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WW2 Garth: Wokingham's Destroyer
Jim Bell provides us with a fascinating insight into Wokingham's contribution to World War Two. Here we learn of how… Read more…
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BBC's 'Birdsong' and the story of the miners in The Great War
Birdsong has completed its two episodes on the BBC. Author, Sebastian Faulkes tells us of a story about a soldier… Read more…
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The Somme Tunnels on BBC 4. Monday 19th May 9pm
One of the Western Front's great journeys is a visit to the Lochnagar Crater in La Boisselle, a huge hole… Read more…
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1915. Wokingham's heroes from The Great War
In this article we will take you back one hundred years to early 1915, a time when the first cinema… Read more…
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Hills Nicholson family: Four sons lost in two World Wars
The Nicholson family have no Wokingham street or building named after them and have sunk below the consciousness of today's… Read more…
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Chemical warfare starts October 1914.
Chemical warfare enters in October 1914. Sneezing powder. The Germans used 3,000 shells containing the Niespulver, mixed with shrapnel and… Read more…
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Cecil Culver's Wokingham. Two: On the move
Down to Business: Reeves Removals. Jim Bell continues with the magnificent series of recollections by Cecil Culver, one of the great… Read more…
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BBC Radio Berkshire interview with Wokingham Remembers
On the 13th September 2014, Wokingham Remembers was invited to discuss its findings since its launch in 2011. The stories… Read more…
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Wokingham Families: The Purseys, Rances and Alexanders
Wokingham Families and the Great War. Recalling the 1914-18 war often involves descriptions of military strategy and the bewildering numbers… Read more…
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1856: Cholera arrives in Wokingham
Flush the loo, turn on the taps and wash your hands; a simple act which came from decades of debate… Read more…
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Recent Posts
Category Archives: Jim Bell’s Wokingham History
WW2 Garth: Wokingham's Destroyer
Jim Bell provides us with a fascinating insight into Wokingham’s contribution to World War Two. Here we learn of how the local people raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to ‘sponsor’ HMS Garth throughout the latter part of the war. … Continue reading
Wokingham's news from The Mercury 1913-1923
Jim Bell continues his journey to provide us with an overview of Wokingham during the 19th and 20th centuries. This time he visits the archives to extract Wokingham’s news from old Reading Mercury newspapers. They go as far back as … Continue reading
Wokingham News from Reading Mercury 1859-1868
Jim Bell continues his journey to provide us with an overview of Wokingham during the 19th and 20th centuries. This time he visits the archives to extract Wokingham’s news from old Reading Mercury newspapers. They go as far back as … Continue reading
Hills Nicholson family: Four sons lost in two World Wars
The Nicholson family have no Wokingham street or building named after them and have sunk below the consciousness of today’s local community. In the 1800’s however, they lived in what is now the Cantley House Hotel and they invested in … Continue reading
2013 Centenary: Wokingham's First Cinema !
We have now mostly identified the names on the town’s memorial and have tried where possible to provide details of their short lives. We now have the opportunity to find out what life was like in Wokingham in the late … Continue reading
Cecil Culver. Introduction by Jim Bell
Today we start a magnificent series of recollections by Cecil Culver, one of the great cornerstones of the Wokingham community. Sadly, Cecil died in 2009 aged 99, but we are fortunate in being able to receive his memories of Wokingham … Continue reading
Cecil Culver's Wokingham. Two: On the move
Down to Business: Reeves Removals. Jim Bell continues with the magnificent series of recollections by Cecil Culver, one of the great cornerstones of Wokingham’s 20th century community. Cecil died in 2009 aged 99, but we are fortunate in being able to … Continue reading
Cecil Culver's Wokingham. Three: Fun, Friendship, Fraternity.
Jim Bell’s final instalment of the life of Cecil Culver tells us about how the Wokingham community organised its leisure and the important friendships which arose. The Cheerio Concert Party Despite onerous responsibilities at work Cecil found time to pursue various pastimes, one … Continue reading
What was in the Wokingham news during the Great War ?
These articles are all taken from one of the area’s principal newspapers, “The Reading Mercury (also including Oxford Gazette, Newbury Herald and Berks. County paper)” Each week the towns and villages surrounding Reading had sections in this paper devoted to … Continue reading
Bearwood Roll of Honour, St Catherine's Church.
Every now again we come across seemingly small pieces of information, which suddenly provides insights into the changing attitude to the war. At first it was about glory, fighting for one’s country, beating the Bosch and still be back in … Continue reading