Hi John – this map of old Southcote may be of interest.  This was before The Happy Prospect pub was built and before the flats on Bath Road.  It includes Bucknells Farm and Southcote Manor.

Hi Sophie

Apologies for the late reply.

I’m glad my little bit of Southcote memories appealed to you. I really don’t have much more to offer as I only lived in Southcote Lane for about 5 years and it was a long time ago!! As I mention on my home page, the main reason for the web site is to record as much as I can about where I lived as a young lad for my children and their children. Any memories or anecdotes you might have regarding where you lived would be welcome as it is so close to Southcote.

Regards
JC

Hi John, I was googling Southcote and found your post on the above. I lived at Calcot Place, down the next driveway on the left after Joel’s newsagent, on the Bath Rd going away from Reading. I spent my life until the age of 14 (1972) playing on the Bucknall’s farm which was next door to us, and consider it my “special world” so it was very special indeed to hear from someone who knew that little corner so well! I used to catch the bus home from the Abbey school each day and get off at the stop just past Joel’s then walk through what we called the waste ground to our house which was next door to Nita Bucknall’s.

Such a very beautiful area of flat fields and willows, all so changed now. Would love to hear any other memories you have of the area. Best wishes, Sophie Saraby

The Army photo was taken in approx 1956. I have attached another photo which shows your house, taken in August 1958.

Re the doctors – “The surgery was built in 1955 when Dr John Dilley was appointed to the new practice. Dr Gordon Taylor took over in 1956 and it remained a single-handed practice until 1959 when Dr Michael Davies joined.” (Info taken from the surgery website.)

You mentioned the parade of shops near Kennilworth Avenue. They’re called Southcote Parade but were known to us as The Top Shops. Mr. and Mrs. Thurgar left 239 Southcote Lane and moved to live in Southcote Parade in their later years, not sure where John went.

Loved the photo! I am going to create a new page under the “My Southcote” tab on the Home page and call it “Memories and Trivia” and will put your photo there.  Very pleased to hear of your connection to Tom Bucknall – he was a great guy – died far too young. And also fascinated that your husband Martin is both an old boy of Reading School and a school governor.  Yes – the Old Boys know me well!!  A few years ago, following a series of emails with three other old boys from my year, I developed a web site – www.class-of-1952.com – tracking what happened to the 90 or so boys who started out at Reading School in September 1952. I had wanted the web site to be public hoping to attract interest from other guys in our year who might stumble across it but several guys argued that if it was public, then they wanted out so I had no choice but to set it up as a login site only and to ask Google to ignore it. But as I have developed and maintained the site with no help from anyone else, I have always reserved the right to give access to others I feel might find the site interesting.  The web site is well received by the guys from our year and a number of them now meet every year at the Caversham Golf Club. There is a lot of information on the web site and I sometimes think that other old boys from other years could do something similar. If Martin is interested in having a look at what I have done, I am happy to give him a temporary login and password for him to have a look at it.

If you go to my “My Reading” web site and go to the “Posts” page, you will see posts from a number of ex Coley people – in fact my Coley email list has about 30 people in it and many of them are people who have stumbled across the site – and they have provided a lot of interesting information. I would be more than happy to take any information from you – stories, photos, anecdotes etc and put them up on my “My Southcote” page and you never know who might stumble across it and provide further information.

Martin, my husband, was a pupil at Reading School and is now a school governor. He forwarded your name to the Old Boys Association but they say they are already in contact with you. Hope they have been helpful in connecting you with old friends.
Re. Tom Bucknall and the Farm in Circuit Lane. I remember visiting the farm with a wheelbarrow to collect a bale of hay for our pets. Tom lived in my current village (Bradfield) and in fact I’m friends with his widow – Barbara. He died a happy man, gazing at his beloved cows while leaning on the five-barred gate to the field.

Alan Brown, Alan Redgrave and Alan Whiting were the infamous three Alans, along with David Snarey. I’ll send you a photo of Alan Redgrave, Alan Brown, Peter Collins and myself playing outside our house. We see Alan Brown from time to time and it’s great to catch up.

I’m starting to collate my memories of Southcote and will eventually print a book for our family, a recollection of the era through my eyes. I’ll forward bits to you if you like.

Also the lady at 231 is Esmee and she still lives there – the family surname at 245 was Millard.

Hi Jo  and Alan

I have had a lot of emails regarding my Coley page but only three in connection with the Southcote page but in fairness it is far from developed. I did get an email some time ago from one of the Prendergast boys who said he was very friendly with Raymond. I did reply but haven’t heard back from him again and I have mislaid his original email.  And now within a few days I have heard from you two – which is great – it might inspire me to do more work on this page. My problem with me trying to add extra data to my Southcote page is I only lived there for about four years.  I was 12 or 13 when we moved in and 17 when I left  sometime in the latter half of 1957.  And I have never been back.

