Mystery of Janice Long picture solved by Newbury Today readers

Readers have helped identify St Mark's Cold Ash school fete as the mystery picture from 1989.

In the Newbury Weekly News tribute to Janice Long a couple of weeks ago, we discovered a photograph in our archives of Ms Long with a group of girls that had no caption with it and nothing to tell us where it was taken.

We asked our online followers and NWN readers to help and you didn't disappoint.

We received several emails and messages all saying that the picture was taken in 1989 at Cold Ash St Mark's School summer fair, which had a Victorian theme.

Ms Long had been invited along to open the proceedings and happily posed for pictures and chatted with parents and children on the day.

Caroline Turner, nee Scurr, who was pictured back right in the photo, emailed the NWN to say who was in the picture.

She said: "Others in the photo include Katy Hill, Emma Guinness nee Hill, Samantha Batten, Victoria McColl, Gemma Carter and Sarah Laing."

Samantha Batten also emailed to say she was in the picture, at the front on the left.

We spoke to Miss Batten, who now lives in Corfu, Greece, who said: "I remember it was a Victorian themed day and we were grouped together to have a picture with Janice Long and it was a very happy day.

"I also remember my brother doing everything possible to avoid being in any pictures.

"I was 10 at the time and I do remember it was a really hot day. We did some maypole dancing and everybody – adults as well as children – made a big effort to get into the Victorian theme of the fete."