This week we have unearthed some great photos of a royal visit as well as the first inter-school toboggan championship from 1982.

March saw Her Majesty the Queen open the multi-million pound Shire Hall complex at Shinfield Park with her husband Prince Philip.

More than 5,000 children cheered as the monarch came to town, welcomed by the then-Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Col the Hon Gordon Palmer.

The Chronicle reported at the time that some of the royal couple’s huge rates bill at Windsor Castle had helped pay for the new Shire Hall.

And while dignitaries made the speeches, it was the youngsters who stole the show – with musicians from Berkshire schools playing fanfare in honour of Her Majesty.

In other news, earlier that year, children from two Reading primary schools – St Michael’s and Ranikhet – participated in an inter-school tobogganing competition.

A large crowd gathered on the ski slopes of Ranikhet School as two teams of 12 pupils raced up and down the run – with Ranikhet declared the winner after an hour’s hectic action.

Finally, the month of May saw boys from Caversham come out on top in the annual Brain of Berkshire Youth Quiz.

Simon Boseley and Nicholas Smith, then aged 16, Andrew Boseley, 14, and John Garrett, 13, from Caversham Young Wayfarers, beat seven other youth teams from all over Berkshire to win the Brain of Berkshire cup and a cheque for £15.

The runners up were a team from Caversham West Boys Club. Two sets of twins – Mark and Anthony Slingo, 15, and Christopher and David Brown, 13 – received a £10 cheque and a t-shirt each.