The information you have given me has brought back many memories.  I didn’t think the family at 240 were Irish and I have memories of young children – perhaps the Irish family moved in after I left.  I can’t add to your list of names Jo of people living nearby.

My memories are:

I remember well the newsagency shop on the Bath Road in Calcot where I did a paper round for many years – Fred Joel was the newsagent.  I remember Bucknall’s farm at the end of the estate – I went to school with Tom Bucknall – I heard recently that Tom has passed away.  At the other end of the estate, there was another guy I went to Reading School with who prefers to remain anonymous as far as the Internet is concerned who lived in Kenilworth Avenue, and Mickey Bolton who lived nearby – he also went to Reading School with me.  Mick had a sister Lynne.  Not far from Roy Seymour was Liz Marks whose father played in goal for Reading FC.  Near the end of Kenilworth Avenue was a small group of shops.  I remember Carol Williams lived near there and she was very friendly with Clive Upton who I believe ended up in trouble with the law.  Carol eventually ended up marrying David Bicknell (Bignell?) who lived in the vicinity of Ashampstead Road.

Then there was JamesThompsett who went to scholl with me at both St James and Reading School.  He lived with his parents and sisters in Hatford Road.  I am still in contact with his sister Nora (via the My Coley pages) but Jim died quite some time ago.  There was also the Patterson family who lived in Southcote Lane near the junction with Burghfield Road.  There was a girl Angela and a boy Chris.

I remember Dr Taylor who operated at the clinic on the corner of Southcote Lane and Circuit Lane.

That’s about all I can dredge out of this tired brain at the moment!!

Look forward to hearing more from you.
Cheers, JC

Hi
I’ve been reading your memories of Southcote and found it interesting. I lived at 237 just over the road from you. We moved in in 1952 when I was just 6 months old and knew Raymond very well.

Here are my memories of neighbours, can you add more or maybe correct the ones I’ve listed
Our side of the road:-
231 Percy and E Collins + Brian, Nicholas and Jenny
233 Mr. and Mrs. + Stephanie
235 Nora and Arthur Brown + Carol and Alan
237 Desmond and Irene Redgrave + Alan and Josie
239 Peggy and Eric Thurgar, + Margaret and John
241 Mrs Oshea Kenny Oshea (son) Molly and son Stephen
243 Joy and Ray Snarey, + Pat and David
245 ?
247 Mr. and Mrs. + Sandra
249 Mr and Mrs Hyatt +
Other side of Road
240 Irish couple with no children
242 Mr Leonard and Mrs Delva Cummings + Raymond
244 Mr. and Mrs Moore, + Susan and David
246 Mr. and Mrs Prendergast + 4 boys + Lulu who died of Leukemia
248 Mr. and Mrs. ?
250 Mr. and Mrs. Hounsome
252 Mr. and Mrs Bennet, + Colin and David

My mother lived at 237 until she left aged 91 to live with me but she passed away last year. It would be great to hear more of your memories.

Regards
Josie Parsons nee Redgrave

Hi Alan

Good to hear from you and to get your comments.  I have been meaning for some time now to add further information to the “My Southcote” page but other things seem to have got in the way!!  Maybe now you have contacted me, I’ll look at it again.  The “My Coley” page developed quite nicely for a while as several people responded and offered information.  It has gone quiet but I still get the occasional email relating to it.

I am trying to remember you and your family and at the moment it is not coming to me – not surprising though as at 73 – nearly 74 – my memory, which was never good at the best of times, is not the best!  The joys of ageing!

Where is 235 Southcote Lane in relation to 242?  I do recall a family directly opposite us – if someone mentioned the surname I would know it – and there was a son and daughter about my age.  I have the Snarey house listed as 263 – you mentioned it was 243 – is that correct?

Re the Moores – they were a lovely family – Dad was a traveller or sales rep and had a van.  Susan I think would have been about ten years younger than me.

Re Harry Thomas – I remember him.  I have a web site for my time at Reading School but it is restricted only to those in my year – not my choice – I would have preferred it to be open but the majority voted to make it a  login site only.    I don’t remember Huw Thomas but there were quite a few Thomas’s at the School.  I do have copies on line of the school magazines so I could probably find him there somewhere.

Hello – just been reading your article on Southcote and Reading School and its a small world – my wife’s father was Harry Thomas and he taught Biology at Reading School from 1952 to 1955 – also her brother attended Reading school at the same time as you – his name is Huw Thomas.