As Wokingham’s new mayor Cllr John Chapman rose from his seat to make his inaugural speech as the town’s first citizen in 1964 he posed a few interesting questions to the assembled Town Hall audience.

Mayor Chapman mused about his home-town’s future and wondered whether it would grow to be absorbed by outlying areas and be taken over by a larger authority.

A recent study of development plans for Berkshire had only named Wokingham once in a column of statistics and as far as the attached map was concerned, it was non-existent.

Bracknell-based jazz singer Carole Leonard was celebrating being back on stage 55 years ago after having slipped a cartilage in her jaw.

Carole’s doctor initially found her treatment was not responding well and the prognosis was to expect no more public performances.

But after a year of fighting against the pain she told the Bracknell News:” My jaw is still painful, but I have learned to live with it, I can’t do rock numbers- I only sing the slow, sexy songs!”

A 4-4 draw against their local rivals Ascot, was enough to give Bracknell the darts league cup in 1964, as they had amassed enough points in the two-legged final.

It was a sweet victory for the Bracknell darts team, as their local rivals had beaten them a year previously by exactly the same score.

At the close of the match the “Bracknell News” Cup was presented to the winning skipper Norman Day, who thanked the British Legion for the use of their premises to host the final.

The staff at Sperry’s sports and social club, Bracknell organised a dance evening in 1964 and the music was provided by two local groups, The Dynamoes and The Travellers.

But it was the new dance moves that took centre stage as the staff tried replacing the older ones such as the “Nod and Shake”, “Block” and “Twist” with some more up to date ‘shapes’.

Posing for the News photographer on the dance floor were, Anita Fothergill, Pat Sales, Christine Ewing and Jackie Saunders.

Victoria Hall, Bracknell, was hosting a new song and dance evening with a distinctly nautical flavour called “The Fleet’s in Port”.

Nine members of the Mavelena Lamara’s Revue gave two performances to a packed audience of ‘land lubbers’ (aka family and friends) in the hall, dressed as ‘jolly jack tars’ (aka sailors).

The News published a fascinating ‘birds-eye view of Bracknell town centre in 1964, which showed the area before any major redevelopment work had appeared.

Here at Bygones HQ we immediately spotted the High Street was still dominating as the main thoroughfare through the town, and the number of houses still adjacent to the Holy Trinity church and Bracknell College.