Club Velocity will present a charity gig in memory of Matthew Farrall on 22 September. Matthew, who died in April 2018, was an enthusiastic Whitley resident, Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA) trustee, Explore Reading and Whitley Pump contributor. Advertisements
The Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA) unveiled its new public access defibrillator on 28 July. The device was bought with funds donated by the friends of Matthew Farrall, who died in April 2018. The defibrillator is designed to help resuscitate people suffering a heart attack and is attached to the external wall of the South … Continue reading WCDA defibrillator unveiled in memory of Matthew Farrall
Matthew Farrall, friend, Reading enthusiast and author, died unexpectedly on Friday 20 April.
In March we published a piece by Matthew Farrall about ‘The Berkshire Book of Song, Rhyme and Steeple Chime’ by Arthur L Humphreys. Matthew noticed that the author’s address was York Lodge, Reading, and discovered the connection between Humphreys and another, albeit short term and involuntary Reading resident, Oscar Wilde.
Glen Dinning’s Blue Collar Street Food is back at the Forbury Gardens from Thursday 19 April to Sunday 22 April with the marvellously titled ‘Cheese Feast’. I caught up with Glen for a carafe of tea at C.U.P to ask him about his modern re-boot of this festival as well as the latest events at the … Continue reading Cheese feast at the Forbury
The first of this year’s public open days at the amazing rooftop garden above the Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) was on Saturday 7 April. There may be people in the RISC café on London Street totally unaware of the 200 square metres of Eden above their heads, and that many of the herbs and … Continue reading A rooftop Eden at RISC
The Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA) will hold an open evening, from 6.30pm until 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 April.
In the autumn of 1973 David Turner was told by a friend that there was a derelict detached house on the Basingstoke Road that had been empty for a few years and was up for sale.
I caught up with “Reading’s best new band” Harroland at their third ever gig, at Readipop in Milford Road in March, and they kindly granted me a very public interview in the car park. It was a freezing cold night, but I was ably assisted with questions by Whitley and Katesgrove aristocracy, music gurus Trevor … Continue reading Melodic anxiety and tuneful paranoia with Harroland
I spent a year unemployed in Reading in 85-86 and it made me feel pretty low. It is incredible how quickly your self-confidence ebbs away when you are in that situation. On Giro day I used to treat myself to a meal out at this friendly café at the Butter Market called Munchees; I would … Continue reading Munchees happy café
by Matthew Farrall and Stephanie Chard. Crisply compèred by Breeze FM‘s Robert Kenny, the Let’s Sing 2018 charity choir concert on Monday 26 March was of such a high standard that the trio of independent judges had a very difficult task indeed. Every choir received rapturous applause on merit from a lively audience.
The Berkshire book of song, rhyme and steeple chime was published in 1935 and is a unique record of country song, children’s games, epitaphs, droll church inscriptions, poems, doggerel, social history and some scurrilous local gossip. These pieces were lovingly collected over twenty years or so by the publisher and author Arthur L Humphreys.
Students from the John Madejski Academy (JMA) performed Harold Pinter‘s dark and troubling one-act play One for the Road on 21 March. The play remains just as relevant in our modern world of nihilistic global tyranny as it was when first performed in 1984.
By Gillie ‘Elvira’ Tunley. This March, the Shinfield Players shone with an effervescent performance of Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward in an effortlessly stylish production by Maggie Smith.
Vel, the smart newly refurbished restaurant, is in sight of our sacred pump at 73-75 Whitley Street. This place was previously known Café Madras after taking over from Chennai Dosa who moved to town.
By Matthew Farrall with Trevor Absolom and Matthew Davies Last Saturday, the After Dark Club on London Street in Katesgrove hosted another live music night in league with the inspirational Musical Bear Records, with free entry if you turned up before 7.30. Three of the four bands were local and, once again, we were amazed … Continue reading After Dark Club showcases Reading’s best new bands
Whitley Pump contributor Matthew Farrall was idly looking at a wall in his mum’s house recently and noticed a framed local newspaper article featuring a ticket dated 17 July 1867 for Whitley toll gate.
When you hear a very loud, varied, flutey birdsong from your roof or TV aerial at sunset or sunrise in these early months of the year, then you will be most likely listening to a male blackbird. The juvenile first-year males sing in January and February and the older ones follow from around March. Quite … Continue reading Redbrick blackbird
By Gillie Tunley and Matthew Farrall. The fabulous Progress Theatre Company take us on a dystopian romp in their latest production of A Clockwork Orange, based on Anthony Burgess‘s cult novel and tautly directed by Matt Tully.
Katesgrove based carry-on country band the Rumpo Kidz and the bard of Elgar Road Nigel Pounds crossed borders into Hampshire last Saturday to perform at the White Hart, a lovely big old boozer at the old end of Basingstoke town. After negotiating the consumer-Narnia of a shopping mall at the heart of the new Basingstoke, … Continue reading Katesgrove talent shines on a rainy night in Basingstoke
