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• Archive Index 2009

News Archive - Week Beginning 11th October 2009

The editors say: A CAMRA listed pub in the heart of Caversham. A new micro-brewery, Two Bridges, opening up in Ardler Road ... and let's not forget the Loddon Brewery in Dunsden either. Drinking beer around these parts is good and getting better!

Buses

Reading Buses staff have voted against an all-out strike at the bus company, with 59% of the 279 votes cast being against strike action. However, plans to take part in industrial action short of a strike received a ‘yes’ vote from 158 bus staff with 129 voting against. Reading Buses CEO James Freeman said “we are deeply disappointed by the fact there was a vote in favour of some form of industrial action…” Reading Buses, which is run by Reading Transport Ltd, (and which is wholly owned by the RBC) is reported to be losing £40,000 a week. (Reading Post 14/10/09 pp1,3)

A ‘green bus fuel scandal’ involving Reading Buses is said to have caused serious embarrassment to the Labour administration of the RBC – which ultimately owns the local bus company. Despite repeated public statements that 14 Reading Buses on Premier Route 17 were being run on bio-ethanol fuel made from sugar beet from Norfolk, it has emerged that they have in fact been running on fuel made from wood pulp imported from Sweden. The discovery came to light when the Reading Transport Board was discussing growing fuel costs. At the same time, the RBC told the board that the bio-ethanol buses will be converted to bio-diesel because of the price of the inefficient bio-ethanol fuel. According to ‘Get Reading’, the failure of the flagship eco-friendly venture will cause considerable political embarrassment to the leading Labour group of the RBC, which has used the project to boost its green credentials. (Get Reading 16/10/09 pp1, 2)

Caversham People

Caversham husband and wife team Kevin and Kerri Durkan have started a micro-brewery, Two Bridges Brewery, operating from their home in Ardler Road. Kevin Durkan wanted a name that was in keeping with being local and at the centre of the Caversham community – the brewery is therefore named after the Caversham and Reading bridges. With the assistance of Mrs Durkan’s mother, Susan Kane, the family uses barley, hops and yeast in a single-cell brewery to make their Golden Cygnet beer. They also have their own website (Reading Post 14/10/09 p25, Reading Chronicle 15/10/09 p30)

A disabled couple, Yvonne and Philip Stephens, are criticising their housing association, the Catalyst Housing Group, for failing to rehouse them five months after their bungalow in Honey Meadow Close was damaged by fire. The fire-damaged bungalow has no heating, but Catalyst have had difficulty finding the family suitable alternative accommodation. (Reading 16/10/09 p26)

Crime

Local police are reporting problems with youths trespassing on the premises of the Caversham Children’s Centre in Amersham Road (including their climbing on the centre’s roof). (Reading Post 14/10/09 p23, Reading Chronicle 15/10/09 p30)

Under the headline ‘burglars on the rampage in Caversham’, ‘Get Reading’ reports that there were a spate of local burglaries between Tuesday, October 6th and Thursday, October 8th – with thefts in Kings Road, Managua Close, Cromwell Road, Woodcote Way, Southdown Road, Lower Henley Road, Gosbrook Road and River Road. (Get Reading 16/10/09 p9)

Public Order

Under the headline ‘police break up teen booze party’, ‘Get Reading’ reports that an alcohol-fuelled gathering of up to 50 young people was intercepted by police and moved on from the parkland at Bugs Bottom during the evening of Sunday, October 3rd. The police action followed on from their seizing a large quantity of alcohol from ‘two underage lads who are well known to the local team’. PCSO Rob Dunford said that he was surprised about the location of the party: “something like this is quite unusual in that part of Caversham”. (Get Reading 16/10/09 p21)

Pubs

The Baron Cadogan pub in Prospect Street has been listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 2010. The Baron is the only pub in Reading to feature – CAMRA said: “the Baron Cadogan deserves its place in the guide. It’s our belief that if a licensee serves an excellent pint of real ale, then everything else in the pub is likely to be of an equally high standard”. (Reading Post 14/10/09 p25, Get Reading 16/10/09 p16)

Shops

The supermarket chain Iceland reopened in St Martin’s Precinct on Thursday, October 15th after a three and half year absence. It will be open seven days a week, and has created 22 jobs. Nick Morgan, Iceland area manager, said: “we are delighted to be opening our new store in Caversham. We are pleased to be able to contribute to employment in the area”. (Reading Chronicle 15/10/09 p30, Get Reading 16/10/09 p6)

Sport and Recreation

Caversham Lawn Tennis Club has become the 500th in the country to achieve Clubmark status, given by Sport England in recognition of commitment to creating opportunities for all ages and abilities to play the game. (Reading Chronicle 15/10/09 p30)

The Cross Lanes Fruit Farm in Mapledurham held its annual open day on Sunday, 11th October – attracting about 2,500 visitors. Despite there being rain on the day, visitors’ comments concerning the farm and its many varieties of apples and pears seem overwhelmingly positive. (Reading Post 14/10/09 p23)