A NEW direction sign on a traffic island in Reading town centre prompted one Chronicle reader to write a letter 45 years ago, complaining that it was too low for pedestrians.

After Mr J Staples’ wife had walked into the sign in Forbury Road (as it was only five feet from the pavement below) he pointed out that he understood that the minimum clearance for signage should be 6ft. 9 ins. Replying to the Chronicle’s enquiry, Reading Borough Council explained that the incident was being investigated by their Technical Services Department and that a detailed answer to his query would be sent to him in the next few days.

After two accidents outside their homes involving double decker buses, residents in Vachel Road, Reading, were warning that it was only a matter of time before a pedestrian was killed on the dangerous bend. The latest incident had left pensioner Ivy Harvey surveying a pile of rubble which trapped her in her home, after an Alder Valley bus had left the road and ploughed into railings and a brick wall.

In April 1975, after a similar incident, locals had signed a petition and presented it to Reading Borough Council, demanding that some safety measures be implemented as soon as possible.

Their frustration at a lack of progress was summed up by another resident who told the Chronicle: “Why, oh why, can’t something be done, before someone dies?”

Reading’s speedway stars slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat in the summer of 1975, losing to Wolverhampton 47-31 in a Gulf Oil British League match.

The Racers were without the services of their number one rider, Anders Michanek, but his replacement, Eddy Argall from Bradford failed to score from his two rides.

Whist waiting for his bike to be prepared the Racer’s skipper, Mick Bell, took time to read the speedway pages in the Reading Chronicle.

Reading University’s cricket team were rather more successful as they played an MCC XI, beating the visitors with 14 overs to spare at home.

After lunch a good spell of bowling from Steve Thomas and John Bird removed five MCC batsmen in half-an-hour for only 23 runs.

Reading Model Aircraft Club proudly showed off their latest constructions for the benefit of the Chronicle’s camera as they promoted their new exhibition “Models in Action”.

The show was being organised to promote the hobby and was due to take place at the Thame-side Promenade, where static displays of yachts, boats and flying aircraft would be demonstrated.

Members of the English Civil War group, the Sealed Knot, ‘kidnapped’ the Mayor of Reading at Caversham Court in 1975, but it was all for charity, raising £300 towards the cost of a new ambulance.

Part of the money for the Reading’s Multiple Sclerosis Society’s fund was collected from the crowd at the fete to secure Cllr. Geoffrey Salisbury’s release.