Reading Roars!

In her post Celebrating the Hidden Histories of Reading…in Knitting!, Felix mentioned a new report by nef in which Reading is labelled, somewhat undesirably, a “clone town”.

On a 0-100 scale, from clone town (0) to home town (100), Reading shares second place with Exeter, notching a score of 15.4.  Perhaps surprisingly, Cambridge, a hit with international visitors, tops the list.  Seaside town Whitstable sits at the opposite end of the spectrum.

I’ve not read the full report (yet), but Reading’s low score doesn’t surprise me.  Without naming names, there are indeed many chain stores in the town centre.

However, if the visitor looks harder they will find nuggets of independence.  They will see heart, soul and rugged gutsiness.

It’s of course regrettable that the likes of County Deli (delightful) and Sushi one0eight (fearless) are no longer with us, but we should not feel disheartened about the situation overall.  It’s encouraging to see Picnic continuing to thrive against strong competition.  Workhouse Coffee, also resilient, boldly opened a store - its second - bang opposite Starbucks (take that, clone town!).

Mavericks like Greg Costello of Workhouse and Sushi’s Chris Allen have shown that it’s possible to set up shop in the town centre and shake things up a little.  That’s impressive.  Having met both individuals I can attest that they are normal, down-to-earth chaps without extraordinary backgrounds.  They just decided to have a go.

It’s therefore a game that anyone with a vision and tenacity can play (comment if you think otherwise).

Ultimately, my feeling is thus: if Reading is by and large a “clone town”, it’s because we all allow it to be that way.  Rather than apportion all blame on local policymakers or attack big business, let’s make change happen ourselves -  and restore balance.  Let’s create something new and let’s start today.  That, or we might find ourselves dominating the “clone town” rankings ahead of Cambridge in future reports.

Ricky Gervais

Tom Meltzer this week asked in The Guardian “Who made Britain what it is today?” (inspired by a new children’s book by US President Barack Obama).  Tom proceeded to list 13 Britons who have helped shape Britain.

Looking at his list, I can identity four names with a Reading connection: Jane Austen, who studied at Abbey School; Charles Dickens, who became president of the Reading Athenaeum, according to Wikipedia; Queen Victoria, whose statue stands by Reading Station; and Stephen Fry, who played Oscar Wilde in the film Wilde.

But who born in Reading played a role in changing our country?  For fun, here are 10 suggestions:

• Daniel Blagrave, a signatory of King Charles I’ death warrant. A republic (short-lived) was then declared, the Commonwealth of England.
• Richard Burns, rally driver who became World Rally Champion (in 2001).  Demonstrated courage on and off the circuit.
• Ricky Gervais, comic.  Ricky (with Stephen Merchant) gave the world The Office and changed television comedy.
• Harold Hopkins, physicist who invented the zoom lens and the modern endoscope used in keyhole surgery today.
• Joseph Huntley, whose biscuit tin innovation led to biscuit empire Huntley & Palmers.
• Cormac Murphy O’Conner, former archbishop of Westminster.  He recently welcomed the Pope to Britain.
• Sir John Soane, architect to the Bank of England (he designed the famous entrance facade that City workers walk past everyday).
• Chris Tarrant, a popular TV and radio personality over the years.  Who Wants To Be a Millionaire is an international success story.
• Sir Thomas White, founder of St John’s College, Oxford.  Notable alumni include history makers Tony Blair, Philip Larkin, Rhodri Morgan and Kingsley Amis.
• Kate Winslet, actress.  The “little girl from Reading” (in her words) has risen to the top of her game and continues to inspire many young actors.

Johnny Arrow talked in the last post about the hidden histories of Reading, and the way that distinctive, regional stories and buildings nestle behind the ubiquitous chain-stores that characterise what the nef report has dubbed ‘Britain’s Clone Towns.’

Unfortunately the link to the free PDF file for the report ‘Reimagining the high street‘ doesn’t appear to be working, but one thing that seems fairly straightforward to comprehend, is that patronising local, Independent stores in our town will mean that those businesses tucked between coffee-chains, stationery giants and bargaineous High Street retail outlets will survive, so that we can continue to appreciate them in the under-celebrated, not-so-touristy manner that Johnny Arrow describes.

Which is why I was so excited to see this, whilst standing outside Jackson’s of Reading, waiting for the no. 17 bus.

Jackson's knitted cake, created by the Outcasts

You won’t see this in any other town in Britain!

