I worked at Mining & Chemical Products from 1963-65 and while I was there I met Bert Hopgood who was in charge of the workshop. He lived at 90 Alpine Street and was the first genuine communist I had ever met. He was very sincere, told me all about dialectical materialism ( which I knew nothing about, even now I’ve never read Karl Marx’s book) all in all a very interesting man. I mention this only in passing, reference Sally Thomas’ post relating to her being related to the Hopgoods.

Hi John,

Yes its my sister! Living in Stamford with her husband Clive – 3 grown up children and plenty of Grandchildren! My brother Victor went to the school too.

Dave

David Wiffen – is this your sister in Mike Sharp’s photo?

Your husband obviously has a very good Carer – keep up the good work and our thoughts are with you.

Regards
JC

Such a long time since I was in touch or even thought about my younger days. Hubby is still with us. Just over 2 years now since he was diagnosed with cancer. Still having lots of tests and we live one day at a time.

Hope you are keeping well. Regards…Di Griffin/Rayburn

John

Still the memories come back I attached the pics which might be interesting to Coleyite’s regarding the school. One is the program for the summer fete 1953

& of the recorder group with me (the only boy as I remember) and I am certain the girl to the right of me in pic was Sonia Wiffin with Miss Scoble on piano.

I lived with my grandparents at 34 Field Rd ( Gordon grocery store) there was Matthews veg shop and Gerry’s fish & chip shop on the corner.

The fish shop caught fire one night and Grandad told me to run & tell Gerry . Gerry, I called out, the shop’s on fire and he ran up the road into the shop and picked up the cash till and ran out again. ha!

One other sad tale was the bread delivery was made by horse & cart. One day the horse was standing by Jesse Terrace and put his neck over the spiked railing gouging his neck – he wore a big sheep skin bandage after.

Have recognised some names from the web site that I would have been at school with, also brought back memories of Stony Hill etc riding our scooters down the hill and screeching to a stop at the bottom.
regards

Mike sharp

I’m sure I will have other stuff lurking that might be of interest – I actually have the coroner’s report into the railway death somewhere.

My Royal Marine Commander GGG(G?)-GFather was at Trafalgar with Nelson – 2IC of the Pickle, which took the news of his death back to London.

One of mum’s sisters had a pub, I think in Tilehurst up until the 60’s or 70’s.

My dad used to go poaching in Windsor Great Park and the boys remembered pheasants hanging in the house.

HI John,

I live in Redcliffe, Queensland, but was born and raised in Rowville Victoria when Rowville was market gardens and dairy farms and the school had 26 pupils.

My brothers were born in the UK but I arrived after they got here. At one time I believed my dad was the first Biddle to leave Reading in the 400 odd years I have his tree back, but I have since found a few distant cousins transported in the 1850’s so he lost that title.

I’ve been doing the family trees for about 12 years and am now putting information together in a readable volume to leave for posterity which has led me to doing wide ranging internet searches about the history of the places with which we are associated such as Coley and Reading in general. That was how I stumbled across your site. I have also made two trips home to look for records and take my own photos, although I really haven’t spent a lot of time in Reading per se due to time constraints on both trips. I had visits to a few places planed last December but we had to cancel as my daughter (living in London) had organised a surprise trip to Wales.

It may be of interest to you that my great, great grandfather was one of the brickies who built the Huntley & Palmer’s iconic chimneys. He met a terrible end falling from a train at Goring in 1862 on his way to a job on a bridge there.

Most of dad’s mum’s side of the family were in Mapledurham where I was very fortunate to be allowed to photograph inside and out of one of the cottages that some great greats lived in for many years. I did, in fact, have a private meeting organised with Sir John Eyeston at Mapledurham House to look at some old records of his estate workers but he was taken ill and had to cancel.

My brothers were born in 1938 and 1941 but if they were up in Albert Road you wouldn’t have been at the same school. There is, though, a very good chance they had cousins down your way. I will have to look into it and get back to you. I will get around to buying credits for the 1939 register when I have time to look up all the records I need before the credit expires.

Cheers,
Sally

Hi John.
It’s a shame i can’t answer Sally as i lived at number 127 Wolseley Street from 1955-85.
Regards Steve.

My grandfather was born in Somerset Place 1896 but in 1901 was living at 123 Wolsley St with his family. My mum and dad came to Australia in
1951 from Albert road (Also now gone) as are the infamous Coley Steps where my mother’s family lived (Holly and Ivy Courts). Our name was Biddle, but I’m also related to the Hopgoods.