Community Yearbook

MARCH

6 Thursday, 21 January, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

Hocktide celebrations are off

and that the latest advice is that the risk of infection is expected to be at its peak in April or May, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the traditional Hocktide celebrations. “This will include cancellation of the Hocktide luncheon and associated traditions such as the ale tasting, Tutti Day and the Constable’ s Parade.” Constable to the Town & Manor Nicholas Lumley said:“It is with a heavy heart that I am postponing the great Hungerford tradition of Hocktide. “I may well be the first Constable to have to do this, but I strongly believe it is in the best interest of Hungerford.”

THE coronavirus outbreak led to the postponement of Hungerford’ s popular Hocktide event for the first time in living memory. The difficult decision was taken by the Town & Manor of Hungerford, whose trustees hope to stage the event in autumn instead of its usual date on the second Tuesday after Easter. Chief executive of the Town & Manor charity Jed Ramsay said: “It wasn’t an easy decision, but the majority or responses we’ve had have been understanding.” The charity said:“Given the serious nature of the coronavirus (Covid-19),

Battle stations at Shaw

public and there was a lot of interest to see characters who would’ve been present at the battle of 1644. “The characters went through some military drills with their replica arms and visitors could meet some of the other living history characters.” The Battles of Newbury took place in the 1640s as part of the English Civil War and were fought between Royalist forces loyal to King Charles I and Parliamentarians.

MORE than 250 visitors turned out at Shaw House to learn what life was like during the Battles of Newbury in the 17th century. The Earl Rivers Regiment – who are members of The Sealed Knot, the oldest re-enactment society in the UK – dressed up as soldiers, doctors and even a ‘drunk’ before demon- strating how swords, muskets and pikes were used in Civil War battles. Shaw House manager Nik Stewart said: “We had 260 members of the A FORMER soldier recounted the moment he gave CPR to a stranger who had been hit by a car. Mike’s training and experience on the battlefield kicked in when he came across the incident outside St John ’s Church, Newbury. “I saw a number of cars parked strangely and just knew something was wrong,” he explained. “We were always taught to look for the absence of the norm. I looked down and saw a man flat on his back with blood all over his head. “It was obvious I had only just missed what happened, so I knelt down and did the drill of shaking him, talking to him. I was trying to take his pulse and he let out a funny gasp.” Mike, pictured, who now works as an

Silence descends on the streets

LOCAL streets fell eerily silent. Shop shutters were down and pub and restaurant doors locked. Closed signs could be seen everywhere in West Berkshire and North Hampshire – and nobody knew how long the lockdown would last. In place were the biggest restrictions on daily life ever seen across the country in peacetime, as the coronavirus pandemic claimed more lives every day. But amid the gloom, individuals and organi- sations stepped forward to help the most vulnera- ble in our community. The Newbury Weekly News is calling on people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary,

Toast to a Fleet Street pioneer ALDWORTH toasted the launch of villager Clare Hastings’ Hold The Front Page!: The Wit and Wisdom of Anne Scott-James. A former Aldworth villager, the late Anne Scott-James started her career working for Vogue , she went on to become the first woman’s editor on Picture Post , before leaving to set up her own page on the Daily Express in 1954. Anne – the mother of author Clare Hastings – divided her time between a cottage in Aldworth and London. This is a candid behind-the-scenes look at the first woman of Fleet Street. Published by Pimpernel Press, Hold The Front Page!: The Wit and Wisdom of Anne Scott-James is available from Amazon in hardback, priced £14.99.

Ex-soldier saves a stranger

keep safe and be good neighbours, while maintaining social distancing. Remain calm, follow Government advice and we will get through this together. Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation to announce

tough new measures for at least three weeks in a bid to crack down on the spread of the disease. As the time of the lockdown, a total of 422 people had died in the UK of Covid-19. There were 12 confirmed cases of the disease in West Berkshire.

engineer at Vodafone, didn ’t think twice and began chest compressions, before the injured man“gasped and grunted and began breathing again” . “I do not know any of the people present on the scene but thank God we were there at that time and with- out a doubt saved that man ’s life.”

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