The Parish Magazine September 2022

from page 23
Ian Clarke remembers
much bigger, the whole place was much more scary! We
would build go-karts and race each other down the slopes
desperately trying to avoid serious injury.
The copse was also the setting to act out our cowboy
adventures after tea, having watched The Lone Ranger,
Hopalong Cassidy or Roy Rogers on TV. I can still hear the
sound of cap guns and the smell of the gunpowder as we shot
at the 'baddies'.
At the top of the field during the conker season many
hours were spent throwing sticks up the trees to try and
dislodge a large conker — and trying to avoid the sticks
falling on our heads.
Another aspect of the rec was the swings where we would
play. The 'Witch's Hat' (dangerous) was a favourite, making
sure our fingers weren't trapped in it was a priority'
'Cheeselog' was another lethal piece of equipment which
was a battering ram that could cause real damage to the
unsuspecting passer by! There were also no soft surfaces on
which to fall, just very hard tarmac!
We did have to behave reasonably well, however, and not
make too much of a nuisance of ourselves as opposite the rec
lived the local village policeman who would ride round on a
bike and was not above giving you a clip round the ear! How
times have changed.
Another adventure playground existed in the shape of
Sonning University Farm. The barns, when full of hay bales,
provided us with hours of fun— until we were caught! We
would jump from bale to bale chasing each other around the
barn and would also use them to make secret dens. These
came in handy to hide in if one of the farm workers came
along.
I also remember going to the farm each day with a metal
milk can to pick up a daily ration of milk. We were entitled to
this because our grandad used to be a farm hand who worked
in the dairy. It was full fat milk, no skimmed milk then. The
farm also provided a nightmare in the shape of a large bull
kept in a pen near the farm gate. Many a sleepless night was
had as that bull tore through my dreams! I can still see the
metal ring in its nose. It makes me shudder to this day.
As my memories fade I am glad that Bob prompted
me to commit them to paper. I hope some might
be of interest to newcomers to Sonning as well as
those who also remember so long ago. Those days
are surely never to return!
Sonning High Street, then and now. A montage used as one of the
front covers of Gordon Nutbrown's trilogy of books 'A Thames Parish
Magazine' 1869 - 2015. We have a few spare copies remaining which are
available free of charge from editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk
The Parish Magazine - September 2022 25
feature — 4 around the villages — 1
WI rounders champions!
Sonning Glebe WI (pictured above) just managed to
beat The Sonning Club in this year's village rounders
championship which meant that Sonning School PTA, as
losers, have the honour of organising next year's match!
The other teams taking part were: Sonning Primary School
Teachers, Sonning Tennis Club, Sonning Scouts, and St
Andrew’s Church. Despite it being a hot sunny evening on
St George’s Field the spectators were well catered for by the
Sonning Cricket Club bar while The Village Hamper sold
plenty of ice cream and the PTA provided the BBQ. Nearly
£100 was raised for Daisy’s Dream by a WI raffle.
Wanted: volunteers to put
smiles on children's faces
If you love to see deprived children smile, then Reading
Family Aid can help you! They have been putting smiles
on faces in and around Reading since the 1970's and are
planning to keep doing so as the demand continues to
grow. This is why they are looking for someone familiar
with charity governance to be their governance and
compliance advisor. They are also looking for a publicity
team member to help with media activities and press
coverage. Contact sravanthiyellapragada@readingfamilyaid.org
for more information.
Bowls club short of members
Charvil Short Mat Bowls Club is seeking new members. They
are a friendly group who play indoors on Tuesday afternoons
from 2pm and/or Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm indoors
from September to April at Charvil Village Hall, RG10 9TR.
More from: 0118 969 4022 or 0777 078 7791.
Plan a royal visit . . .
Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and many of the
other royal residences are open to visitors throughout
September and October. There are gardens to explore, state
rooms to tour, and Platinum Jubilee exhibitions to enjoy.
To see what's available visit: https://www.rct.uk/whatson/
where you can browse 50 events, get full information, and
create some Jubilee memories!