The 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Berkshire Local History Association took place at 10:30 a.m. in the fantastic setting of The Reading Biscuit Factory, located in the Broad Street Mall shopping centre (formerly the Butts Centre) at the corner of Oxford Road and Queen’s Walk—opposite the Penta Hotel.

While there wasn’t space for local society stalls this year, the meeting was followed by a special archive film programme curated by Zoe Viney Burgess from the Wessex Film and Sound Archive. This carefully selected series of films beautifully captured life in Berkshire from the 1920s to the 1960s, and it proved to be a highlight of the day.

Programme Highlights Included:

• The Wokingham Carnival parade in 1933 featuring the Dagenham Girl Pipers

• Festive scenes from the Newbury British Legion Fete, Wargrave Regatta, and Sonning Races

• Road-building in Bracknell and the Slough and Windsor Carnival

• Stunning views of Windsor

• Royal visits and Reading’s lively students’ rag parade

• Advertisements for Huntley and Palmers biscuits

• Public health services in 1956

• Electric trams in Reading in 1938

The same programme had been shown to a fully booked audience in October, and it was once again a real crowd-pleaser. Attendees were clearly surprised and delighted by the range and quality of the archive footage.

During the meeting, the “Any Other Business” section stood out as a particularly engaging moment, with members sharing interesting projects and thoughtful suggestions for the committee to consider.

We were also pleased to hear a few words from the cinema manager about The Reading Biscuit Factory, a venue new to many attendees, who seemed both impressed and charmed by the space. The atmosphere remained warm and sociable, with many people choosing to stay afterwards to chat in the bar area—rounding off a very happy and memorable gathering.