The first section of Reading’s Inner Distribution Road, stretching from Caversham Road to Castle Street, was set to be completed in the autumn of 1969.

As ‘stage one’ was nearing completion, the second part of the road, towards Southampton Street, was progressing, but his section was not due to be finished until 1971.

A total of five bridges would have to be built to allow the ‘IDR’ to span various natural obstacles, such as the River Kennet and the Holybrook, a pedestrian footbridge would also allow access from Coley Steps, to a point near the Salvation Army Hostel.

More than 300 cadets, officers and NO’s of the Berkshire Cadet Force were completing their two-week training programme in Perthshire 50years ago, where they trained and lived together as a battalion of soldiers.

For most of the youngsters it was their first experience of putting into practice the tactics, map reading and manoeuvres that they had learnt in their local drill halls.

Major Charles Brown, a Reading bank manager, told the Chronicle:” Our objective is to make the cadets good citizens and train them in the hope they will enjoy it enough to join the Army.

The final task of the training schedule was a night exercise where the cadets split into two opposing forces with the objective of capturing the ‘enemy’s’ lantern light, by crawling unnoticed through long damp grass.

Whilst most Chronicle readers were enjoying the summer holidays, a local farmer’s wife, Lilian Morris, was preparing for Christmas with her turkey flock.

By August of ’69 the 700 adult birds had been joined by another 200 newly fledged chicks, with more eggs to be incubated the total flock was expected to reach over two thousand.

By December the daily output of freshly plucked birds would reach 120, each needing to be made ‘oven-ready’ for her customers, by four people working a nine-hour shift.

The Reading Lions Club held its annual fair in Sonning in 1969, attracting over 5,000 visitors to watch the thrills and spills of its donkey derby.

But the biggest thrill was reserved for the Black Knights parachute team who dropped from 6,000 feet onto the markers laid out in the main arena.

Despite the low cloud which had obscured the drop-zone, the parachutists landed 24 feet from the red crosses laid out on the grass.

A rather unusual vessel steamed through the Reading area in 1969, in the shape of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust’s steam dredger.

The boat was heading west to Crofton Pumping Station where trust volunteers were going to use it to discharge coal from two narrow boats to a hopper, used to fuel the

dredger.

The Reading Chronicle’s ‘Candid Camera’ was at Elm Park during an early season home match, and three lucky fans were chosen from the crowd photo, all the winners took home the cash prize of a ‘guinea’ (£1 and 1 shilling).