As 2023 draws to a close, Berkshire's local news has been marked by a series of unusual and heart-warming stories. From a cat reunited after six years to a Banksy artwork at Reading Prison, the county has seen a year of memorable moments.
In February, a cat named Oscar was reunited with his owner Kate Makin nearly six years after he went missing near the River Thames. Makin, a landlady, had given up hope until a vet called to say Oscar, who was microchipped, had been found near Sonning. In March, street artist Banksy confirmed he was behind a mural on the wall of Reading Prison, depicting a prisoner escaping on a rope of bedsheets tied to a typewriter. Actress Kate Winslet, who grew up in Reading, called for the jail to be turned into an arts venue.
April saw a life-sized chocolate bust of King Charles III, made from over 2,875 Celebrations chocolates and weighing 23kg. The sculpture, which took four weeks to create, showed the King in his coronation uniform. In August, an anonymous artist named Impro added a urinal to Sonning Bridge as a protest against River Thames water quality, joking it was causing council questions.
During the summer, bird rescue expert Colin Sutherland cared for a one-legged barn owl found in Shinfield, which had lost its limb in a rat trap. He said the owl would never be released, and its partner was likely 'heartbroken'. In November, crane operator Glen Edwards was dubbed 'the Bruce Willis of Reading' after rescuing a man from a burning building at the Station Hill development, hoisting a rescue cage to the roof.
These stories, among others, have made 2023 a year to remember for Berkshire residents.
