Today, Tuesday 9 July, Reading & Leeds Festivals revealed the BBC Music Introducing Stage line up that will showcase the best in UK emerging talent, as well as Dance To The Radio names and Piccadilly Party, for Leeds Festivalgoers only. Limited weekend and day tickets are available at www.readingandleedsfestival.com.
Since first arriving at Reading & Leeds Festivals in 2008, the BBC Music Introducing stage has offered a unique experience to bands and festivalgoers alike, with an array of untapped talent and a history of secret sets. The number of bands who have worked their way up through the stages after having their first taste of a big stage experience at these festivals has this year risen to around 41% of the total line up including headliners The 1975, plus Royal Blood, Yungblud, Milk Teeth, Pale Waves, Mura Masa, Slowthai, Chvrches, and more. This highlights the importance of BBC Music Introducing nurturing and championing the promising talent throughout the country and finding headliners of the future with festivals like Reading and Leeds.
Headlining the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Reading on Friday 23 August and Leeds on Saturday 24 August are Leeds’s own upbeat indie-pop masters Marsicans whose driving, harmony-laden sound and hard-hitting live shows are earning them a reputation as an emerging force in British music. Joining them are Olivia Nelson, Blackwaters, Do Nothing, Inka Upendo, SPINN, Caswell, Hyphen, Royls, and Swimming Girls.
Ishani, Charlotte, Alfie Templeman, FEET, Le Boom, HMD and Larkins will perform at Reading on Saturday 24 August and Leeds on Sunday 25 August, with the fierce, raspy-voiced rock artist LION headlining the stage.
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Raucous grunge rock three-piece The Mysterines will headline the BBC Music Introducing Stage on Friday 23 August in Leeds and Sunday 25 August in Reading, bringing their high-energy, angsty protests and catchy melodies aplenty. Kid Kapichi,Balcony, Kofi Stone, The Extons, Lavz, VC Pines, Prima, and Leeds own Talkboy will also be performing.
Further appearances at both sites will come from the likes of mesmerising American singer-songwriter Two Feet who will make his Reading & Leeds debut, as well as hypnotic YouTube sensation Poppy with her musical influence from kooky computer-game synth-pop, with the odd bit of metal thrown in as a special guest on The Pit – expect an altogether outlandish performance not to be missed. Added to the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage are the in-demand London DJ Amy Becker, and Communion signed Allan Rayman, plus the ever-growing indie favourites Vistas have been added to the Festival Republic Stage. Radiant Macclesfield calypso-rock band Cassia, and West London’s alt-rock trio Mantra have also been confirmed to join the line up at Reading Festival only.
Boasting a ban of single-use plastic cutlery, containers and straws from its traders, caterers, and bars since 2009, Reading & Leeds Festival aims to be greener than ever. Julie’s Bicycle has awarded Leeds Festival a 4-star Creative Green result for the second year in a row, plus the festivals won the award for Best Festival at the Creative Green Awards 2018. Total waste has decreased by over 40% since 2009, and last year, Leeds used 18,000 litres of biofuel made from waste vegetable oil.
Reading & Leeds will be using recycled plastic water bottles (rPET) this year and aims to be single useplastic free by 2021. It is also recommended that festiva lgoers bring their own refillable bottle as there are numerous free water points around the festival. We have advised that festival goers say no to single use plastic and buy a good tent that can be taken home and reused, as an average tent is the equivalent to 8750 plastic straws or 250 plastic pint cups. Free festival merchandise, or 2020 festival tickets are up for grabs by using the Nifty Bin Recycling Points in the campsites and the Greenpeace Deposit Return Points give £1 for every 10 pint cups or rPET water bottles returned. As well as this it is encouraged that festivalgoers travel by coach or train to reduce their carbon footprint, as Big Green Coach have 39 pick-up locations, and shuttles operate to and from the train station to make is easy for everyone.
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Fans can be the first to hear further line-up announcements, artist news and much more by signing up to the newsletters at www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com or via the official Reading & Leeds Festival app, available to download now on Android and iOS.
You might remember our recent article discussing the concerns raised by Reading residents about the council’s decision to hike parking fees and scrap the 30-minute free parking offer at some car parks.
Now, Tilehurst’s Conservative representative, Councillor Raj Singh, is leading the charge for a change in direction. He’s launched a digital petition urging the Labour-led Reading Council to reconsider their decision.
Thousands have already signed the petition in protest against the council’s decision to remove the 30-minute free parking option at two of its car parks.
Tilehurst locals have seen firsthand the negative impact of the new parking charges at Dunstall Close and the Recreation car park. Businesses in the Triangle area are feeling the pinch, with fewer customers putting their survival at risk. This situation makes it harder for residents to access the everyday services they rely on.
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The community is calling on Reading Council to think again and bring back the 30-minute free parking scheme. Doing so would ease the burden on local businesses and ensure residents can access essential services without hassle.
The car park near Reading Station has been identified as the UK’s fifth most expensive, according to a recent study conducted by Moneybarn, a car finance company. The study examined parking costs at the busiest train stations across the UK for an eight-hour stay on weekdays to determine the most expensive train station car parks nationwide. Oxford claimed the top spot as the most expensive train station car park in Britain, with a cost of £31.50 for eight hours.
The car park at Reading Station, managed by private operator APCOA Parking, charges £21.00 for an eight-hour stay and is not affiliated with the station itself. This car park next to Reading Station was ranked joint fifth in terms of expense.
Below is a list of the most expensive train station car parks in the UK (excluding London).
Rail station
Parking price for 8 hours
Total annual footfall (Apr 2021-Mar 2022)
1 Oxford
£31.50
5.0M
2 Glasgow Central
£24.95
15.3M
2 Moorfields
£24.95
4.8M
4 Sheffield
£22.00
7.2M
5 Reading
£21.00
8.8M
Reading Station serves nearly 20 million passengers annually. When Reading West approached APCOA for comment, the company had not yet responded to provide a statement.
The Wren School in Reading has been recently rated as ‘requiring improvement’ after an inspection by Ofsted, highlighting areas within the institution that need enhancement. Previously, it held a grade of Good during the inspection.
Led by Principal John Salberg, the school, situated in Reading west, operates under the governance of the Excalibur Academies Trust, overseen by CEO Nicky Edmondson and a board of trustees chaired by Toby Watson.
According to the Ofsted report, there are several areas identified for improvement.
Overall effectiveness
Requires improvement
The quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth-form provision
Requires improvement
Previous inspection grade
Good
Firstly, in certain subjects, crucial knowledge and skills essential for student learning have not been adequately identified and organized. This has resulted in challenges for teachers in determining the appropriate content to teach and when to teach it. To address this issue, the school must focus on further developing its curriculum to ensure students acquire key knowledge and skills across all subjects and key stages, including the sixth form.
Secondly, some teachers have been found to employ ineffective strategies in aiding student learning, leading to suboptimal learning outcomes. It is imperative for school leaders to ensure that staff are equipped with effective teaching methods to introduce new learning materials and assist students in understanding and retaining the information taught.
Furthermore, the school has been criticized for not consistently providing appropriate support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), hindering their ability to thrive academically. To rectify this, the school must offer additional training and support for staff to ensure that all students, including those with SEND, receive the necessary assistance for success.
Lastly, a minority of students were noted to exhibit a lack of focus on their learning, attributed to inconsistent application of the school’s behavior policy by some teachers. It is recommended that the school continues to integrate and enforce the new behavior system, ensuring consistent implementation by all staff members.
In response to these findings, the Wren School is expected to take proactive measures to address the identified areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience for its students.
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