PUPILS at Borough Green School, Bracknell (later renamed Brakenhale) were learning to handle their own money 59 years ago, by opening their own bank, exclusively for their own accounts.

To open an account the youngsters had to deposit a minimum of two shillings, queuing at the new kiosk that was formerly a storage cupboard, which had been adapted with serving hatches.

The ‘bank’ was due to open at lunchtimes and after school for three days a week with a staff of eight cashiers and the same number of clerks and two chief cashiers.

Four firefighters were awarded long service medals at the official opening of Wokingham’s new fire station in 1969, having previously been located under the nearby Town Hall.

The old station had been located in the centre of town in 1876, but because of its position, was suffering from the increase in traffic from all directions in the narrow streets.

Sixteen Edgbarrow School pupils constructed a life-sized charity cow to raise money for a real animal in New Guinea.

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The larger-than-life animal was dubbed the “Crowthorne Cow”, and made with chicken wire and newspaper, complete with a tape recording of its ‘mooing’ inside, and on completion, one lucky pupil guessed its weight correctly and won a box of chocolates.

Crowthorne Council of Churches were planning to tour the area and introduce her to congregations to help raise the funds required.

Winners of the annual Guy Fawkes competition in Sandhurst, were presented with cash prizes instead of the usual fireworks, after the organisers felt that this would lead to safety issues.

Chairman of the Residents’ Association, Bert Parham, explained: “We normally give fireworks to the children, but I watched a television show and it shook me, we couldn’t take the responsibility for potential accidents.”

Bracknell Sports Centre opened a new sauna suite in 1969 and the timber-lined cabin’s first ‘customer’ was none other than assistant swimming pool manager, Graham Glasspool.

The former girls changing room was converted to reach temperatures of 200 degrees Fahrenheit and at the time was the first council-run sauna bath in Berkshire.

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“Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble” were being stirred up at a ‘Witches’ Rave-Up’ in the Wokingham Masonic Hall in ’69, but all was not well with the resulting poor turn out, aimed at local teenagers.

It was the first time such an event had been organised, but despite music bands Greenfield Hammer and Pete Acid being booked, it did not make any money for charity and no plans were being made for another similar event.