COVERING WOKINGHAM, FINCHAMPSTEAD, EARLEY, WINNERSH, SHINFIELD, WOODLEY, TWYFORD & SURROUNDING AREAS
WOKINGHAM.TODAY SUPPORT LOCAL THIS LOCKDOWN THE NEW NAME FOR THEWOKINGHAMPAPER
THE VOICE OF THE BOROUGH
Thursday, November 5, 2020 No. 286
70p
CHARITIES LAUNCH FESTIVE APPEALS P2
EXCLUSIVE
Hallowe’en horrors
By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today AS THE borough enters a second lockdown, shop owners are calling on residents to shop local and keep supporting small businesses.
� Continued page 7
New owner for Courtyard EXCLUSIVE By JESS WARREN jwarren@wokingham.today A NEW owner will be taking over a town centre restaurant, and they’re bringing a taste of Hollywood.
FOUR-YEAR-OLD twins Morar and Emiko Tate enjoying the Twyford Hallowe’en Trail on Saturday. Find out more on page 26
COUNCIL BEGINS P6 NEW VIRUS PLAN MAYOR HONOURS VOLUNTEERS P12
Picture: Steve Smyth
Although non-essential retailers have been instructed to close doors, the Government is allowing them to operate click and collect and delivery services This means companies across the area can keep tills ringing during the next four weeks, and the crucial lead up to Christmas. The news is a silver lining for retailers who have already lost a quarter of their year after the first lockdown in the spring. In a bid to encourage borough’s shoppers to support their businesses at retail centres that includes Wokingham, Woodley, Twyford and Maiden Place, Love Wokingham will be collating a list of retailers who will be operating collection or delivery services during the lockdown. They include TG Art Gallery, which says it will be framing pictures as usual during lockdown, Wokingham Decor, which will be providing its usual ironmongery services, and Sultan Balti House, which will be offering collections and deliveries lunchtimes and evenings seven days a week. Joining the call was Wokingham town mayor, Cllr Tony Lack. He said he was excited by the new retailers that had come to Wokingham town in recent weeks.
MP HELPS WOODLEY LUNCH BUNCH P4
Tom Anderson and Jay Robinson will be opening a California-inspired restaurant in Wokingham Town Hall, which was previously home to The Courtyard. The co-owners said they want to “bring a West Hollywood vibe back in their hometown” with their eatery, RYND. Mr Anderson said he is looking forward to creating a welcoming space. � Continued on page 5
‘No place for poverty here’ THE LEADER of the council believes there is no place for poverty in the borough.
Cllr John Halsall, said: “Regardless of whatever statutory benchmark used to analyse poverty levels across the borough, Wokingham is one of the lowest in the country. But that doesn’t
mean we’re complacent. It is certainly not okay. Even if one person or one child does not have fair and equal opportunity in our borough, that is one too many. “We already have a wide net of support for low income families and are introducing even more.” He pledged to launch a new AntiPoverty Strategy, to encompass all of these issues. � Continued on page 11
RUNNERS DONATE HALF MARATHON FUNDS P3 COUNCILMEETING SPECIALREPORT P14
CHILDRENDIGINTO LEARNING P5