An Historical Tour of the Streets of Old Coley
This virtual tour of Old Coley will take participants through the streets of Coley before slum clearance and the Inner Direction Road destroyed large sections of working class housing in this inner city area of Reading. Using a mixture of historic maps, old photographs, personal knowledge and desk-top research, Joe and Graham will present a history of the area and tales of life in this tough but vibrant community. They will stop-off along the way to explore the Coley Steps, Coley Primary School, Simonds Brewery, St Savour’s Church and the local brick making industry. It should be of interest to Old Coleyites, local historians, current residents and anyone intrigued about what existed before the IDR.
This is the final of three talks in the Autumn Potpourri Talks Series. The other talks take place on 24th October and 28th November. You may book tickets for individual events or for all three talks in the series for a reduced price.
To book
Pre-booking is required, because the event link will be sent in advance.
To join this talk, you will need a computer device with speakers. Ideally, also a webcam and microphone. You also need to be able to access the internet from it. First-time users of Zoom, will be asked to download a small piece of software, which will be sent in advance.
Image: courtesy of Joe Doak
To book – scroll down.
Date
- Thu 12 Dec 2024
Time
- 14:00 - 15:15
Tickets
- £5.00
Organiser
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The Centre - Berkshire FHS
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speakers
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Joe DoakJoe Doak is undertaking doctoral research on the development and redevelopment of Huntley & Palmer’s Biscuit Factory at the University of Reading, where he was formally an Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Development. He lived in Field Road (Coley) for 30 years and has recently moved to Dorchester in Dorset. He has supported Graham Turner for a number of years in his work on the history of Old Coley.
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Graham TurnerGraham Turner spent 21 years of his youth living in Bright Street in Coley until construction was started on the I.D.R.. He is currently retired from the motor insurance industry after spending 41 years in various dealerships and 11 years as a claims engineer working on insurance warranties. During that time, he became a member of the Institute of the Motor Industry.
In early 2017, he started the Facebook group “History and Events of Coley, Reading” which has grown into a thriving and very active community.