The Return of the Rings
SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE resident Jane contacted us through our website in March, distressed at the loss of three rings whilst in Caversham. She thought she had dropped them in St Annes Road, close to The Collective, on 26 February. She had made enquiries in local shops, the café and with the police, without any news.
Jane said, “The rings are of great sentimental value and are the only ones I have. My 90-year-old mother gave me her engagement ring some time ago, when I was seriously ill”. The other rings were a gold wedding ring, with her name engraved inside it, and an eternity ring from Hong Kong, given when she was expecting …Read more
A HEART OF ART
OUR LEAD for May is a good news story of loss and recovery, a wonderful reminder of peoples’ essential goodness, at a time when we hear so much bad news daily (above).
This month we focus on the arts in our area, with the Caversham Arts Trail literally at the centre of the paper (see the Arts Trail Map, pages 10-11). Our Creative Caversham subject is Shirley Strickland, who is new to the Arts Trail, with her amazing artworks created using felt (p9). We report on a new exhibition at Caversham Picture Framer (p12) and, at one of the Arts Trail venues…Read more
A Feast for the Senses
IT WAS A lively afternoon in Caversham on Saturday 23 March. Despite the blustery and showery weather, there were plenty of people about enjoying a variety of artwork and the Horticultural Society’s first spring show in many years.
In Church House, the Ted Burnell Community Art Group were exhibiting for sale a range of artworks produced by members, accompanied by homemade refreshments. The Caversham Horticultural Society show was held across the road in the Baptist Church, which was brightened up with a selection of spring plants and flowers…Read more
ROYAL RECOGNITION
LOCAL RESIDENT Liz Riddle was part of a team from Charvil based charity, My Cancer My Choices (MCMC), which attended an award ceremony at Windsor in March.
The charity was one of two Berkshire based organisations which received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service from Andrew Try, the Lord Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire, on behalf of His Majesty the King…Read more
An update from your editors
A BIG thank you to all our subscribers who have renewed subscriptions for this year. About 100 subscriptions remain to be paid – payment details are at the end of this article.
Can you help?
We have a vacancy for our advertising manager role after the retirement of Alan Wright last year. The role would suit someone who enjoys making connections in our community, possibly someone who has retired recently…Read more
Smashing the Target
ON SATURDAY 9 March, Catholic parishes around Reading joined together to walk 10km on a heritage tour of local churches, raising money for the international development charity, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD). CAFOD works with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular partners in Gaza to help families and works towards peace across the globe. In the current climate, supporting CAFOD felt more important than usual…Read more
PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION – CAVERSHAM HEIGHTS
THE SUN shone on Palm Sunday this year, as people from St Andrew’s and Caversham Heights Methodist Churches took part in the annual walk with a donkey. We were reminded that choosing to ride a humble donkey was a deliberate choice by Jesus on the first Palm Sunday, because he wanted people to see the greatest is the one who serves. “This is our God, the Servant King, he calls us now to follow him.”
For your bookshelf….
Welcome to ‘Fourbears Reviews’ where we briefly review a couple of titles chosen from our book shop ‘Fourbears Books’ in Caversham.
IT’S MAY, WHICH means Fourbears Fest 24 is happening this month. We are all so excited. It’s over the weekend of 17-19 May and there is a full programme of events which are outlined below. Do check out our website to see which of the 20 events you’d like to attend. There are plenty of options for children and adults alike.
Now down to books
The first pick this month is a Children’s Book by one of the guests at Fourbears Fest…Read more
Fourbears
Fest 24
17-19 May
in association with
Reading Children’s Book Group
Happy Wanderer looking for BRICKS FROM EMMER GREEN
Do you, like me, live in an old brick house in Caversham? And if you do, have you ever wondered where the bricks might have come from? Maybe it was from the kiln in the picture.
I started wondering that the other day, after reading an old book in the reference collection of Reading Central Library, which I’d been intending to read for some years. It was Dr Robert Plot’s ‘Natural History of Oxfordshire’, published in 1677.
The book isn’t what might be expected from its title. It has chapters on air, water, rocks, formed stones (i.e. fossils), plants, brutes (i.e. animals), and arts, which are what we’d call science, technology and manufacturing. I wanted see what it said about Caversham…Read more
Where Art and History Meet
AS USUAL, Creativ.Spaces in Marsack Street is playing host during the Caversham Arts Trail in May. Featured artists this year will be Sue Reeves, Alina Luchianov, Karen Tomalin, Deborah Pryn, and Jo Romero, who is best known locally as a member of the Urban Sketchers group.
However, Jo is also an historian, with a degree in Medieval and Modern History from the University of Hull, and her passion for medieval history has resulted in the publication of her first book, ‘Forgotten Women of the Wars of the Roses: The untold story behind the battle for the crown’…Read more
CAN I GROW CANNAS?
LIKE MANY things in our lives, gardening is a hit and miss affair. It is a success when very occasionally we hit the target, failure when now and again we miss out completely. But mostly we achieve something in between, something not quite wonderful but not that bad. A lot depends on the weather – at least this is my usual excuse when things go wrong!
This year I intend to grow a few cannas as a showpiece in the garden. Cannas are tender perennials, and I am hoping to do better than when I grew them once before. Last time they were only a partial success. They were meant to be big, bold and colourful, whereas mine were small…Read more
Step Inside the Gallery
IF YOU happen to be passing Caversham Picture Framers, do pop in to see the latest in their series of special exhibitions. The first half of May sees a remarkable collection of the work of the late Mary Louise Coulouris, who would have been celebrating her 85th birthday this year.
