SOUTH Reading residents once used a nautical landmark to recognise the end of a bus route.
The Whitley Way Back When feature has covered a few of the ward’s most notable buildings and one of the two earliest properties on Northumberland Avenue, built in the 1940s, can be added to the list.
Addressed as No.2 in 1947, the property housed a scaled-down version of Cornwall’s famous Eddystone Lighthouse in its front garden.
David Turner, curator of Whitley Community Museum, said: “The lighthouse was alight at night by means of Tilley Lamps and was owned by Rita Hawkes, a very kind and loving lady who was happy for local children to play in her large garden.
“My own recollection when travelling to visit my cousin was knowing I had reached my destination when I saw the light on in Eddystone as it was actually next to the terminus. Over time, it actually became known as the Eddystone Terminus.
“I wonder how many other special houses there are about? Would love to know.”
With more than 5,000 followers on Facebook, the Whitley Community Museum is an accessible online and in-person resource.
The group serves as a platform for residents past and present to share memories through photographs and comments.
It also allows group members to reconnect, with members reacquainting themselves with friends and schoolmates from decades ago.
The museum held a Whitley Way Back When event at the Community Cafe on Northumberland Avenue earlier this year to showcase its photographs and exhibits in-person.
For more information, search: Whitley Community Museum on www.facebook.com
