1900s Timeline of Reading, Berkshire

novelty biscuit tins (c. 1937)



1901

british manufacture of pulsometer pump moves london reading.
synagogue built.


1902 – 9 august: coronation of king edward vii: commemorative statue of him erected in town sutton family.
1903–1955 – mcilroy’s department store in business.
1903 – 22 july: reading corporation tramways opens first electric service, own generating station.
1909 – first cinema in reading opens.
1911 – caversham becomes part of county borough of reading.
1914

jewish lawyer rufus isaacs, m.p. reading since 1904, becomes first baron reading.
refugees belgium arrive in reading.


1916 – january: war hospitals supply depot, largely staffed volunteer women, begins operation in reading.
1919 – reading corporation tramways operates first motor buses, caversham heights tilehurst.
1920

june – historical pageant in abbey grounds.
first council houses built.


1922 – oratory school, roman catholic boys’ institution, moves edgbaston, birmingham, caversham park.
1923 – 3 october: reading bridge, designed in reinforced concrete l. g. mouchel, opens across river thames.
1926

17 march: university of reading chartered, institution newly granted full university status in u.k. in interwar period.
april: new caversham bridge, designed in reinforced concrete l. g. mouchel, opens across river thames (official inauguration 25 june).


1929 – easter: reading aerodrome opens @ woodley.
1932

27 july: war memorial men of reading , berkshire unveiled @ entrance forbury gardens.
reading crematorium established in caversham.
tilehurst water tower erected.


1933 – 29 march: miles hawk aircraft first flies, @ woodley aerodrome.
1936 – 18 july: trolleybuses in reading first operate.
1939 – 20 november: reading corporation tramways closes.
1942 – 6 may: oratory school moves woodcote house.
1943

10 february: luftwaffe air raid in 41 killed.
spring: bbc monitoring service moves caversham park wood norton, worcestershire.


1945

7 may: bbc monitoring service @ caversham park first place in u.k. hear of german surrender marking end of world war ii in europe.
reading festival chorus formed.


1946 – progress theatre formed.
1947

the university of reading purchases whiteknights park develop new campus.
reading twinned düsseldorf (germany; officially 1988).
huntley & palmers produce cake november wedding of princess elizabeth , philip mountbatten, duke of edinburgh.
the river thames floods 1600 homes.


1950 – work begins on council’s southcote housing estate.
1951 – museum of english rural life opens @ university.
1953 – february: progress theatre give first british english-language performance of brecht s woman of setzuan.
1955 – migrants caribbean settle in reading.
1958

7 april: first protest march campaign nuclear disarmament london aldermarston, demanding ban on nuclear weapons, passes through reading.
spring: progress theatre give first performance in england of seán o casey s 1923 play shadow of gunman.
the first little chef diner opened in oxford road sam alper.


1960 – first high-rise council flats built, @ coley park.
1961 – civic society formed.
1964 – bulmershe college opens.
1965 – prudential assurance company opens administrative offices @ forbury.
1966

last tilehurst brickworks, s. & e. collier, closes.
c. december: yield hall multi-storey car park opens.


1967 – western tower completed railway offices, first major office tower in reading.
1968 – 3 november: trolleybuses in reading last operate.
1969–1989 – inner distributor road opens.
1969 – 1 april: reading borough police merged thames valley police.
1971

25–27 june: first reading festival of jazz , progressive music takes place.
friars walk shopping centre opens , broad street mall opens butts centre.


1974

1 april: reorganisation under local government act 1972 takes effect: county borough of reading becomes administrative district of berkshire.
3 april–26 june: family, u.k. example of fly on wall documentary series, featuring wilkins of reading, airs nationally on bbc1 television.


1976

8 march: first local radio station, radio 210, begins broadcasting.
huntley & palmers cease biscuit manufacture in reading.
suttons seeds move torbay.
new civic offices completed.


1977 – hexagon performance venue completed.
1984 – american screen actor stacy keach serves 6 months in hm prison reading possession of cocaine @ heathrow airport.
1985 – new central library built.
1988

27 march: reading f.c. win simod cup relegated football league third division.
rivermead leisure centre opens.


1989 – merger of bulmershe college of higher education university of reading completed.
1990–2006 – main annual u.k. world of music, arts , dance (womad) festival held @ rivermead.
1990 – 8 august: kennet , avon canal officially reopened throughout leisure waterway.
1994

10 february: church of england (continuing) founded @ st mary s church, castle street.
reading twinned clonmel (republic of ireland) , san francisco libre (nicaragua).


1995 – broad street shopping area pedestrianised.
1997 – 17 june: reading rockets basketball club formed.
1998

1 april: berkshire county council abolished , borough of reading becomes 1 of unitary authorities in area.
22 august: reading f.c. play first match @ madejski stadium.


1999

february: green park business park opened prudential, cisco systems main tenant.
23 september: oracle shopping mall opened on site of oracle workhouse.
the church of st mary virgin raised honorific dignity of reading minster.






^ history . spp pumps. retrieved 2017-01-02. 
^ cite error: named reference pevsner invoked never defined (see page).
^ cite error: named reference lambert invoked never defined (see page).
^ cite error: named reference thr invoked never defined (see page).
^ cite error: named reference tc invoked never defined (see page).
^ university s history . university of reading. retrieved 2009-04-30. 
^ aviation @ woodley – year year . museum of berkshire aviation. retrieved 2017-05-10. 
^ men of reading , berkshire . war memorials register. london: imperial war museum. retrieved 2017-01-02. 
^ reading crematorium . pastscape. historic england. retrieved 2016-12-30. 
^ fire sky . berkshire record office. february 2013. retrieved 2016-12-31. 
^ parking in reading . autocar. news , views. 125 (3697): 1341. 1966-12-23. 
^ fort, linda (2013-09-09). fascinating @ history of reading prison . getreading. retrieved 2016-01-16. 
^ company details reading rockets limited . ukdata. retrieved 2017-01-16.