For Reading Nostalgia this week, we have chosen the comings and goings of 1988, so, can you remember any of these stories?
One of the biggest stories from that year in Reading saw a family discover a fire ripping through their home.
The Gardners, who lived in Field House, Shinfield Green, were all asleep in bed when the blaze swept through, but thankfully, it was down to their pet pooch, Becky, as she alerted the danger to the homeowners.
Speaking back in 1988, Mr Richard Gardner said: “I woke up and heard my dog barking, and my son is the lucky one because if it wasn’t for her, I don’t we would have William [his son] now.
“I felt frustrated and annoyed when the phone didn’t work, so I just ran up the road and thought I must find a phone.
“The nearest public telephone is in Shinfield Rise, which is quite a way from here, and I couldn’t get my car out because mu keys were inside the bedroom.”
The dog also made William, who was 22 at the time and partially sighted, aware that something was drastically wrong.
William said: “She woke me up by pulling off the covers, I looked out of the window and saw the fire.”
The family got Becky from a rescue home a few months prior to the fire.
In other news from around the area 34 years ago, a cheque of £61 was given to the children’s ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
The money was the proceeds from one cold wet December night carol signing in Lower Earley.
In today’s age, £61 from 1988 would be around £146 in 2022.
Other interesting tales from the time saw several Scouts from the Berkshire area represent England at the Scout International Jamboree in Australia.
The trip was a success but it was overshadowed due to a significant change in the Down Under weather, as a massive hurricane swept through the Scouts’ camp in Sydney.
Mark Jesset, who travelled to Australia, said: “The hurricane was the greatest day of my life.
“It was something that I had never experienced before.”
Despite the potentially deadly storm, the then youngster enjoyed his trip to Oz.
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