Why does Wokingham get the cast offs?

South West Trains are currently trialling some new class 707 trains as this picture this week at Staines shows. 

The current trains on the Reading route will be phased out to be replaced by? No not the brand new trains. These are for the Windsor route. The Reading route will get the current Windsor trains.

Why can't we on the Reading route not have the new 707's rather than the Windsor line cast offs? The journeys from Waterloo are a lot longer than Windsor too....

Ashridge Farm gentrification

The is a planning permission notice on the gates to the barns courtyard area of Ashridge Farm. 

It is beautiful as it is in a tumbling down sort of way and it will be good to see what the new dwellings are like.

Here are a few photos of the old buildings in May 2017.

Cantley Park before someone builds on it

Lovely to see some of the unspoilt parts of Cantley Park on a sunny Sunday May afternoon in 2017.

Enjoy it while you still can, at the rate @wokinghambc is building over it this greenery will soon be gone🙁

Cantley Park act of vandalism 3

Where there was grass and greenery @wokinghambc have built a cycle path that serves no one. 

I go to Cantley Park quite a lot and I have yet to see one cyclist. What a great decision a cycle way that goes from nowhere to nowhere that no one uses.

Brilliant - if it's green, natural and beautiful it won't be for much longer thanks to @wokinghambc

Cantley Park act of vandalism 2

A few years ago @wokinghambc planted some lovely wildflower beds in Cantley Park, they were a delight and the council put up some signs that reflected their pride in these.

Today in May 2017 most of this wildflower bed has gone ripped up by the vandals who authorised and built the new tennis courts for the few. Spoiling nature for the many.

And this Sunday afternoon when it was bright and sunny no one was using the new areas of tennis courts.

How about being really brave @wokinghambc and dig up the areas of unneeded tennis courts and giving greenery and nature back to the many?

Will you listen? Judging by your recent actions and activities of the past two years or so I very much doubt it.

Cantley Park act of vandalism 1

Someone has taken out some lovely unspoilt grass and scrub areas and put up prison fencing and lights to stop the vandals getting out.

Another part of our lovely countryside lost forever.

More mismanagement and shortsighted planning.

The worlds worst negotiators?

Do you remember a couple of years back when we were all able to take the tax disc stickers out of our cars? Now all you lucky @WokinghamBC council tax payers have another sticker to replace it!

Just get rid of one sticker in the car windscreen and @WokinghamBC add another.

As the Council could (and two others) could not negotiate a deal with a neighbouring council, @WokinghamBC has to have an extra scheme (yes, we pay for this) to keep our naughty neighbours out. It seems to me that we now pay extra (4.6% increase in my Council Tax this year, over twice the rate of inflation) for the following extras:

1. Marketing material for a "new company" Re3 - badges on the tip, telling us Council tax payers all about their failure etc.

2. A man on the gate of the tip checking we have a sticker in our windscreen

3. Paying for the stickers.

4. Paying for a camera for the man on the gate in case he is abused. Not his fault he is just carrying out his job where the council failed to negotiate with a neighbouring council(s).

And who is paying the bill for this failed negotiation?

Yes, as ever, it is the Council Tax payer...thanks again....

Can you charge us even more please (not)

Is it just me or are we being charged and charged again for the clearing of our rubbish?

In the past we just put all of our rubbish in a dustbin and it was all cleared by the local council in the charge for the rates (now called Council Tax).

So to be clear - charged once and collected efficiently.

Now it is a charge over and over again. @WokinghamBC charge for the following:

1. Rubbish collection once a week in a stupid plastic sack - you pay for this through your Council Tax - mine went up 4.6% this year, over twice the rate of inflation.

2. Garden waste - no longer collected by the Council in the council tax / rates. This costs extra if you want it collected, but at least you get a wheelie bin. An add on cost.

And if you don't want to pay this add on cost, well you can get in your car, drive to the local tip. Quite a lot of the waste at the tip is from the garden at this time of year (May 2017). How much does it cost the environment with all of this additional car etc traffic going from our homes to the tip - both in terms of pollution and costs of road repairs?

3. DIY waste - the Council has now informed us that they no longer have to accept this at the tip. Big charges for this (see photo) and a man asking us if we have DIY waste at the tip now (I expect we pay for him to do this) and at least another couple of guys collecting money from people who have DIY waste.

Pay, pay and pay again now.

So what was all in your old rates / Council tax is extra for garden waste and DIY waste. Lovely.

Just waiting for the @WokinghamBC rubbish money grabbing scheme.
Thank you so much, not.

@WokinghamBC charge for our own car park plan fail

Wanted to quickly pop into town yesterday (20 May 2017) on a Saturday and took a chance that we could park in the Wokingham BC car park. Have not been there since they introduced the charges.

At 10.30am (the time we arrived) when it was free it was a devil to find a car park space on a Saturday. Often went elsewhere. Do not fear, there is now plenty of space!!!

In addition to the 4.6% Council Tax bill increase this year, @WokinghamBC no longer do the good neighbour bit of allowing us to park in our own car park for free at the weekends. I hope that the people who work at WokinghamBC and use the car park during the week pay for their perk too?

Sad to see this empty car park as it means that the traders in the town too are suffering with less traffic and custom caused by this shortsighted and very petty / unpopular policy of @WokinghamBC

Bring back the free parking for our own car park that we already pay for through the Council Tax. Shame on you.

Thank you!!!

Thanks to whoever put up this mural outside the station, very nice.

But no thanks to the complete arse who decided to spread graffiti across it. Why do people (are they people?) do this and spoil it for everyone else, particularly if you have helped to pay for it?

But now some very kind person has cleaned it up! Thank you!

Would be nice to see all the graffiti cleared up in town! Or better still not put there at all.

Before and after photos:

Fantastic Fish (and Chips etc.)

I pop into the fish and chip shop next to the level crossing by the station once every couple of months. Nice fish and chips with mushy peas.

Worth checking out!

More Art at Sainsbury's in Winnersh

I do like the cakes and patterns in the supermarkets. I am more a biscuits fan, but here are some more patterns and tasty treats for you!

Look Down

Sometimes we don’t look down at our feet, but I noticed this post at the end of Rose Street and thought I would bring it to your attention!

Front of the Arcade

This is the current view (May 2017) of the demolition site of the old Arcade on Peach Street in Wokingham. It will be a view that will disappear quite quickly I hope and the two lanes in the traffic will open too. Pictures taken in May 2017.

Back of the Arcade

These pictures will soon just be a snapshot in time, so please enjoy looking at these views of Peach Street through where the old Arcade used to be before the new buildings are constructed. Looking forward to the new shops etc., the old Arcade was a bit tired and scruffy.