YATELEY Parish Church of St Peter’s got some much needed ‘tender loving care’ back in 1981, after previously being ravaged by fire, started by an escapee from nearby Broadmoor.

Members of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, based at Arborfield Garrison, scaled to the top of the church spire to mount a new weathervane.

Fellow REME apprentices designed and manufactured the new vane in their spare time and attached it to the pointed steeple during the restoration, which was due to be completed by the end of the year.

Binfield Carnival procession attracted a collection of inventively themed floats 37 years ago.

The local WI dressed as ‘punks’ and the toddler group float had a Pied Piper of Hamelin theme.

The last event of the day, the tug-of-war, was won by Binfield FC, who triumphed over the Lightwater Club in a closely-fought contest.

Ascot Racecourse hosted an unlikely race during its Horticultural Show in 1981, as the ‘runners’ dressed as hospital staff and pushed a bed down the course, with a ‘rider’ patient hanging on for dear life.

The going for the unusual “Good Ward Stakes” was described as good to soft, as heavy overnight downpours had made pushing the small metal wheels extremely difficult.

There was another royal meeting at nearby Downside School, Bracknell, as King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, were the guests of honour at their summer fete.

The King and Queen were played by Terry Denton de Grey and ‘his first wife’, Sheila, the royal couple strolled around the fete, arranged by a local craft group.

Staff at ICI, Jealotts Hill, braved the cloud and drizzle to stage an ‘Olympian’ themed competition called ‘Funpics’ 39 years ago, with eighteen teams from different departments.

The ‘silly’ games had an unusual set of rules that allowed competitors to cheat, bribe opponents, wear nappies and put on assorted fancy dress costumes.

To help with the building costs for a new annexe at St Sebastian’s Church in Wokingham, a country fair was held at nearby Wood’s Farm in 1981.

The fair also joined in with the celebrations of the Royal Wedding between the Prince and Princess of Wales, at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Visitors were given the chance to dress up as the happy couple, and then have their photo taken.

Members of the Crowthorne Boys Motor-Cycle Club put on a display of controlled in the main arena, taking their bikes over seesaws, across barrels and finally over a stationary car.