For Reading Nostalgia this week, we will be returning to the year of 2012 as we did recently, to continue what was going on in the town.
Ten years ago, it was a time of celebration in the area.
The Royals gained promotion to the Premier League after a four-year absence, everyone was getting Olympic fever, and there was a real feel-good vibe when you visited the Royal Borough of Berkshire.
So, what was going on in the town a decade a year ago?
Well, as ever, hundreds of people from the area and beyond were signing themselves for that year’s Reading Half Marathon.
Some of those people included two sisters in Demesize and Abbie Fryer-Saxby, who ran the race to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society, in memory of their grandfather, Tom Fryer-Kelsey, who died in 2010 from the illness aged 93.
Demesize and Abbie Fryer-Saxby
Speaking at the time, the sisters said: “He would have been proud of us but would have told us to run faster!”
They were just two of thousands of people who took part in that year’s festivities, as Anne Newbury, who grew up in Reading but lived in Leicester at the time of the event, decided to run in memory of her late mother, step-father and mother-in-law.
Anne, who was five months pregnant at the time, said: “For the third year, I have set myself a series of running challenges to raise money for Sue Ryder Case in recognition and appreciation of the care the Nettlebed hospice gave my mum, Mary Morris, before she succumbed to cancer in May 2009.
“I shall also be running to celebrate the memory of my amazing stepfather, Trevor, and mother-in-law, Doreen Bland, who both lost their battles to this cruel disease in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
The 43-year-old added: “Although I have a number of half marathons under my ample belt, this will be my Reading debut, so I am excited, especially by the prospect of finishing in the home of my beloved Royals.”
Anne Newbury ran the race in memory of three relatives
More runners that took part in that year’s event were Tom Robinson, who ran to raise funds for the Reading, Wokingham and Districts MS Society.
This was because Tom, who was 29 at the time, revealed that his father was living with the condition.
Tom Robinson ran the race to help his dad
He said: “I was really worried about it a few weeks ago as I was having some knee and leg pain and was having problems finding the time and energy to train, due to my nine-month-old son making me very busy.”
Other runners included Rodney Harewood, who raised money for the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, which recruits blood and bone marrow donors from black and minority ethnic communities to help battle the blood disease.
Rodney Harewood took part 10 years ago
Local man, Warren Edwards, also took part in the event but he did something a bit different.
Mr Edwards decided to enter the half-marathon with barefoot, as he raised funds for the British Heart Foundation.
Warren Edwards was a bit souless when he started the run 10 years ago
Several firefighters took part
Even several firefighters were spotted as everyone wanted to do their bit to help their respected charities.
If you would like to take part in this year's run, got to https://www.readinghalfmarathon.com/pages/step-one-choose-event.
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