THIS week’s Whitley Way Back When offering comes from the early 1970s and sees the police introducing students from Geoffrey Fields Infant School to road safety.
PC Davies and PC Campbell, who is not in the shot, were helping children aged from 6-11 check their bikes were in working order.
Visits of this nature were not uncommon at the time, with children required to complete cycle proficiency tests, which involved practical and written elements.
Community museum curator David Turner said: “Local residents remember PC Campbell as a strict copper and would let you know by a clip around the ear if you cheeked him.
“Reading the responses from the original post on the Community Museum’s Facebook page, it transpires these road safety days were taking place as far back as the 1950s.
“Many of the children featured are now married and have children of their own.”
As usual, the picture garnered significant reaction from the museum’s members, allowing residents to rekindle old memories and friendships.
Between 1995-2005, Reading Borough Council set up a ‘safe street’ on Great Knollys Street to help youngsters learn about road safety through mock-up scenarios.
According to Mr Turner, 40,000 children benefited from the initiative before it was forced to close as part of cost-cutting measures.
He believes the advent of e-bikes will see a decline in regular cyclists.
“How times have changed,” he said.
With over 4,800 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
