Category Archives: Jim Bell’s Wokingham History

Jim Bell is a well known researcher and writer of many aspects of Wokingham’s history. This category offers excerpts and often complete texts from books he has written over the past decade.

1856: Cholera arrives in Wokingham

Posted on 02/09/2015 by wokinghamremembers

Flush the loo, turn on the taps and wash your hands; a simple act which came from decades of debate on the diseases and deaths which accompanied everyday life in Victorian Britain. Thanks go to Jim Bell for uncovering the … Continue reading →

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George Henry PRICE, Poulterer 52 Peach Street (1857 – 1925)

Posted on 19/08/2015 by wokinghamremembers

We’re very grateful for the article provided by Diane Johansen in which she tells us about her Great Grand Uncle’s life and his death in Peach Street, Wokingham. We so often know about the buildings and the community who lived … Continue reading →

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1860: Wokingham opens the New Town Hall

Posted on 02/07/2015 by wokinghamremembers

Jim Bell is renowned for the 30 short books he has written on Wokingham. In this article Jim tells the story of how the Wokingham Town Hall was built and a fascinating tale of an old silk weaver from the … Continue reading →

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The double life of Arthur Hill, 6th Marquess of Downshire

Posted on 27/04/2015 by wokinghamremembers

By Jim Bell. This article first appeared in ‘The Wokingham Paper’, 24th April 2015 A young man sits holding the reins of a horse drawn fire engine. He is the chief of Wokingham’s voluntary fire service and also just happens … Continue reading →

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Where They Lived

Posted on 17/09/2014 by wokinghamremembers

For me, this is possibly the most fascinating and the saddest part of the research. Once we discovered the stories of the men, we started pinning their addresses to a modern map of Wokingham. Although we suspected that they would … Continue reading →

Posted in Aspects of World War One, Jim Bell's Wokingham History, Story of Wokingham | 2 Comments

Wokingham 1914

Posted on 07/11/2013 by wokinghamremembers

Wokingham news  throughout 1914   Jim Bell transcribes the Wokingham news section from the Reading Mercury throughout the whole of 1914. It is a remarkable insight to a small town assisting the war effort, reporting on its awful consequences, but at … Continue reading →

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Cecil and Ken in Conversation 1996. By Jim Bell

Posted on 04/05/2013 by wokinghamremembers

Jim Bell: “Cecil’s reminiscences are taken from three interviews by his old friend and historian, Ken Goatley. The first two were recorded on audio tape in 1996 when he described his life and reminisced about Wokingham during the first twenty-five … Continue reading →

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The local historians who pointed to Wokingham's Future

Posted on 17/04/2013 by wokinghamremembers

Edna Goatley passed away on Wednesday the 3rd April 2013 at the age 86 years. Her funeral takes place at Easthampstead Crematorium on Thursday 18th April at 11am. By Mike Churcher This is not an obituary, the Wokingham Times already … Continue reading →

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Another casualty of the Great War: Wokingham's Mayor.

Posted on 10/04/2013 by wokinghamremembers

Our focus on the government of the Great War tends to be at national level, but Jim Bell’s extensive research has enabled us to look into local government from a Wokingham viewpoint. His latest book ‘Memories of the Town Hall’ … Continue reading →

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1919 Victory ! Wokingham celebrates.

Posted on 22/03/2013 by wokinghamremembers

Local Historian, Jim Bell unearths this extensive coverage of Wokingham’s Armistice Celebrations: “On Saturday, Wokingham duly celebrated the peace. The proceedings commenced at 7 a.m., when peals were rung on the church bells. At 10 a.m. the town band commenced to … Continue reading →

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