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• Archive Index 2009

News Archive - Week Beginning 29th November 2009

The editors say: We've always lamented the joining of Caversham and Reading. We suspect the plans for Reading's roads will force a divorce. It will be more sensible for Caversham residents to go anywhere other than the town. See traffic news for more.

Buses

A public meeting on Wednesday, 25th November discussed the proposals by Reading Buses to cut the frequency of its Number 22 bus service from Earley to Caversham Heights via Reading town centre. At the meeting, Reading Transport Chief Executive James Freeman commented on a Reading Buses scheme that offers discounted £1 tickets on buses to Lower Caversham, and said that the scheme had been losing the bus company money. The ‘Riverside’ commentator from Reading Forum pointed out that there is very little advertising for the £1 routes and said: “how are non-customers supposed to know about it? Or is that the point – prove that it fails?” (Reading Chronicle 03/12/09 p7)

A ‘Get Reading’ article publicises Reading Buses’ new policy of a special £1 fare on the 24 and 27 bus routes connecting Caversham’s Amersham Road and Reading’s Coley Park to Reading town centre. The special fare will run over the Christmas, and is aimed at encouraging more people to use the bus on a regular basis. It must be a coincidence that ‘Get Reading’ publicises the scheme the day after the ‘Chronicle’ suggested that Reading Buses had kept quiet about it. (Get Reading 04/12/09 p19)

Caversham People

A quintet of local women writers who met at creative writing classes at Chiltern Edge School in Sonning Common in 2002 have written and produced a book of short stories – “The Virgin Sardine”, launched at WordPlay book and toy shop in Prospect Street on Thursday, 26th November. Reading Mayor Pugh attended the launch. (Reading Chronicle 03/12/09 p36)

Education

An unannounced Ofsted inspection at St Andrew’s Pre-School in Caversham on Wednesday, 18 th November has resulted in the school being judged ‘outstanding’ in all areas. Ofsted praised the excellent standards of pupil behaviour and the staff team for their excellent support of the children’s development through reassurance and praise. (Reading Chronicle 03/12/09 p8)

Ofsted inspectors have given a ‘gleaming’ report to Kingfisher Daycare, based at the Caversham Children’s Centre in Amersham Road following a visit there in October. The infants’ day care centre opened in May 2009, and the Ofsted report is described as ‘very positive’. (Get Reading 04/12/09 p21)

Environment

A weather phenomenon described as a ‘mini twister’ or ‘tornado’ caused extensive damage in central Caversham in the early hours of Saturday, 28th November. The short lived, intense wind squall knocked down local fencing and walls, with St Anne’s Primary School suffering in particular. A brick wall at a playground in nearby Westfield Road also collapsed. (Reading Post 02/12/09 pp1,6)

King’s Meadow Baths

‘Get Reading’ features a lengthy letter from a Westdene Crescent resident who worked as a swimming teacher and coach at the old King’s Meadow swimming baths. He says that no child was allowed to enter the unheated pool until the temperature was at least 60 degrees fahrenheit (that still sounds extremely cold!) and that the pool was never (as alleged) ‘a cold filthy pit’. (Get Reading 04/12/09 p44)

Shops

Waitrose in Church Street celebrated 25 years of trading on Friday, 27th November. The supermarket’s ‘Community Matters’ charity initiative has raised over £15,000 for local concerns since its launch in August 2008. (Reading Post 02/12/09 p19, Reading Chronicle 03/12/09 p36)

Traffic

At the RBC Cabinet meeting on Monday, 30th November, Councillor Tony Page commented on phase one of the Council’s TiF (Transport Innovation Fund) bid, with the RBC lobbying to obtain £58m from the Government in return for Reading implementing a Low Emission Zone to stop rat-running lorries using Reading as a shortcut between the M40 and M4. The RBC Labour administration’s transport lead councillor Tony Page said that the public transport measures and the LEZ would help tackle both pollution and Reading’s poor air quality, citing the congested pinch point of the junction on the approach to Caversham Bridge. RBC Conservative leader Andrew Cumpsty praised the Council’s cross-party efforts with regards the lobbying for TiF cash, and agreed that ‘air quality was a real issue for people living in Caversham’. The meeting was also told by Cllr Page that lengthy negotiations with regards the TiF had brought together all the neighbouring local authorities except for West Berkshire Council. (Reading Chronicle 03/12/09 p15)

A letter from Caversham supporter and activist Bob O’Neill comments on the lack of public reaction to the RBC’s proposals for redevelopment of the Reading station area, arguing that the Council should now add the word ‘stuffed’ into its ‘Get Reading’ banner. Bob says that the RBC’s plans are a ‘hymn of hate’ against the motorist – as mentioned in last week’s ‘Update’, the narrowing of the Vastern Road to just two lanes will have particular implications for drivers crossing the river out of Caversham. (Reading 02/12/09 p13)