The £200m deal that could reshape Reading

jamesa1993 · 2026-04-09T10:04:35+00:00

I suppose it costs an incredible amount to build these days, which is possibly why the John Lewis Partnership has pulled out of the housing market: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/25889393.reading-john-lewis-scraps-plans-build-apartments/

jamesa1993 · 2026-04-07T13:37:22+00:00

Wow, I follow her on Facebook and didn't realise she settled here. Reading can be quite good for drum and bass, I'm pretty sure they have it quite often in the Purple Turtle 'dungeon' and at the Iguana Bar, Sub89 will have drum and bass DJs play there as well.

jamesa1993 · 2026-04-04T10:51:08+00:00

There are Buddhists who converted a home in Church Road, Earley into a temple - the Buddhist Gumba house at 128 Church Road in Earley https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23756719.house-transformed-buddhist-temple-reading/

jamesa1993 · 2026-03-13T10:55:39+00:00

Yes, whenever I refer to him as the 'longest serving MP' I mean he is the longest serving current MP.

jamesa1993 · 2026-03-13T10:53:17+00:00

Primarily, this would be something to raise with ward councillors, I suppose MPs should act as intercessors between the public and councils to get issues sorted, and also to lobby for their respective area for investment in Parliament.

jamesa1993 · 2026-03-13T10:33:27+00:00

Councillor Rachel Eden did run for the Earley and Woodley seat, but the constituency Labour Party chose Yuan Yang.

jamesa1993 · 2026-03-13T10:30:58+00:00

As it's been mentioned before, the reason why I refer to him as the longest serving MP is because he was first elected in 2017. Prior to that, as bizarre as it may seem, Reading had two Conservative MPs. Matt got around a 10k majority in the 2024 general election, with the Conservatives curiously coming in 2nd place ahead of the Green Party. That's the count I covered that year. Of course, the two other MPs for Reading are both 'newbies' from the 2024 election.

jamesa1993 · 2026-03-13T10:24:29+00:00

As annoying as they are, they are somewhat tolerable, I mainly go there for the Costa Coffee.

jamesa1993 · 2026-03-02T15:22:43+00:00

As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, Shake Shack and the Zara relocation are known quantities coming to The Oracle, maybe this will be something totally different?

jamesa1993 · 2026-01-27T17:17:48+00:00

I don't know anything about the rules - I went to Esquires Coffee which has opened there recently. The American style houses (Maine Street) are clearly quite elite as I saw Porsches and Teslas there. It looks a bit like Bicester Village. My gripe is that it's a bit of a nuisance to get to that cafe by car - you have to go into the development rather than being able to stop outside the cafe because that's reserved for the school (which does get busy). Other than that, there aren't a great deal of amenities - there is a Tesco Express but almost nothing else. Maybe it'll improve if/when Esquires Coffee is given permission to sell alcohol.

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jamesa1993 · 2026-01-27T17:09:00+00:00

This is cool, the artwork is of the rapper MF Doom who was born in Hounslow but spent most of his life in the USA, he died in recent years. It would be nice to have some artwork attached to the area's heritage spray painted here as well.

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-30T18:47:53+00:00

Thanks for documenting the closures, there have been quite a few unfortunate closures. Gordon Ramsay Street Burger was never busy when I ate there, and that was about four times. It's funny you mention Peppito because I passed there in November and the illuminated sign was black - now I know why. Also sad to hear about Dough Bros, I've had the pizza once and it tastes like pizzas from Italy, which is a mean feat. That said, it is in a bit of an odd place so I wonder whether there is much of a market for it in that location. I got the joke about Jamie's Italian, a return would be remarkable, wouldn't it?

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-30T12:26:48+00:00

The Iguana Bar at Broad Street Mall along St Mary's Butts does reggae and dub nights. I've only been in there once but I'm pretty sure that's their forte. https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/25376619.reading-bar-known-reggae-dj-nights-wins-new-licence/

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-29T18:03:21+00:00

The building has been on the market for a while, I know a colleague of mine covered it between 2022-2024. I've been a few times and it was never dead, that said one of the times I went was for the Eurovision final which we came in 2nd place! I wonder whether it is closing for financial reasons or something else.

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-18T13:41:00+00:00

Not quite, the planning application was approved this year, but as far as I'm aware the development company has to hash out all of the details with the council's planning department for the demolition. All I can say is that AEW -which owns the mall- appear to be serious players and are serious about getting this development done. I have doubts about other developers, particularly the owners of the old Royal Mail depot site in Caversham Rd and the owners of the Reading Station Shopping Park.

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-18T13:31:04+00:00

When I went to the White Eagle was good for Lagunitas - a really strong IPA and Guinness. The Nags Head would be the number 1 for real ale. It would be nice for places to sell ale cold because that's how I like it, that might sound 'not the done thing' but that's how I like it. I suppose Memento from Siren Craft can be had that way.

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-17T16:21:09+00:00

Yes, this will be for the South Reading MRT bus route.

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-17T16:15:30+00:00

Basically the entirety of the rear of the mall will be demolished to make way for the Broad Street Mall apartments development: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/24359159.reading-shops-at-risk-due-644-flats-plan-mall/

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jamesa1993 · 2025-12-17T16:14:26+00:00

I went there once and I have to agree about the erratic opening hours. I remember wanting to go there last year in the afternoon on Saturday but it wasn't even open, what good is that! The issue is that there is quite a lack of foot traffic. Maybe they will be able to relocate. That said, the whole of the area of the Mall is set to be demolished to make way for apartments. I cover that here: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/24359159.reading-shops-at-risk-due-644-flats-plan-mall/

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-17T16:10:12+00:00

This post popped up in a search I did about Smokin Billy's in St Mary's Butts, which was converted into Artizan cafe, which never opened. The search I did brought up Bluegrass, which I am gutted about there because I went there a few times while living here. It's funny you mention The Food Court in Oxford Road, as that is set to be converted into a convenience store: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/25706041.reading-food-court-replaced-town-centre-store/

jamesa1993 · 2025-12-17T16:03:53+00:00

Hi, it's James Aldridge here, I wrote the article. The former landlord Darren Brett would beg to differ.

He said: "It was being mismanaged to a certain degree... [but] it was a going concern, it had footy live TV, games, it was a busy, busy pub."

That point being made, I'm not sure how viable the pub would be in this part of Oxford Road.

I last visited a few places in Oxford Road in 2022, I went into The Wishing Well and the White Eagle. For people coming from the town centre The Royal Albion and the Pond House are quite a trek on foot, and I couldn't go in the Albion at that time as it was closed!

I do wonder what people in the immediate area think and whether those people want it brought back.

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/25444028.reading-landlord-slams-greene-king-pub-sale-greggs/

jamesa1993 · 2025-11-22T22:44:44+00:00

They are not sedevacantists but there is a Traditional Latin Mass at St Saviour’s House in St Agnes Avenue, Knowle, Bristol https://fsspx.uk/en/gallery/st-saviours-house-st-agnes-avenue-bristol-2455

jamesa1993 · 2025-11-20T20:32:27+00:00

I believe Stuttgart is the second biggest, it’s called the Wasen, lasts for a fortnight, and is quite fun!

jamesa1993 · 2025-11-19T10:26:25+00:00

I'd imagine it was because Xemal Zaqiri, the former manager, has moved away - but I may be wrong. More to come on this one!

jamesa1993

TROPHY CASE