THROWBACK Thursday was replaced by sepia-toned Saturday as ‘Whitley Way Back When’ took residents for a trip down memory lane.
Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA) hosted its retrospective museum event, which saw visitors relive cherished memories through photographs and artefacts.
The 1945 Victory Day party on Torrington Road, Rabson Rovers’ glory days and frivolities at Ashmead School were amongst some of the moments captured.
Visitors spent the morning exchanging anecdotes, with many spotting relatives and friends in the images on display.
Trevor Thomas Dymond, who lived in Whitley between 1940 and 1960, was pleased to recognise some familiar faces.
“I’ve seen my father and my sister,” he said. “My father was an electrician, but we didn’t have electricity at home, so how he learned everything I’ll never know.”
Mr Dymond also shared fond memories of representing Ashmead School in both football and cricket.
“We went to play matches at Bradfield College and Leighton Park School,” he said. “I must admit, having tea and cake at these posh places was really quite special.”
The Mayor of Reading Rachel Eden was in attendance and took some time to enjoy the exhibits.
“It was lovely to see pictures and also just chat to people because Whitley has an interesting history and heritage,” she said.
“Knowing about our community’s background is really important in terms of our sense of community pride.”
The museum event was followed by the WCDA’s annual general meeting, which was open to all members of the community.
Many of the points raised highlighted the prominent work the organisation has accomplished this year, notably the success of the food surplus programme.
Store food within the use-by date is collected and stocked at the community centre, where individuals can fill up a plastic bag for £1.
The Mayor also highlighted the key role the WCDA plays within the community.
“We’ve seen, especially over the last couple of years, how vital coming together as a community is and the WCDA has been a really important part of that in our community.” Ms Eden said.
“It’s the nice things like the social club, it’s the difficult things like people needing food and particularly at the moment with all the pressures of the cost of living, this is not a problem that’s going to go away. We need to work together and the WCDA can be a really important part of that.”
Also in attendance was newly-appointed Church ward councillor Andrew Hornsby-Smith, who had already witnessed the WCDA’s work in action.
“When I first started getting involved in this area, this is one of the first places I came to,” Immediately, I felt a real sense of welcome and a real sense of hope,” Mr Hornsby-Smith said.
“I was helping unload some food from the van [for the food surplus] and that’s what it’s all about. It’s about getting stuck into the community, helping people where they need help and this is a place where people can come to get support and feel welcome.”
