The mix of industries in Whitley, from the sewage works to jam, pickles and brewing, gave the area a distinctive smell so strong it even sparked protests about the infamous whiff.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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Built on Basingstoke Road in 1948, Gillette’s factory became a hub of Whitley, buzzing with industry and community spirit, from workers’ swimming pools to Christmas decorations.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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The Whitley Fire Wardens protected the area around St Agnes Church, built in 1906, uniting the community through the hardships of war and creatively fundraising to keep people safe.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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When Ashmead was built in the 1950s it looked like something from a sci-fi film, and though the buildings have since changed, past pupils still remember its eccentric teachers.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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Charlie Langham’s was more than a butcher’s, especially on Saturday mornings, when locals queued together, swapping gossip and sharing jokes at the heart of the community.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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Once upon a time, Rabson’s Rec was home to a huge, super-fast slide, famous across Whitley for being thrillingly scary and irresistible to the bravest children.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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Darvall’s Coal kept Whitley warm, with young men delivering by bicycle and Darvall himself by horse and cart and known as someone who looked out for his community.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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During the Second World War, children were evacuated from London to Whitley for safety, while American soldiers stationed locally spent evenings at the pub, forging friendships within the community.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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Before Whitley had diesel buses, trolleybuses like the old number 6 ran the transport scene, powered by overhead electric wires and far trickier to drive than today’s buses.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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Ridgeway School has long been a place of learning and laughter, where generations remember quirky teachers, jolly dinner ladies, playground games and daisy chains.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

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The Rabson Rovers: the Pride of South Reading, a close-knit team playing in the top division of the Reading and District League, with some playing for clubs across southern England.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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It was never Sherwood Forest to us, it was always The Cowsey, a place of roaming cows and childhood adventures, and life felt simpler before the world got busy.

Follow the Memory Lane trail and hear Whitley’s past come alive through local voices.

Scan the QR codes with your phone as you walk to listen to the stories.

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