Holme Park

Holme Park is a sports ground in Sonning (occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames), a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, a few miles east of Reading. It is used for rugby union matches and is the home of Reading Rugby Football Club.

Reading RFC had a nomadic existence until, shortly before the Second World War, the land at Holme Park was purchased and the pitches laid. After the war a new clubhouse and stand were erected, the stand later being moved to its present position on the far side of the ground. The current clubhouse was built through the efforts of Gordon Richens in 1968 and was expanded, with squash courts added, by Colin Barrett in 1975.

The club had been struggling with income over expenditure since the mid-1990s and with debts and loans spiralling the club found it increasing difficult to service the arrears. An attempted buy-out of the club and assets by former coach Phil Hall was quashed at the club’s annual general meeting in 2007. Alastair McHarg, capped 44 times by Scotland, was a vociferous opponent of the Hall buy-out. He said "The good thing about the Phil Hall deal is that at least it has shaken up some people to get their act together."

Reading Blue Coat School

Reading Blue Coat School is a boys' independent school (and co-educational in the 6th form) in Holme Park in the village of Sonning, in the English county of Berkshire, to the east of the town of Reading. It is situated beside the River Thames, and was established in 1646 by Richard Aldworth, who named it "Aldworth's Hospital".

History

Established in 1646 at the height of the English Civil War, a wealthy London merchant, Richard Aldworth of Stanlake Park, left the Corporation of Reading the sum of £4,000, the proceeds of which were to be devoted to "the education and upbringing of twenty poor male children, being the children of honest, religious poor men in the town of Reading." From this bequest, which in 17th century terms was quite substantial, originated the Aldworth's Hospital charity school now better known as the Reading Blue Coat School.

Aldworth, who had been a governor of Christ's Hospital in London, modelled the new foundation on his former school, the boys being required to wear the Bluecoat attire of gown, yellow stockings, and buckled shoes. Aldworth's Will further stipulated that the Master of the new school should be "an honest, Godly and learned man" who for his "paines" would receive a stipend of £30 a year. His duties were to include the instruction of reading, writing and ciphering and to "teach the Catechism in the points of Christian Religion."