SANDHURST motorists were left scratching their heads when driving through the Rackstraws roundabout in Yorktown Road in 1987- as they were suddenly faced with 19 direction signs- pointing in 26 different directions.

Some of the confusion was being blamed on the opening of the College Town Bypass, many drivers were facing the new layout for the first time.

Local driver Celia Rowlands, told the News:” If you don’t know where you are going it is difficult to understand, many people drive around the roundabout a couple of times just to work it out!”

An advertising bus, parked in Crowthorne’s railway station car park, was branded an ‘eyesore’ by local shopkeepers.

The double decker had arrived ten weeks earlier, but by the New Year it was claimed the ‘stationary billboard’ was causing an obstruction to vehicles using the station car park.

Shopkeeper Eileen Grady told the News:” The parking situation is bad enough, it is so restricted any way, without that eyesore being there. The station used to be such a beautiful building but its spoiled now.”

But the owner of the bus, Chris Evans explained:” We have paid the rent to keep the bus there and I thought we would be doing the traders a favour. I have not been approached by anyone about this, but I am happy to move it.”

Wokingham was struggling to cope with the freezing artic weather in January 1987 with many businesses and schools having a hard time as staff could not get to work.

British Rail commuters were amongst the worst affected, with all Reading to Waterloo trains grinding to a halt, due to frozen points.

The town’s market was almost deserted and clothing retailer Eddie Phillips told the News:” The cold weather has kept people away. Few stall holders can get through the snow and they know what the market is like in bad weather.”

The Ladbroke Mercury Hotel in Bracknell played host to many of the professional darts players taking part in the World Championships at Lakeside, Frimley Green in 1987.

After winning the final, legendary arrow thrower, John Lowe, celebrated with the manager Geoff Dalling, alongside fellow players Bob Anderson and Mike Gregory.

Offers of help for the elderly during the cold spell were flooding in to volunteer organisations throughout the Crowthorne and Sandhurst area as many pensioners were not going outside.

Age Concern organiser John Oakley told the News: “The response has been superb, at one point we had three helpers for every call for help.”

The Noddy Roadshow rolled into Bracknell’s Princess Square 23 years ago and brought warm cheers from the crowds of shoppers and children-despite the freezing weather

outside.

Manager, Peter Smith, said:” The show was very well received by the children, the magic, balloon modelling and tearing paper proved very enjoyable.”