Wokingham Memories It Shall Be.

[Phodgetts]

Wow, thanks to all who have taken part in this thread and especially 'behindthefrogs' for taking the time to go out and take a photo of the place as it is today and for providing the links to Imagesofengland. All fascinating stuff. I visited Wokingham last year and missed seeing the school my G'ma went to by a gnats whisker!!! At least I will now know where to go next time I find myself down in that neck of the woods. My cousin will also no doubt be very interested to know after all this time where the school was as he took me somewhere completely different to Broad Street lol.

Thanks everbody.

A very appreciative Philip.

[behindthefrogs]

Yes Down Street was renamed Denmark Street when the future King Edward VII married Alexandra Princess of Denmark.

I suspect most of the buildings in Broad Street and the Market Place date back to before 1900 and possibly to the 1860s although all those in the Market Place and some in Broad Street have been converted into shops.

Tudor House is at what used to be called Terrace Point across the end of Broad Street with the Terrace to the left of it and Milton Road to the right.  I am trying to work out whether there are nine houses between Montague House and Terrace Point.  In the other direction they are now nearly all shops.

The Baptist Church is on the right a little way down Milton Road.  That was rebuilt in 1860 and now has a very modern extention added to the side of it.  I prefer the extentions to the Methodist Church in Rose street which are in keeping with the original building.  That was built in 1870 with Isaiah Gadd who owned Montague House being one of the "pillars" of the church.

Thw wall outside Montague House was strengthen and rebuilt in a number of places when the railings were added but is essnetially the same wall.  I like the way the new gate very much resembles the original 1800 gate.

David

[joyce341]

well done David,you certainly know the History Of Wokingham,dose the siren still go off for Broadmoor every day,near the car park off of Rose street,I remember it used to go off at ten o clock for testing every morning and was sounded if someone escaped,then all the children were met from school,one of my first jobs was in soft furnishing for Ellens of Rose St,I used to walk up there every day when I was at Palmer school also and down the alley way.
I also worked in Heelas in the toy department for the princely sum of £2 a week,LOL
Joyce

[behindthefrogs]

I think the siren going off every day would be a bit too much.  It only sounds every Monday at 10.00am.  I can only remember it being needed twice in the nearly forty years that I have lived in the town.  The day time one was OK but the time that it sounded all night was a bit too much.

Was it the Heelas' store in Wokingham that you worked for or his relation's store in Reading which still exists today as part of the John Lewis partnership.  We are back to Isaiah Gadd again because he came to Wokingham from Gloucestershire at the age of 18 originally to work in the Drapery Dept of Heelas.  When he died he owned three businesses; a coal merchant, removals contractor and antique dealer. 

David

[joyce341]

yes right again,every Monday,I remember it going of at least once in the fifties (I wont say when I will probaly get it wrong,LOL)but  my brother met me from school with his bike,I was in Palmer school juniors at the time,I know once someone escaped and there was an incident in Wokingham.I also remember haveing the Maypole every year in the vicarage in Rectory Rd,(this one I have correct,LOL).
Dr Kerr rings a bell with me,our doctors was in Denmark street,Dr Rose,my Auntie used to be a usheret ,at the pictures Uncle Tom a bus driver(allways let me keep my fare)and grandad used to go on Sundays to see the cowboys for sixpence,it was just round the corner from him,so many memmories this site brings back,I look down the list of names searching and can come up with someone I went to school with that surname for most of them but they are in different area,s of Berks.
take care
Joyce

[shillen]

Yes I remember that siren going of !!! and all being sent home from school ..great loved it ...I seem to remember it going of twice in my time there ....but that must have been about 1979 1nd 1980!!

I to remember The rose pub being or burning down at regular intervals in my life time ......well alway needed a coat of paint !!

The only Doctor I remember was Dr Black at the tudor house ...and others but cant remember their names!! old age !

[behindthefrogs]

You went to the original Palmer School in Rectory Road I presume, the one that opened in 1875.  Both of my children went to Palmer but on the new site that it moved to in the 1960s.  Alas that is also no more.  It merged with Whitlock Infants, which was on the same site School this September and is now called All Saints School but uses the same buildings.

I think it is a huge pity when when these historical names are lost.  The Palmer family were the Palmers of Huntley and Palmer the Reading Biscuit makers.

The Whitlock family lived in Holt House in the 16th century.   The Heelas family moved there from Buckhurst in 1855 and lived there until 1929, renting it for the first twenty years from the Crutchley family.  Holt School was opened in 1930 and today is still a girls' secondary school.

David

[shillen]

I went to keephatch infants and juniors when they took you at any age coz they had places.....

Shame when schools merge and you have to have new names for them.

i then went onto The Holt ..which I believe is still a girls school

Yes it is a shame when things change ...and its not always for the best!

[joyce341]

Hi Shillen,
              my sister in law went to the holt,roughly 56 to 60.she lived on Norreys barn estate,
                             Joyce