Community Yearbook 17012019

MAY

Newbury Weekly News W:286.501mm H:0.353mm ISSUEDATE_ID 2_11

Thursday, 17 January, 2019

Babies’ canal horror A PAIR of four-month-old

Jacqueline’s Royal invite A THATCHAM woman who was invited to Prince Har y and Meghan Markle’s

twins were lucky to be alive after a dramatic water rescue. Marley and Riley Walls were in a double buggy on Hungerford High Street when the brake failed and it fell into the Kennet and Avon Canal. Their horrified mother, Ellie, jumped in after them and screamed for help as they sank beneath the murky waters, which were swollen by heavy rainfall, still strapped in their seats. She managed to find the buggy beneath the surface and struggled to bring it back up. Among the passers-by who rushed to help pull them out were Fiona Holmes, who is personal assistant to legendary jockey Sir AP McCoy, and 28-year-old Jessica Oliver, who works for his wife, Chanelle. Twenty-nine-year-old Ms

wedding spoke of her“amaz- ing, once-in-a-lifetime” day. Jacqueline Scoins-Cass caught glimpses of the star-studded line-up for the wedding at Wind- sor Castle. The Thames Valley Kings founder received the royal invite for her voluntary work with the wheelchair basketball club, which started out as a Guiding project 14 years ago. Mrs Scoins-Cass was one of only five volunteers in the county to receive an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. “It was truly amazing,” she said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-

Charlotte’s records CHARLOTTE Payne rewrote the record books at the Berkshire County Athletics Championships at Eton. Newbury AC star Payne won the under-17 hammer with a championship record throw of 62.53m. The distance was several metres clear as the UK number one throw in 2018, and exceeded the qualifying standard for this year’s European Youth Championships. Payne followed this up with another champi- onship record in the under-17 discus with 41.76m– and she also leads the UK rankings in the event this year. Her Newbury AC colleague Helen Broadbridge was also in record-breaking form as she set a new championship best in the womens hammer, taking the gold medal with a throw of 51.10m. One up, one down HUNGERFORD Town retained their National League South status after winning 1-0 at East Thurrock United in their final game of the season. Hungerford went into the game on the back of six straight defeats, knowing they had to match Poole Town’s result to stay up. Poole won, but Crusaders ended a dismal run of results with a crucial win courtesy of Nicholas Bignall’s first-half goal. But there was agony for Newbury Blues rugby team, who were relegated from South West Premier, despite winning 13 of their 26 games and finishing just five points off fifth place. Although Blues beat Newton Abbot and picked up a bonus point, relegation rivals Exmouth also managed a bonus-point win over Camborne to condemn Blues to the drop.

tunity. I was truly honoured to be invited. “It was such a special day, so lovely and very traditional. It was just wonderful to see two people who very much care for each other in love and celebrat- ing it with the world.”

From left, Fiona Holmes with Marley and Jessica Oliver with Riley

and already had the begin- nings of hypothermia.” She added:“It happened as I took my coat off. The brake failed and in a split second the buggy rolled in.” Ms Walls said once the boys were out of the water she passed out in terror. Celebrating This Country AN acting family originally from Aldermaston celebrated after their hit show had a successful night at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards. Siblings Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper won the Break- through Talent award for their writing on This Country , the BBC comedy they also star in. The mockumentary depicts life in the countryside, with a camera crew following cousins Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe – played by Daisy and Charlie. The pair wrote the show after growing up in Cirencester, but they previously lived in Alder- maston, where Daisy was born.

Walls, who lives at Atherton Hill, Hungerford, said: “Those girls are my heroes. They even took the clothes off their own backs. They helped save my boys’ lives. “Without them, Marley and Riley could be dead. “They were freezing cold

Ghostbusting on the Kennet THOUSANDS of people gath- ered in Victoria Park and activities in the park, including donkey feeding, face painting, street food and stalls.

along the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal on a scorch- ing bank holiday Monday to cheer on the competitors in this year’s Crafty Craft race. The annual event sees a flotilla of wacky homemade boats attempt to make their way five miles downstream from Kint- bury to Newbury. Those who turned out to enjoy the spectacle were treated to a range of entertainment and

There were just 11 teams compet- ing this year – down from the 26 that took part last year – and they set off from The Dundas Arms pub, Kintbury. One of those teams defied record- breaking temperatures to set a new course record. Team Bike To The Future sailed home first in one hour and 16 minutes to win the ‘fastest pedalled’ crown.