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Top 10 Things to do and see in Reading (Secret Reading)

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Oracle Shopping Centre
The Oracle Shopping Centre is perhaps the favourite place for students to visit in Reading. With lots of shops inside the Oracle and bars and restaurants on the riverside, it’s a must for those who enjoy browsing, spending and relaxing. There’s more to Reading though than the Oracle as you’ll find out here.

University of Reading
Whiteknights campus Reading is fortunate among universities in having such a large and green campus. The campus has all different natural landscapes from lake and woodland to meadow and garden. Take 20 minutes to walk beyond the Students’ Union and explore the wild campus and the Harris Gardens. You will find yourself in classic unspoilt English countryside where you can forget about the demands of being a student and just enjoy the nature and scenery.

Madjeski Stadium
In 2012 Reading Football Club won the Championship League, meaning they are now promoted into the Premiership playing all the top UK teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. These teams will all be coming to Reading town to play Reading FC at Madjeski Stadium. The stadium is also home to Reading’s Ruby club London Irish. To see sport at its best there’s no better place in Reading than Madjeski Stadium.
www.london-irish.com
www.readingfc.co.uk

Reading Museum and Abbey
Learn about Reading’s heritage. Reading Town Hall houses the Reading Museum, with 12 galleries of artefacts, exhibits and displays chronicling the history of Reading from back in the ice age, when the main inhabitants of Reading were gigantic woolly mammoths, through to the important industries that shaped modern Reading, such as biscuit making and brick making. Art exhibits are also housed here, it’s free to enter and after browsing at your leisure there’s also a café. In the museum you can learn about Reading Abbey in which the remains of King Henry I are buried. It is then only a short walk past Forbury Gardens to the remains of the Abbey in the Abbey ruins.

Shows, concerts and entertainment
Reading has a number of venues, the largest of which is The Hexagon. It is close to the Council Offices on Queens Walk and hosts many big name comedy acts as well as concerts of both pop and classical music and theatrical shows. Other venues in Reading include the Concert Hall at the Town Hall and 21 South Street each hosting an array of different events. To see what’s on and to book tickets look at the Reading Arts web site: www.readingarts.com

Cinema
The cinema most students visit is Vue at the Oracle. However, Showcase Cinema at Loddon Bridge is another cinema in Reading and is bigger with 14 screens and often a larger selection of films. If you or a friend have an Orange mobile on Wednesdays there is a 2-for- 1 promotion at either cinema and as a teenager you can get 20% off at any time at Vue cinema. See web sites for more details: www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/locations/reading
www.myvue.com/cinemas/about-vue-cinemas/cinema/reading

The Reading wind turbine
With blades reaching 123 m high, the wind turbine at Green Park that generates electricity is perhaps the most famous wind turbine in the UK and is seen by millions each year who pass Reading on the M4 motorway. It is also seen by many as a symbol of the move towards greener forms of energy production. You can get up close to the gigantic wind turbine in Green Park and find out more about it from the information boards at the visitor centre near the foot of the turbine.

Readings parks and garden
The most famous of Reading’s public parks and gardens is Forbury Gardens with the large cast iron lion, locally called the Forbury Lion, standing proud and weighing a massive 16 tons. Other parks and gardens in Reading include Caversham Court Gardens on the bank of the Thames, Palmer Park and Prospect park. These are all free and a great place to play sports, relax and unwind.

The River Thames
Past the town centre on the north side of Reading is the River Thames. This can often be missed by students with the University situated to the south of Reading. Students who explore Reading though will know how delightful the river is. If you enjoy walking there are fantastic scenic walks along the river to Sonning to the East of Reading and Mapledurham and Pangbourne to the west. If you don’t like walking then take a boat cruise from Thameside Promenade near Caversham bridge to Mapledurham with cruises running every Saturday. See www.thamesrivercruise.co.uk for details.

Reading Station Reading is fortunate to have excellent travel links to the rest of the UK. Make the most of these links by arranging trips to towns, cities and sites of interest within the UK many of which are accessible by train from Reading Station. Plan your journeys using National Rail Enquiries: www.nationalrail.co.uk/

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Reading Labour MPs Vote Against Assisted Dying Bill

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Terminally-Ill-Adults-Bill

A deeply emotional and historic vote took place this week. The House of Commons approved the Terminally Ill Adults Bill—law that proposes to grant terminally ill persons under English and Welsh jurisdiction the right to have assisted death by a medical practitioner if it should pass the House of Lords.

