32
LIFESTYLE
march 2024
MyWokingham
www.mywokingham.co.uk
Centenarian marks milestone birthday
A
da, who likes to be known as Tods, celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by love, laughter, and the warmth of her friends and family. Ada lives at Suffolk Lodge, a Wokingham care home run by Optalis. Lisa Rogers, Activities Worker at Suffolk Lodge had an idea to mark this incredible milestone: calling upon the community to help Tods receive 100 birthday cards for her 100 years of life. Tods’ loved ones and the care team pulled out all the stops to make it an unforgettable celebration. Decorations included a photo display of Tods throughout the years. Local band Arck, including her son-in-law among its members, played songs for every-
one to enjoy. The support from the community has been overwhelming, with many sending in birthday cards, helping to reach the goal of 100 cards for her special day. Tods had received over 120 well wishes from friends and family, but also local schools and nurseries who wanted to congratulate her on reaching this milestone. More cards were arriving during her celebrations, including a very special card from the King and Queen. Tods concluded her celebrations with a delicious birthday cake and everyone toasting the special lady on her special day. Happy 100th birthday Tods!
Making a positive impact in the community and for the environment BY PHIL GEE
I
n the first in our series we look at Digger Barnes and his acts of human kindness. Digger is the founder and chief instructor of Storm Family Martial Arts. He runs academies in Woodley, Windsor, Bracknell, Warfield, Wokingham, Maidenhead and Farnborough. The classes help children build character and show kindness to others. He proudly won silver at the World United Martial Arts Federation (WUMA) European Kickboxing Championship held in Birmingham, and back in September 2023, Digger was selected for Team GB and competed in the World
Championships in Greece. He said: “That was my final fight and now I’m retired from competition." Digger has since found other projects, besides his academies, to keep himself busy. One project in particular is Storm Plant 500+ Trees. Each month Digger and his team hold class themes, which are designed to encourage his students to make a positive impact on their local community. The group had something global in mind, so they planted one tree for each of them (over 500 of their students
helped with this global conservation effort). Each student received a certificate, on recycled paper, of their personal tree. And from now on, every student who joins Storm will have a tree planted for them in the UK, Europe, South America or Africa. The group will spread them globally through their partner, One Tree Planted. Digger runs classes weekly and you can get involved. For more information on Digger and his Storm Plant 500+ Tree project visit www.sfma.co.uk Stay tuned to see what else Digger is up to in our next edition.
Pub's fortune turned around since new management at local venue BY PHIL GEE
T
he Good Companions in Woodley has seen many managers come and go, but since husband and wife team Shane and Leanne took over managing the pub they’ve turned the venue's fortunes around. Both from Kent, with experience of running several country pubs, Shane (former Operations Manager) said: "Before we came to Woodley, we loved the country life but realised if we can do this work for somebody else we might as well try it ourselves." Leanne, a former general manager, added: "Since we arrived the support from the Woodley residents has been amazing. They let us know what they were looking for in the community and we listened." The pub now hosts comedy nights once a month and has live music each weekend. Leanne told My Wokingham: "This Friday (15th March), we have Heathrow Jets, a really popular band.” Since arriving at the venue Shane and Leanne have been given a 5-star Beer Master Award and have joined
the Reading Ale Trail (CAMRA). The interior and exterior of the pub have been completely revamped. Shane said: "Customers really seem to like the new layout and the great part is we now have a pagoda at the side with a nice seating area and a TV for sports,
which is great to relax in. We have also constructed a marquee in the garden for summer parties and events." And Leanne said: "We provide meal deals throughout the week, and Thursday is steak night - two steaks and a bottle of wine for £30."
The Good Companions also now offers a Deliveroo service which has been running for about seven weeks, so people can order food from the pub and enjoy it at home. Shane tells us the new food service has been really popular since the launch. The venue is lively, the staff are professional and polite, and new and old faces are welcomed daily. Breaking News: As from Thursday 7th March The Rose and Thistle, Argyle Road, Reading, is also run by Shane and Leanne. It features an outdoor bar, TV and Sport. Leanne said: "We are looking forward to another challenge and hope to make it the same success as we have in Woodley so far." Asked about what they plan for the new venue, Shane added: "We will listen to what the community wants and go from there, every venue is unique as are customer expectations." For more information about food and events, visit www.thegoodcompanionswoodley.co.uk
