Last month’s article requested items to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee this year and this prompted a memory of mine when I met Her Majesty, in 1968, in Queen’s Road, Reading. I had worked for the GPO and on marriage had to leave because they did not employ married women. I was given my insurance cards to take to Social Security. Each person would have a card for National Insurance stamps which were affixed weekly or monthly according to when you were paid and cancelled with a written date. These were returned to DHSS annually. A big change today, when national insurance contributions are taken at source.
Talking to the clerk there, I explained my position and she said that their new ADP department was looking for employees. My job initially, as Personal Assistant to the Head of the ADP Division of the Ministry of Social Security (Health was added later on) was to check and monitor the new building going up in Queen’s Road to accommodate an innovative computer. This venture was a joint project with the Ministry of Labour which would issue unemployment benefit and sick pay cheques.
© The Reading Evening Post
The computer, when it was built, covered the whole of the ground floor, ran on tape, was kept at a certain temperature, and was a forbidden and mysterious area for most of the personnel except the programmers who were regarded with awe. Compare this with today when I wrote this article on my home computer and paid for my nephew’s wedding present all via the ether, not necessarily needing a building to house the computer.
Naturally it was a highlight for me, to liaise with Buckingham Palace and Westminster to arrange the visit of the Queen, Prince Phillip and Mrs Judith Hart, the Minister of Social Security. I didn’t actually speak to the Queen but was proud to have been the arranger of her visit and I have the picture supplement from the local paper to remind me.
Are there any other personal Royal stories out there we could use for the Parish celebrations in June? Please let us know.
Margaret Bampton
Church Window Christmas 2010 - picture taken by Lesley Rolph
Over many years our Group has been involved with St Michaels & All Angels Church either through exhibiting at their Church Fetes, buying their superb tea & cakes at the Caf D’Active or presenting at the Junction club (see article 30 April 2011) which meets there. We also often helped at Christmas with decorating the church through putting up local pictures and decorating them. One year we were behind the choir stall.
Since December 210 we have started photographically recording our displays.
In 2010 our theme was entitled “An Edwardian Christmas” (see article in Loddon Reach January 2011) where we were given a window to dress. The Edwardian Christmas was inspired by village living and the display reflected this - in addition to the holly and other simple foliage, there was an old fashioned mixing bowl and wooden spoon, various types of nuts and pine cones, jars of sweets, an orange, brass candle stick with candle and a red and white checked cloth.
Christmas 2011 Display - picture by Lesley Rolph
In December 2011 the Church adopted the theme of “12 Days of Christmas”. The group was given “Ten Lords a Leaping” as a subject to interpret. The carol (originally French) is based, some say, on reminding Christians of their faith, with Ten Lords a leaping representing the Ten Commandments. In any event, whether true or not, we had lords a leaping in abundance.
The display was inspired by a members daughters book featuring the 12 Days of Christmas. On the display there were ten colour silhouettes of top-hatted men leaping about, an actual top hat and cane and an old hat box, a variety of colourful festive flowers in glass vases with foliage and a mini decorated Christmas tree.
Who knows what idea 2012 will bring!
The SWLHG Members responsible for the displays