Two chimneys at Earley Power Station were demolished in 1982 and local residents had a very early alarm call when the two iconic stacks were blown-up at 5.30am on a sunny Sunday morning.
The reason for such a prompt start was they stood adjacent to the main rail lines to London Paddington and this would cut delays to a minimum.
But that month the nearby rail station had a drama of its own when an electrical fire engulfed a three-carriage train just as it approached Earley station.
SPOOKY SHOW: This ‘lucky’ competition winner had a horror show
The compartments were filled with thick, oily smoke and firefighters had to smash their way inside to tackle the blaze. Thankfully the dozens of passengers fled to safety and completed their journey by taxi.
Fearless Joan Williams (from Earley of course) had won a competition at Reading’s ABC Cinema and-in order to claim her £50 prize-she had to sit on her own and watch a new horror film “Dead and Buried”.
Speaking to the Chronicle after her ordeal, Joan revealed: “The film was ridiculous but it was eerie to sit in the cinema alone!”
Rush-hour traffic came to a standstill in Reading when a census by Berkshire County Council officers completely backfired.
In an effort to complete a vital survey to improve vehicle flows over the town’s two river-spanning bridges officials, armed with the essential clip boards and high vis jackets, found they were subjected to a tirade of abuse from fuming drivers.
Wraysbury residents driving past a local garage were in for a surprise when a replica WWII V1 ‘Doodlebug’ missile was wheeled out for the Slough Observer’s camera.
BUZZ OFF: A replica Doodlebug was in Wraysbury
Soon to appear as a major prop in a new BBC drama series called “The Fourth Arm”,the Buzz-bomb would appear alongside 20 other military vehicles supplied by Eton Wick’s Tony Oliver.
As part of National Tea Making Fortnight a most unusual venue was chosen by the 1st Wexham Cub Scout pack when they scaled a Trading Estate cooling tower and ‘brewed up’ inside.
The aim was to teach cubs how to use household equipment safely and to find an unusual place to make a cuppa for a competition. The winners would enjoy a trip to London as their prize.
TV personality Raymond Baxter was a push-over for raising charity money so when he was invited to collect £450 of ‘Tuppences’ at the Stag in Slough for the RNLI he gladly knocked them into a blanket on the bar.
The former WWII Spitfire pilot was most well known for being the first presenter of BBC’s ‘Tomorrow’s World’ but also commentated live at many state occasions such as Winston Churchill’s funeral. Mr Baxter passed away at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in 2006.
Eton Wick Combined School crowned its May Queen 35 years ago and parents were invited to the ceremony when 12-year-old Joanna Carrod was crowned as her classmates danced around the Maypole.
MAY QUEEN: Eton wick kept up with tradition
The Bracknell News reported that Winkfield St Mary’s School had a more unusual way of celebrating May Day when a magician proceeded to saw a teacher in half in front of his astonished pupils.
The illusion drew crowds and raised over £500 for the Teachers’ Association funds.
The world’s most famous cricketer W.G Grace may have been less than amused if he had seen the cricket match at Warfield village fete in 1982.
He certainly would not have approved of the stream of cricket-based puns that appeared after the event in the News special report.
Berkshire Bygones does love a pun but ‘silly mid-on’ and ‘bowling a maiden over’ is not very appealing if over-used.
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