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R E A D IN G

D IR E C T O R Y — 1 9 1 7 .

and F ergu son s L im ite d , are p erh ap s the m o st exten sive ; and th e oldest
and n o t least fam ous o f R e a d in g m anu factures is its w ell-k n ow n u sau ce,”
m ade b y M essrs. C ock s fo r n e a rly a cen tu ry . P e t t y ’s L im ite d and
W y m a n and S on L im ite d h ave e x ten siv e p rin tin g and lith o g ra p h ic works
in th e tow n .
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T h e F o rb u r y P leasu re G rou n ds, fr o n tin g the an cien t g a te w a y o f the
a b b e y , is the p ro p e rty o f the C o rp o ra tio n ; a R ussian g u n , p resen ted by
the^ G o v ern m en t to the au th orities o f th e to w n , occu pies an elevated
p o sitio n in th e ground s : here also is a colossal lion , o f ca st iron , on a
pedestal, erected in 1886 as a m em orial to 1 1 officers an d 317 n on -com ­
m issioned officers and m en o f th e 2n d B a tta lion , 6 6 th B erk sh ire R e g i­
m ent, w h o fell in th e ba ttle o f M aiw an d, 27 th J u ly , 1880, an d during
the A fg h a n w ar 1879-80 : th e p edestal, p la ce d in 1884 on a fou n d ation
o f con crete, is 23 ft. 2£in. in le n g th , 8 ft. 7in . in bread th an d 12 ft. 6 in.
high ; th e p ed estal w as o rig in a lly encased in terra co tta , b u t th is havin g
been seriously a ffected b y th e w eath er, w as repla ced in 1910 b y a P o r t ­
land ston e casin g to w h ich are atta ch ed bron ze tablets bea rin g the
nam es an d in scrip tion s p re v io u sly re co rd e d o n th e terra cotta surface ;
the c o s t (a b o u t £ 6 0 0 ) was defrayed b y p u b lic su b sc rip tio n : th e lion ,
w h ich w as n o t e re cte d u n til 1886, is said to b e the largest erect statue
o f th e kind m th e w o rld , it b e in g th re e tim es th e size of life and w eig h ­
in g 16 tons : from th e fo r e p a w t o th e top o f th e m ane it m easures 13ft. :
the forearm is 6 ft. ; and from th e nose to th e end o f th e tail it is ov er
31 ft. in len gth : the v ie w fr o m th is sp o t com m an ds a beautiful p rosp ect
ov e r p art o f O x ford sh ire ; the H orticu ltu ra l S o ciety ’ s sh ow s are h eld in
these ground s.
T h e T ham es S ide P rom en a d e, ex te n d in g from C aversham B r id g e fo r
n ea rly a m ile a lo n g th e riv e r , is furnished w ith seats, and is greatly
resorted to b y in h abitan ts and visitors.
A bronze statue o f H is la te M a je s ty K in g E divard V I I . w as presented
to th e tow n b y M a rtin J. S u tton esq. an d o ccu p ies a p rom in en t p osition
*Mn th e op en space fa cin g th e G rea t W e ste rn R a ilw a y s t a t io n ; it was uno^i
°*n T ^ e
D e ce m b e r, 1902, b y H .R .H . P rin ce C hristian of
S ch le sw ig -H o lste in K .G ., K .C .B . ; th e figu re, ìvhich w as m od elled by
M r G eorg e E ; W a d e , represen ts th e K in g in field-m arshal’s u n iform ,
h o ld in g th e scep tre and orb, and th e pedestal is o f red and blu e granite
an d bea rs the fo llo w in g in scrip tio n : —
“ C oron a tion o f H .M , K in g E d w a rd V I I . 1902.— R e c o rd o f th e com ­
m em orative celebration s an d p u b lic re jo ic in g s held in th e C ounty
B o ro u g h o f R e a d in g . D in n e r to 2,0 00 aged persons. T ea to 14,600
sch ool children. S p ecial services at chu rches and chapels. P rocession
o f th e T o w n C ouncil an d o f O d d fe llo w s, F oresters and oth er benefit and
frien d ly societies, trades; florally d ecorated , em blem atical an d historical
cars and d ecorated carriages, in clu d in g au tom obiles and cy cle s, aquatic
sp orts, am ateur and n on -am ateu r and old E n g lish sp orts, w a ter carnival,
w ith p rocession o f illu m in ated an d d ecorated b o a ts and steam launches.
R o y a l salute.
P la n tin g co m m e m o ra tio n tree in th e F orb u ry . pleasure
grou n d s b y th e M ay oress. Illu m in a ted p rom en a d e c o n ce rts, torch lig h t
p rocession , a tten d ed b y th e M a y o r an d b y th e C h a irm en an d S ecretaries
o f the C o ro n a tio n C o m m itte e s, d istrib u tio n o f m eda ls and C oron a tion
p ictu res b y the M a y o r and M a y oress.— A lfre d H olla n d B u ll J .P . m a y or :
H en ry D a y , to w n c le rk .”