Published: Wednesday, 20th May, 2009 8:00am

Retro: Many happy returns

by David Cliffe

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THIS week"s picture shows a birthday party, and probably dates from the 1950s.

I have photographs of myself taken around 1952 where I look very much like the small boys in short trousers at the front of the picture.

The little girls, of course, are in their party frocks. There seem to be six candles on that birthday cake. Please get in touch if you know whose birthday it was, or if you recognise any of the people.

The building in the background is The Millers Arms in Paddock Road, Caversham, I"m fairly sure.

That door led to the function room, which later on had a skittle alley in it.

I first came across this pub the day I moved into my house in Caversham. It was a fine April day, and I had spent the morning moving boxes and furniture. By the time lunchtime came round, I was very hungry indeed - never have I worked so hard, before or since!

To sit on the grass by the river near that pub, with a plate of bread and sausages and a pint of beer, was indeed bliss. What a wonderful situation for a pub, I thought.

There was an electric organ in the bar, and I was told that the landlord sometimes entertained his customers on it.

A year or two later, I was in there again, enjoying a game in the skittle alley, with 'chicken in the basket" at half-time. This was standard pub fare in the 1970s.

Also, the pub was the major venue for the Caversham Charity Folk Festival, when many of the events took place in a marquee on that riverside grass.

With the recent closure of The Gardeners Arms in Surley Row, Caversham, I don"t think there are any pubs left in the area which have a skittle alley.

The Millers Arms, near where Caversham Mill once stood, seemed to have such a lot going for it, as they say, but times have changed. It closed about 1995 remained there boarded up for a while, and then was set on fire - a sad end to a place that must have given so much pleasure to a lot of people.