The Museum and Forbury Gardens

On our second morning of our stay in Reading daughter D gave me a lift into town.  Mr P was happy to rest and potter in the garden.  There were a few garden tasks to do such as pruning D's vines and helping her lift some of the big, heavy pots.  The fig tree needed some attention and an olive tree had to be re-potted and moved.  Daughter D also gave us a tree peony plant that had grown too big for her courtyard garden of pot plants.  Mr P has now transferred it into our Sheffield garden as it's a good time of the year when plants are more dormant.  When we're with our daughter we talk about plants, often exchange plants and visit open gardens when opportunities arise.

D's peony tree in flower (last Summer)

Before my wander around the museum I took a peek at the museum café since I hadn't seen it since it was redone. The old Reading town hall building is dear to my heart for several reasons.  It's where functions took place that I attended when I was a child, it's where the library used to be before the new one was built, it's where my father worked in the Mayor of Reading's offices and where Mr P and I had our wedding reception.  Later on during versatile Mr P's working life he was part of the team that was involved in the first phase of its renovations and refurbishment.  I've also worked in various offices in the immediate area.

 

Mosaics from the flooring of an Iron Age and subsequently Roman settlement at Silchester (some miles south-west of Reading) called Calleva Atrebatum.  Archaeological digs take place and there have been some important finds.

I could have spent hours in the museum. Here are some more of the exhibits that particularly interested me.

It was the half term school holiday and there were plenty of children's activities to help with their learning.

tea caddy spoons

Jane Austen went to school in Reading.  I believe the school was by the Abbey Gateway opposite the Forbury Gardens. She might have worn this type of school uniform.

my era as a young married woman in the mid 1960s and 70s

Jackson's Corner department store was old-fashioned even then but it's where I went to purchase the children's school uniforms.  As a shop of a certain period it was used at one time in television dramas such as Endeavour (Morse).  Sadly it's no longer with us as an active shop.  Mr P was curious to visit Broad Street to see if it had changed, but this was not to be.  He was better off pottering in D's garden and resting.

Time slipped by and I wanted to go for a walk in the Forbury Gardens.  I bought a box of postcards of the Reading Abbey area and a book about the Town Hall to add to my collection of books about the history of Reading from the museum shop.   There have been many walks around my hometown in the past and  I'll share more from time-to-time in future blog posts.

The statue of Queen Victoria needs a good clean.  Daughter D told me that several of these statues and monuments around town are to get cleaned presumably in time for King Charles III's coronation in May.

Behind the statue is Marks and Spencer.  During WWII it got a direct hit and other buildings in this area were damaged.  At the time it was a café called The People's Pantry.  Workers could get meals there at a time of war rationing and my two aunts would go there after their work as seamstresses at a Burberry's workshop.  My maternal grandmother was worried that the two sisters had gone there that fatal day when many lost their lives.  The sisters decided not to go there that day.  The bombs would be released and would drift over the area before dropping suddenly at random causing destruction.  I suppose only those of my age will remember the stories that my relatives told me about those days that had such an impact on people's lives everywhere.

Onwards to the Forbury Gardens....

St Laurence's Church and next to it the solicitors' offices where I worked as a secretary in the mid 1960s.  The staff were characters - some quite theatrical.   Sometimes there would be a solemn parade as they slowly walked from the offices to a church service in St Laurence's Church.  The mayoral group would also take part.  The church is now a community meeting place, still consecrated as a church, but usually closed probably for security reasons.

I was glad to see the wreaths were still there to commemorate the WWII incident.  They had been placed by the wall of the offices and were also at the town Cenotaph.

 Trooper Frederick Potts, who was awarded the Victoria Cross 

for bravery.  (Gallipoli WWI)

The iron-cast Maiwand Lion is also a war memorial 

I'll leave you with some more photos of the Spring flowers in the Forbury Gardens.

a brick and flint entrance and exit arch

Thank you for visiting.  Have a good day!

By the River

It was a long drive down to Berkshire for Mr P although we did stop half way for a rest and had our packed lunch and a flask of coffee.  Thankfully Mr P was able to rest his legs and hips when we arrived at our daughter's home.  A delicious evening meal awaited us and then our grandson came for a visit after work.  He wanted us to meet the newest member of our family and that was a joy.  Grandson is a landscape gardener who travels for his work all over Berkshire.  The evening visit gave his partner (who is still on maternity leave) a little space for herself that evening.  There'll be more photos of a family get together at their home another time.

Every day of our stay was full of activity. On the first morning we went to a big supermarket to get flowers to put on the family graves in the cemetery at Caversham Heights. It was a convenient stopping place in the supermarket car park just off King's Meadow.  Mr P stayed in the car and daughter D and I took a quick walk along the tow path by the river.  It always makes me happy to be reunited with the River Thames. 

A community of arty folk must live in the houseboats along this stretch of the river.  Some boats had been painted and decorated and others looked as if they were being restored or under wraps for the Winter.

Afterwards we went to Henley Road Cemetery on the other side of the river.  Our daughter visits when she can and tidies the graves in the oldest area of the cemetery which is a comfort.  We also took flowers to a newer area where Mr P's brother and wife are buried.

Crocuses are growing in the grass on my maternal grandparents' double plot.

Whilst we were that side of the river we popped into a garden centre so that our daughter could buy some trays of bedding plants (daisies and Winter pansies to plant in pots in her courtyard garden).

It's amazing what you can find in a garden centre these days!

We were very grateful that Daughter D drove us around the area although, of course, we know Berkshire well from our time living and working there.  Next time I'll post about my visit to one of my favourite places in my home town, my walk in the Forbury Gardens and more of our time away.  

Thank you for your visit.  I'll be back soon.  Have a good day!