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News Archive - Week Beginning 19th Jan 2009
Charity
An art exhibition to raise funds for a Caversham-based charity started on Monday, 19th January at the Moondogs art gallery and café in Oxford Road. The charity, East West Detox, is based in Prospect Street, and offers a choice of alternative treatment for drug and alcohol users without medication. Further details on the charity can be found on our links page. (Reading Evening Post 19/01/09 p9)
A feature on charities and voluntary groups that will receive RBC funding this year mentions that Caversham Globe will get some money towards its services. The grants were signed off at an RBC cabinet meeting on Monday, January 19th. (Reading Chronicle 22/01/09 p11)
Crime
There was a suspected arson attack in Grove Road, Emmer Green on the night of Thursday, January 15th, when petrol was squirted through the letterbox of a house and then set alight. The occupant of the property was away at the time on holiday - the house has been rendered uninhabitable, owing to (in the description of fire-fighters) it being "100% smoke damaged". Police are investigating, and are asking anyone with information to contact DC Chris Quinlan on 08458 505 505. (Reading Evening Post 19/01/09 p2, Reading Chronicle 22/01/09 p5)
Elderly
A recent meeting of the Caversham's 50Plus+ Forum was given details by Peppard Ward councillor Mark Ralph about a local 'buddy' scheme for the elderly. Cllr Ralph has set up a pilot scheme, using Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators to pair up pensioners of the same gender and roughly the same age to informally look after each other. He already has 25 co-ordinators signed up, and his next move is to approach social services and the police to extend the scheme. (Reading Chronicle 22/01/09 p14)
Traffic - Sonning
Heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes face an £80 fine if they drive through Sonning to cross the Thames from Wednesday, January 28th. Villagers say that they will help to enforce the traffic order. (Reading Evening Post 23/01/09 p3)
Police
A letter responds to earlier correspondence (January 14th) concerning why local police-initiated Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAGs) appear to be a "dying breed". The letter says that although NAGs do indeed need their own budgets, they will only thrive if they move away from a "nanny knows best syndrome", and that too often they seem to have set their own agendas without listening to the public's priorities. (Reading Evening Post 23/01/09 p6)
Pubs
A feature on the dismal prospects facing many Reading pubs owing to the recession and price hikes imposed by breweries says that Gary Taylor, the landlord of the Prince of Wales in Prospect Street, is to leave the pub next month. Mr Taylor blames the demands of the brewers Brakspear for his lack of profit, saying "I cannot afford to get into any more debt over this pub". (Reading Evening Post 23/01/09 p5)
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