THE Dee Road estate, especially around Lyons Square, was being described by a Reading Council member as “incredibly tatty” in 1975.

Liberal leader Jim Day was taking up the case for improvements to the whole area, but in his interview with the Chronicle he focussed on the environment around the square and its parade of empty shops.

He explained: “The square is incredibly tatty- a large part of it is a muddy or flooded area of grass and the rest comprises a number of brick-built square flower beds, filled only with weeds and rubbish.”

Mr Day continued by pointing out that the streets were being used as a dumping ground for cars: “In some ways the planning of the estate has encouraged these sorts of things.”

Greengrocer, Joan Clarke, explained that her customers would like to see the area tidied up: “When it rains, the whole square becomes very muddy, but we would like to see it drained rather than paved over.”

Football crazy pupils at Stoneham School had only played three matches in five months because of the state of their playing fields 45 years ago. Because of the muddy conditions the school had cancelled all of their games in the local school league, which had caused much disappointment with the dozens of budding ‘Robin Friday’s’.

But the problems with poorly maintained pitches also extended to local council-run playing fields, as the Borough Council Leisure Officer, Gordon Dykes, explained to the Chronicle. Mr Dykes commented: “Our pitches are just muddy morasses, we have to cater for 161 football teams, 16 junior, 20 Sunday, 17 Berkshire schools and two private ones.

He added: “If the County Council will not release school pitches, then we are all snookered.”

After months of hard work during the winter, members of the Warren Canoe Club, Caversham, had completed building two double racing canoes.

The funds to buy the fibreglass materials had been raised by club members by hosting a sponsored paddle, and the canoes were already entered into a series of races on the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Reading Racers speedway fans received good and bad news in 1975, the new stadium building was taking shape, but Anders Michanek had suffered a freak bike accident in Western Australia.

The current world champion was riding along a beach when he hit a wave and was thrown off, but the engine guard hit his leg and it was feared he had broken his leg.

South Reading Venture Scouts organised a successful display of their activities 45 years ago in St Barnabas, Church Hall, Elm Road.

The exhibition was staged for the benefit of parents, local Scouters and Scout Leaders, with an emphasis on attracting older members into the Venture Scouts’ movement.

The motoring section of the Chronicle highlighted the launch of the latest Ford Escort model, which was first sold in January 1968.

The 1800 Sport version had come from the company’s recent success in numerous motor rallies.