The bill passed with a thin majority of 314 votes to 291 and sparked national debates brimming with saxophonic emotion. It was a free vote; that is, members of Parliament could vote according to conscience, and the party was not expected to bind them. The bill secured the support of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer but apparently was rejected by Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

All three of Reading’s Labour MPs, Matt Rodda (Reading Central), Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire), and Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley), voted against the bill. They may well have objections rooted in such concerns as the safeguarding of vulnerable people, possible pressure being put on those with life-limiting conditions, and just the sheer moral gravity of a change of that kind.

For many people in Reading and elsewhere, this bill goes well beyond politics. It arises out of dignity, choice, and compassion for the hardest moment. Respect goes to those who voted with care and conviction; passing of this bill has been another step toward giving people in unbearable suffering the freedom to choose how and when their life ends-on their terms, with support, been one of the options, and without pain. It’s a difficult subject to deal with, but at its basic level, one of a few simple human desires is to die with dignity.

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Reading Buses Fares to Rise from 2nd June as Government Cuts Funding

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Reading buses

From Sunday 2 June, fare adjustments will take effect across the Reading Buses network. Updated pricing details are outlined below.

These changes have been introduced in response to rising operational costs, including higher employer National Insurance contributions and changes in government support. For most passengers, the fare increase will be minimal. In many cases, customers can avoid the higher fares by choosing multi-journey, weekly, or season tickets.

Government Fare Cap

On routes where single fares exceed £3, prices will continue to be capped at £3 as part of the UK Government’s Help for Households initiative.

Changes to Reading All-Bus Tickets

Government funding that previously subsidised the Reading All-Bus day ticket ended in March. As a result of this and increasing costs, some All-Bus ticket prices have been raised.


Updated Fare Information

Single Fares within Reading
Single journey fares will increase by 10p.

simplyReading Day Tickets

  • Adult: £4.50 via the app or contactless tap on, tap off; £5 if purchased from the driver
  • Boost (for young people): £4, available both via the app and from the driver
  • Group ticket (valid for up to 4 people):
    • £8 during off-peak hours (after 9.30am on weekdays, and all day on weekends and bank holidays)
    • £10 during peak hours (before 9.30am on weekdays)
    • Available on the app and from the driver

Reading All-Bus Tickets
Valid for travel on Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses, Carousel Buses, and Thames Travel within the simplyReading zone.

  • Adult: £4.90 via the app or tap on, tap off; £5.40 from the driver,
    (Currently, it costs £4 on the app and £4.50 on the bus)
  • Young person (under 18): £4.20 (currently £3 if bought on the app)
  • Group ticket: £8.80 off-peak / £10.80 peak

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Opinion: Reading’s RingGo-Only Parking System Is Ridiculous, Not Revolutionary

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Reading Borough Council’s recent move to scrap cash and card payments for parking in favour of RingGo-only app payments isn’t just inconvenient — it’s verging on the ridiculous.

Across the town, parking machines have been “covered” — not with proper signage or professional notices — but with what look like black bin bags and hastily stuck-on paper notes held in place with bits of sellotape. These make-do signs read: “This machine is only accepting RingGo payments. Location code…” as if that explains everything.

Frankly, it’s comical — if not insulting. This slapdash presentation makes a mockery of a serious change that impacts thousands of residents, workers, and visitors.

The council claims the shift will save money, cutting annual costs from £44,000 to a leaner £29,000 by removing cash collection and maintenance fees. But what about the cost to the public?

Not everyone owns a smartphone. Not everyone is comfortable navigating apps or calling an automated line to pay for a simple parking space. This move sidelines the elderly, the less tech-savvy, and anyone without reliable access to mobile data and tourists unfamiliar with the app.

Worse still, these makeshift signs — flimsy bits of paper stuck to bin bags — give the impression of a temporary issue, not a carefully considered, permanent change. It’s a poor substitute for clear communication and thoughtful planning.

Yes, the council wants to modernise and save money. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of accessibility and common sense. Reading deserves a parking system that works for everyone — not just those who have the right app and enough battery.

If the council insists on digital-first, it must still provide physical, well-marked options and a respectful transition. Bin bags and sellotape won’t cut it.

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