Wokingham

Growth of Wokingham

When my parents moved to Wokingham in 1950 I understand that it had a polulation of 5,000 and my memories are of a sleepy market town. I gather the poulation is now about 60,000 and it certainly shows when I return - it seems very built up and very busy. We lived in Easthampstead Road and I see that this road now has many more houses, with infilling and houses built in back gardens etc. but it is still very recognisable.
Contributed by John Buck

Grosvenor School

At the time this photograph was taken the building in the background on the right housed the Grosvenor School. At some stage it became a surgery for a local doctor but I don't know when? By the 1950s it had grown to a surgery with several doctors, including a Dr Merrick.
Contributed by John Buck

A hazy glimpse of times gone past

Where the houses come out, by the bus was a shoe shop owned by two sisters, a really old fashioned one that looked like time stood still when you went in, coming back the other way, if you walked along, was the blacksmith, this was Dick Francis, the author's father, then across the road (the one leading to the cinema) coming back further, were houses that overhung the road, Elizabethan type, then a little lane and two houses, my gran & grandad Emma and John Asker lived in the first one, then the alms houses on the corner, where they ended their days, this was the corner of London Road, across one way, All Saints Church where they were laid to ...read more here
Contributed by joyce lawrence

Home Farm Bearwood

It was the year President Kennedy was assassinated. My two sisters and I lived with my Grandparents, Bob and Katie Myram at Home Farm, Bearwood. My mum was ill in the U.S. and we stayed for the year with my grandparents. We attended Bearwood County Primary School and Mr. Sparrow was my beloved teacher! I have such happy, wonderful memories of that year, the Beatles, my friend, Marian Allen and a wonderful toy shop that I cant remember the name. My fondest memories are of that year. If anyone has anything to add to this, please do!!!! I'd love to hear from you!!!!
Krystyne Lewis (nee Christine Schupp)
Contributed by Krystyne Lewis

My great grandparents house

My great grandparents lived in one of the houses you can just see at the right hand side right at the end, they are lovely black and white houses and are still there, offices now I think.
Contributed by Nicky Lane

Hot summer days

The group of three boys on their bicyles reminds me of hot summer days riding back from the Forest school to my home in Wokingham. We would often stop here - outside the hardware shop (Husseys?) and have a last chat before going our separate ways - clearly there was not much traffic about! In fact I could well be the boy on the left but if so I cannot recognise the other two.
At this time Wokingham had a Boots chemist - just on the right, which also had a lending libray run by Boots on the first floor and a second chemist called Tomothy Whites and Taylors the other side of the market place - the shop ...read more here
Contributed by John Buck

California in England

This holiday camp was known as California in England and was owned by the Cartledge family.  Mr Cartledge ran the holiday camp and Mrs Cartledge ran the Red Puppet cafe in Wokingham's Peach Street for some time, where a group of boys from the Forest school and girls from the Holt would meet for coffee on the way home from school.
Contributed by John Buck