Curated by her daughter, Saro Wallace, who now lives in Caversham, the exhibition presents an astonishing cross-section of Coulouris’s work, which Saro introduced at the launch. While her mother had enjoyed a privileged upbringing, as daughter of Hollywood actor George Coulouris, the family moved to the UK…Read more
Picking up the pieces
OUR AREA has some beautiful public spaces which we can all enjoy. But, like most towns, it needs help to keep them clean and green.
Keep Caversham Tidy is a local charity committed to doing just that. On Saturday mornings the team don high visibility vests and protective gloves before setting out with litter pickers and bin bags to clear litter and fly-tipped waste.
On 16 March, twenty-nine volunteers, including members of Caversham Globe and Duke of Edinburgh Award participants, joined in with the Great British Spring Clean…Read more
Understanding Acne; for adults and teens alike
AS AN ACNE sufferer myself, I have a passion for helping others with this frustrating skin condition. I have struggled with acne and breakouts for as long as I can remember. My first breakouts began when I was around 14 years old, and at 36 they still persist! As awful as acne is for teens and young adults, I personally feel it is demoralising to suffer from it as an adult. I hope this article will be useful to some of you and bring some comfort to know you are not alone…Read more
How to get good sleep – the headlines
SLEEP IS A universal occurrence, as all healthy humans will experience a bout of nighttime sleep every day. Indeed, sleep is fundamental to life. We all sleep, in the same way that we all breathe. Without doing so would be fatal.
Unfortunately, poor sleep is a global problem, with loss of sleep time at an unprecedented high. As a species we now sleep less than ever before. Given the individual nature of sleep, the increasing evidence of poor sleep quantity and quality throughout the world, and the link between sleep, cognitive processes and metabolic function, governments are being called on to recognise…Read more
THE LOCAL SCENE – Farmer & Dyer and Harrison’s Solicitors
FARMER & DYER took over their premises at no 1 Prospect Street in 2001 – at that time occupying the office on the left, in the more modern extension. When I visited them to glean information to accompany Janina Maher’s drawing, I was welcomed by Damian Farmer, a Partner in the business, who has been working in Caversham since 1988. I was delighted to discover he has a passion for local history and was just the man to help me. The history of the building began in the nineteenth century, when it was the ‘manse’ (the Minister’s residence) attached to the Baptist Church at the corner of Prospect Street and South Street, which was designed by the famous Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse in the 1870s…Read more
WHEN ‘ELVIS’ CAME TO TOWN…
ON THURSDAY 27 February, Bina Tandoori on Prospect Street, Caversham, played host to a tribute ‘Elvis’. “It was a very successful evening”, said Yeabin, the owner of this Bengali/Indian restaurant since February 2023. It was so well-received that ‘Elvis’ is due to return on 4 June! So, if you don’t want to miss out on an evening of good food and entertainment, contact the Bina on 0118 946 2115 for details.
First-time diners will see the pride taken in the presentation of Yeabin’s restaurant. The decor is modern and tasteful, the lighting and background music ambient. With tables boasting crisp, white table linen and fresh flowers, this really makes the dining experience feel that bit more special…Read more
Understanding Reflexology
REFLEXOLOGY IS a theory and therapy that uses the feet, hands or face as a map or mirror of the whole body, with the aim of optimising physical and emotional wellbeing. It has become one of the most popular complementary therapies today. So what is it exactly?
Reflexology has its roots in ancient Egypt, India and China. In the nineteenth century, an American Ear, Nose and Throat physician, Dr William Fitzgerald, discovered the application of pressure to one part of the body, could cause another part to be anaesthetised…Read more
Meet the Maker – Pour a little happiness
BRINGING LIGHT and happiness to your home: ‘Candles are a perfect gift for any occasion’, says Lizzy Gilbert, the inspiration behind Eftihia Candles. Greek scholars may know that Eftihia means happiness in Greek. Lizzy’s family used to have a villa in Greece called Eftihia and Lizzy likes to think of her candles bringing happiness into our homes.
Lizzy was born and still lives in Emmer Green. A part time administrator and Mum to her 10-month son, Oliver, Lizzy began her journey into candle-making during lockdown when she bought a candle that was substandard. She felt she could do better herself, so bought some wax and moulds and began experimenting on the stove in her kitchen…Read more
A helping hand
SINCE 1 APRIL, Reading’s homelessness prevention charity, Launchpad, has been managing two of Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) homelessness projects. These providing 24-hour support for those with a rough sleeping history at The Caversham Road Pods and The Nova Project…Read more
FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER – What type of CV should you use?
Did you know there’s more than one type of CV format? All showcase your skills, experience, and achievements, but in different ways. Here I provide a summary of four types of CV and why you might choose one or another.
Reverse chronological
This is the CV you’re probably most used to seeing or using.
Everything is written in reverse chronological order with your most recent experience and qualifications showing first.
This CV is logical and makes it easy for recruiters to see your experience and progression.
This format is for you if you’ve been following a natural…Read more
Wellbeing – Reframing criticism
NO-ONE LIKES to be criticised. Even if the comments are made with the best intentions, it can really affect our feelings, as if we have lost control of how we are perceived. And not just in the moment: unprocessed emotions can have a negative impact on our work, our focus, and our relationships, and criticism is no different.
We also often have a very sharp inner critic, and bringing our awareness to how we internally criticise ourselves is vital to our overall wellbeing…Read more