Imagine, ladies, a life without elastic – it’s a stretch, isn’t it? No bras and knickers as we know them but an underwear drawer with whalebone corsets, multiple petticoats and perhaps a chemise made out of an old pillowcase. Yet this was what Chazey WI members were asked to contemplate …. (Read more)

World Day of Prayer, St Barnabas Church, 6 March 2020
Women, men and children of all ages are called to ‘Rise, take your mat and walk’ to join this day of prayer. Women of Zimbabwe have prepared this year’s service and they encourage …. (Read more)