Reading Roars!

My attention was drawn to another charity event recently: Reading’s Alive/Mongolia Benefit Gig, held at the 3Bs after the Reading Half Marathon (more travelling back in time here). I didn’t take part in the morning run. I stood pathetically at the bottom of Kendrick Rd, watching, as wave after wave of participants ran past. It was a marvellous sight.

The 3Bs was packed when I got there in the early evening, much to my surprise (I say this, because it was Sunday).

There was a strong mix of people, including families and teenagers (but no runners), many churchgoing. They were chatting away quite happily and enjoying the five-pound curry. A group of performers - Jeremy Rishworth, Stuart Dooley and the Foolish Galatians (a biblical reference, rather than something out of Star Trek) - was setting up.

Pint in hand (an ale of some sort, can’t remember which), I struggled to find somewhere to sit. I eventually found a seat, sharing a table with three charming students from Peru, Venezuela and Chile. I didn’t catch their names. The location also offered a reasonable view of the band, so I was very fortunate.

Leaving the table for a moment, I approached a couple of the band members, who then introduced me to Susanne Koch, who has left a comment on this blog before and who’d reached out to me about the event.

Susanne explained the purpose of the event, that is, to bring live entertainment to the Sunday afternoon slot in Reading (a typically quiet time) and raise money for the Khuslen Education Centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

I agreed that such an event, held on a regular basis, would be a great addition to the town’s culture. The location, right in the heart of Reading, is ideal, and it offers another alternative to going out during busier times on Friday and Saturday.

With the band playing, I relaxed more and made repeat visits to the bar. Unfortunately, immediately after one bar visit (as I turned away), I struck my temple against one of the supporting columns.

Thwack!

It hurt, and I immediately thought of poor Natasha Richardson. I was focused enough, I should add (I mean, I wasn’t wobbling about). The 3Bs is a great little place, but it’s somewhat annoying having poles (I don’t mean our Eastern European neighbours) inside the bar area.

Head throbbing, I was introduced to performer Matthias Scheja. He and I had a chat about Brazilian music, among other things, and then it was time for me to go. All in all, a great evening (though my head hurt the next day!).

I was recently contacted by a lovely group of students about a charity sky dive that they were taking part in a little more than a month ago, on Sunday 5 April, in Bicester.  The sky dive was held in aid of a new one-day festival, Rise and Shine Festival, planned for Reading’s Kings Meadow in September this year.

To find out more about both events, I sat down with Kayleigh Fung and two of her Rise and Shine Festival partners at the Slug & Lettuce.

Listening to the students speak, I was struck by how young (early twenties), professional, committed and caring these talented organisers were.  On occasion you read about university students going on drunken rampages in our town centre.   This group was a reminder that there are young people who do very good things and make a positive difference in the community.

The WOMAD-style Rise and Shine Festival, I was informed, aims to bring together fresh local talent (such as bands and artists) in a bid to increase awareness of depression and suicide amongst young people. 

As the group explains on their website:

We aim to reduce the ‘self pity’ stigma and promote effective therapies, with an open mind to alternative therapies. The forum will be available as a social network for people to gain access to reviewed information and to discuss issues amongst themselves, or with current students in contemporary psychology. Research shows that ‘happiness is contagious and spreads through social groups like a virus’. In a time of combined economic and environmental challenge, the country is facing a period of depression, as young people, it is our goal that the community work together to prevent suffering and maintain good spirit!

The organisation was set up after Jaime Smith, Andrew McGurk and Eva Dobrayzyk very sadly took their own lives after suffering from severe depression. Both the University of Reading’s Psychology Society and Psychology department are deeply involved with the running of the running of September’s festival.

The jump the following day, I’m told, went well.  A video of the event, professionally produced, reveals a somewhat nervous-looking Kayleigh sitting in the aircraft with face daubed in paint.  In addition to the video, about 50 photos were taken.

The Rise and Shine Festival initiative is an admirable one, and great for the town.  I will be adding a Rise and Shine badge to this blog to show support (I personally don’t expect to be jumping out of planes any time soon) and intend to promote the charity as much as I can to others.

I’m going to be working backwards for the time being, leaving things I should have covered weeks ago last (one advantage is that these posts will then appear at the top).

I will begin by saying farewell, Steve Coppell, Reading FC’s managerial magician.  I’m not convinced that now is the time to step down, however.  All clubs (and fans) suffer the occasional disappointment.  At least one more season, I would have thought, as the Royals were so close.  Why not? There can’t be that many better managers about.

Exhibiting more wide-eyed determination than a west London footballer on a bad day, I return to this blog after an absence of several weeks.

I apologise to those who were promised posts with none arriving (a bit like Royal Mail, but without the staggering profit).  I’m not apologising for the doughnut entry below (the doughnuts were genuinely tasty).

Rather than update my blog on a regular basis, I have been reading other people’s efforts.  There are whoppingly good blogs in Reading and beyond.

I’ve also made more of an effort to establish and strengthen offline relationships with people in the town (such as Chris “Fish” Allen, seen in the picture on the right). Blogging is great, but a drunken night out with the right people can be even better.

We are, I feel, on the cusp of a new era in business and politics.  We will see a different sort of Britain begin to emerge (it will take time to manifest itself).  This is inevitable.  “Nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain.” 

This blog, now starting to feel very creaky indeed, will also change.