Transport through the Ages’ event raises more than £9,000 for charities

The bells at St. John’s Church sounded at the start of the inaugural ‘Transport Through The Ages’ charity fundraiser on Mortimer Common. With the footpaths of The Street and West End Road lined with crowds. The parade of 120 vehicles followed, showcasing all forms of transport, from Penny Farthings to the latest Supercars, and not forgetting steam lorries, tractors, vintage and classic cars.

The parade was led by a marching pipes and drums band with a low-loader mounted steel band following on. After two laps of the village, these wonderful forms of transport joined up with other show vehicles on Mortimer Fairground so everyone could get up close. 

The rest of the fun then got underway with a dog show, junior Olympics and a tug-of-war. Five acts, with three bands from the Willink School, provided live music throughout the afternoon.

Local businesses provided refreshments, with the bar serving local ales and cider. Sadly, there are no vineyards in Mortimer yet but the club did ship in some extra wine and prosecco for the occasion!

The event, attended by about 4,000 people on the day, was organised by the The Rotary Club of Reading Matins’ with a lot of help from the local community who had previous experience with Classic Car Shows. Eric Howell, one of the local team who helped stage the show said “The event was a great success and we’ve raised over £9,000 for Sue Ryder and other local causes. We had generous sponsors and help from the whole Mortimer community who lent us most of the kit we needed. Willink School generously set up the stage and sound equipment. And for a change we even had good weather!”