Antique market showcases vintage finds

Crowds braved the showers on Sunday looking for a bargain at the Wokingham Antique and Vintage Street Market.

Centred around Market Place in the shadow of the town hall, the event showcased items from a bygone era.

Workshop 74 showcased unusual lighting with bespoke creations repurposed and upcycled from vintage meters. There were flat caps available and leather bags, as well as an eclectic array of mirrors and ceramics, paintings and garden ornaments.

The event was organised by ACVR Events, bringing dealers and enthusiasts together in historic towns to showcase their unique and interesting items.

The market will be back in Wokingham on Sunday 2nd June.

Celebrating The Borough Of Wokingham

BY JACKY HAYLER

Speaking to locals, the village of Twyford has everything – a thriving commercial centre with all the amenities for everyday living, a sense of community and it still has green fields and countryside on its doorstep.

Twyford was first established as an early Anglo-Saxon settlement around an important river crossing. In the lower Loddon Valley, the river splits into two smaller channels, making it easier to cross so the place called ‘Two Fords’ or Twyford was born.

Centred around the crossroads as the hub of the village, the shops and services have got everything covered. There’s plenty of choice when it comes to food shopping with Waitrose, Tesco Express and Nisa. But there’s also some independents as well including an award-winning pie company and some cute cafes along with the ubiquitous Costa.

If you don’t fancy cooking, you can take a culinary journey around the world with Indian, Thai and Italian restaurants as well as a fish and chip shop. And there’s even a vineyard on your doorstep at Stanlake Park.

Your health is taken care of with a couple of chemists, dentists and opticians, as well as physios and chiropractors and beauty is also dealt with providing hairdressers, barbers and a nail bar.

If you are looking to move into the area, the estate agents have got you covered with a variety of housing stock from traditional cottages to more contemporary family homes. And once you completed on that dream home, there are some kitchen and bathrooms showrooms to make them your own.

Polehampton CoE and Waltham St Lawrence primary schools are in the local catchment, both of which have been awarded as being outstanding by OFSTED, as well as Colleton Primary and St Nicholas CoE, both of which have a Good rating.

Waingels Copse and The Piggott secondary schools are also both within the catchment and also have a Good rating from OFSTED.

Twyford has prospered over the centuries as a result of its excellent communication links. The first settlement resulted from the bridging of the two fords on the Loddon. Later, the village became an important centre for stage coaching between London and the west. The village population grew further with the development of the railways and many railway construction workers lived in Twyford whilst working on the cuttings and Brunel’s bridges. Today excellent transport links continue to benefit the residents of Twyford and the surrounding areas.

Twyford has been twinned with a village in France called Cuincy (pronounced kwansee) since 2018. The idea of being twinned with a town or village in another country is to foster friendship and understanding and to promote cultural, sporting and professional links between our citizens.

Twyford Village Fete is the highlight of the social calendar, and this year it will take place on Saturday 17th August 2024, bringing together the Twyford community, allowing residents to interact with local businesses and charities and in previous years, has helped to raise over £2,000 for local charities.

Twyford Parish Council owns and offers allotment plots to rent, on an annual basis, in Hurst Road and London Road.

There are lots of clubs available to join and meet people including Twyford Bowling Club, football club the Twyford Comets, Twyford and Ruscombe Cricket Club, tennis club, a snooker hall and the 1st Twyford Scouts.

Having first entered Britain in Bloom in 2018, the village also has an active horticultural association while Loddon Hall serves the community and residents of Twyford and Ruscombe and the surrounding areas.