Along the Oxford Road, Reading

From the age of eight until I was ten I attended Oxford Road Primary School and have happy memories of being there before we moved again to East Reading  My parents and I had moved from out of the borough in Earley to live in a flat above a bakery shop further towards the town centre.  The row of shops was demolished many years ago to make way for an hotel now redeveloped as the Penta Hotel.  

I've included some random photos from recent walks along this main thoroughfare. 

It was interesting to see the children's artwork displayed on the fence.

There are many shops and supermarkets that are very convenient as they're close to where our daughter lives. We went to the newish Supermarket (above) which has Polish owners and there's a great delicatessen section with lots of different cheeses, cooked meats which interested Mr P.  We came away with nigella seeds for cake and bread making and different packets of dried pasta for making soup.

An inconvenience at the moment is the waiting times for traffic under the railway bridge by a train station as contractors are putting down broadband cables under the road and it's taking weeks to complete a small section. The temporary traffic lights seem to stay on stop for about ten minutes before they change to go. While we were in Reading we found other routes in order to avoid driving into the Oxford Road.

 

Our first house as a married couple was a new build in a new road further down the Oxford Road so I know the area well even though many of the shops have changed hands over the years.

On the walks I noticed a few of the old references to former businesses such as the one on the wall above which I think must refer to a firm called Jackson's.  They had a large department store in town, now closed. The frontage was called Jackson's Corner.  It was old fashioned, but I used to get our children's school uniform there or haberdashery items. I've spotted it on a television drama series that needed an authentic 1950s, 1960s period setting.  

 

There have been many changes over the years.  Cow Lane, for example, was once a rural shortcut down to the river when I was a child.  We could walk through a meadow to get to the river path which is now Thameside Promenade.  One afternoon Daughter D and I walked from her house to Cow Lane so that I could see another mural on the wall of a building which apparently is a dairy depot.

Drivers wanted - another sign of the times since there's been a shortage of van drivers lately.  The traffic can be heavy here as the road is a route back into Caversham Road or across the river via Caversham Bridge.

Finally, Greyfriars Church, which we attended at one time, has undergone a makeover since our last visit with a new welcome area.  

Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely weekend!

Reading Scenes: Street Art

Hello.  I hope your week is going well.  

It was difficult to take the artwork that has been painted on boards surrounding the site where the town's main swimming pool was located so I had to photograph it in sections.  Above is one of the sides and below are some of the details. 

Around the corner is another creative and colourful addition to this community art project.

I walked along the Oxford Road and the adjoining streets several times during our stay and I'll share some of this interesting area of town another time.  Meanwhile, thank you for your visit.  I hope you have a peaceful and happy day.

Reading, Berkshire: More Hometown Scenes

We enjoyed times in the garden with Daughter D.  Jasper the cat mooched around wondering what was going on as plant pots were moved about and Mr P pruned the vines.  There's still a lot of colour in D's garden.

I went out for walks on my own in the neighbourhood as I wanted to capture the moment.  The town was known for the manufacture of bricks and these were used to build the terraced housing around the town. Evidence of the age of the Victorian development can be seen in the brickwork.  Daughter D pointed out where someone had carved his name and date of 1920 in the bricks on the frontage of her house.  There are courtyard gardens and several playing fields and other open green spaces, thankfully.

Not far away (above) is the former cattle market which has become a community hub.  I hope the community stalls and other events that were held there will return.

Since we last visited the Central Swimming Pool has been demolished and screens have been put up on the site with murals on two sides as above.  I took photos of the drinking trough and the swimming pool on our last visit now incorporated into a photo mosaic.  The horse has been cleverly painted to look as if it's drinking from the trough.  Next to it is a depiction of an old trolley bus. 

I'll share more of the detail of the mural next time.  I was particularly interested in the depiction of  the man with the top hat and old camera,  William Henry Fox Talbot.

William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) was a scientist, inventor and a pioneer of early photographic processes in the late 19th and early 20th century.  He lived for a time in Reading and had a photographic establishment in a street leading off the Oxford Road.  

On another occasion when walking along the Oxford Road press photographers were taking photos for the local newspaper of a group of what must have been town councillors standing by the above mural. 

Oxford Road has had a vibrant multicultural community for many years.  It was interesting to visit and see my home town as it continues to develop.  

Thank you for your visit.  Have a great day!

Reading Scenes:The River Thames

Hello.  I hope you had a good weekend.  Ours was a restful one and we were welcomed back from our week away by our granddaughter, Daughter M who came for a catch-up chat, tea and chocolate cake that M had made.

After sorting out the photos I now have the opportunity to write about my home town.  While Mr P rested Daughter D and I did a lot of walking around West Reading where she and her family live.  I took a lot of photos before more changes take place as new buildings go up and old buildings are demolished.  Daughter D is also interested in the history of our hometown and happily pointed out different features as we walked around the streets and by the river.

A visit would not be complete without a walk by the river near Reading Bridge.

View from Reading Bridge

Christchurch Bridge

Caversham Lock view from Reading Bridge

Walking down the steps to the river towpath we found Peachy's mural that got a lot of attention recently.

We walked back along Vastern Road passed Reading Station.  The road into the station is called Trooper Potts Way.  Trooper Frederick Potts was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery during the Gallipoli military campaign.

We didn't get to the area around the Forbury Gardens Public Park this time so I've included one of the memorials relating to Trooper Potts and the Berkshire Yeomanry Regiment taken on an earlier visit located outside the Forbury Gardens.  In the Forbury Gardens is the Maiwan Lion statue (which you can just see in the above photo) and these days is an iconic image associated with Reading.  It's not surprising the graffiti artist Peachy used it in his artwork on Reading Bridge.

Lastly, when walking back along by Vastern Road Car Park Daughter D and I noticed the message below tied to a tree.  

The car park building could have looked rather stark, but instead the trees, bushes and a small garden have softened the appearance which is obviously appreciated by those who pass by.

Thanks for coming by.  I'll be back soon, hopefully.  Have a good day!