One of Reading’s best-kept secrets in my opinion is Jackson’s of Reading. From the still operating change-chute at the front desk to the wall-to-wall wood panelling, it retains a charming, understated splendour, and a timeless range of products that remains relevant, for who does not need pins, umbrellas, handkerchiefs and a sensible pair of gloves for Winter? The gentle hubbub of staff chatting to each other can be heard as one drifts from room to room surveying the fine ties in the menswear section of the store, or the treasuretrove that is its needlework department. There is no music blasting from speakers to distract you, and the warm smell of the good wood that lines its walls is a great comfort when one steps in off the street. Civilised, regional, distinctive, it holds the rare distinction of being run by descendants of its original founder, and there is no place quite like it in the whole world. This year, Jacksons is celebrating its 135th Anniversary and one of several local knitting groups - the Outcasts of Reading - have partnered up with them to produce this stunning window display featuring a knitted birthday cake.

I interviewed Suzanne Stallard - one of the talents behind the project:

1. There is a big knitted cake in the window of Jackson’s! It has many candles on it… why is it there?

We were asked to work in partnership as part of Heritage Open Days weekend event. The Outcasts are based at Jelly and are quite adventurous knitters, and we thought it would be great to partner up with Jackson’s which is Reading’s oldest family run department store. When we heard we could work wherever we liked too, we knew it had to be haberdashery. We have an affinity with cake, it is important to us, everyone needs a good birthday cake and Jacksons were very deserving at having reached such a significant birthday. The target was 135 candles, one for each year but we doubled the number created so it can be used for many years to come.

many, many candles

2. There is also a banner in the window display which says OUTCASTS; who are the outcasts and where can I read more about them?

The Outcasts are a bunch of renegade knitters based in Reading. We are a mixture of all ages from 12 to 84 and have met up every Wednesday evening since 2003 for knitting, tea & cake. We are an active group taking part in many local public knitting events. More info on the outcasts can be found here http://theoutcasts.co.uk

3. I also noticed a sign that said ‘come inside and knit a candle’ can I really do that and if so, how does it work? Who do I speak to in the shop?

We were running a series of 4 workshops in the store where you could come and make a cake but they ended on Saturday however you can still knit your own birthday candle by visiting the outcasts website or http://alabamawhirly.com - who is the pattern designer - and download a free pattern. There are some printed patterns available in Jacksons if you want to pop in and ask the ladies in the wool department.

4. How can people get involved in future knitting events like this?

You can join the outcasts mailing list by signing up here http://theoutcasts.co.uk/do-you-want-to-speak-to-us/ or sending us an email to info@theoutcasts.co.uk

5. How long will the amazing cake be there?

It will be there for one week, as you know it is wrong to over indulge in cake-goodness but it will be stored and may make surprise appearances again

6. What does Jackson’s of Reading mean to you?

Jacksons is a store of surprises, it has the most obscure items alongside style icons - yes, believe it they have a comprehensive range to suit everyone. It is a part of my Reading history, where my school uniform came from, where I thought only older people went but now it means a store of secret stairways, interesting items, shoppers bargains and surprising art events. We should all be using it to make sure we keep it for the future and don’t forget they have the only working pneumatic payment system left in the UK, that’s a good reason to spend your shiny gold there.

shiny crocheted gold and Jackson's shopping bag

Matt wrote at the end of last month asking how Reading should rebrand itself and appeal to the wider world in a more exciting way, and attempt to ditch the ‘clone town’ image with which it is sometimes tagged. 

I think even the most devoted defender of our town can admit that this description is at least partially deserved, you just have to look at the shop fronts of Broad and Queen Victoria Streets to see them as either identikit national brands, or miserable, uncared-for bargain basement eyesores. But look up – the unmistakeable red and gold brick first and second floors, with their pointy turrets and carved fascias point towards a more important and interesting history than at first there would appear. 

The Abbey was one of the most important monasteries in Middle Age Britain before it’s power was seized by good old Henry VIII, and now it sits in quiet humility hidden between the beautiful Forbury Gardens and the Prison – yet another historically important landmark, having housed Oscar Wilde who wrote his Ballad of Reading Gaol after being contained there.

There are also plenty of stories of war, such as the important battle between the Saxons and the Vikings which was fought where the rivers Kennet and Thames meet, over near where the gasworks now stand to the East of the town. And the battle of Broad Street which was the only military encounter during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. 

I’m not going to go on – I’m not a local history expert and I’m not attempting to educate anyone here. 

Besides, you probably know all this if you’re a Reading resident and if you’ve taken an interest in your town, but one thing I’ve noticed since living here is that none of this history is cashed in on, or shouted about. People don’t generally come to Reading to see these things because they’re not told about them. And personally, I like it that way.

Look at towns like Oxford, whose streets are swarming with tourists and tour guides, whose local shops have been replaced with gift shops and novelties. Who trade on their past and their traditions. Whose whole image is defined by its – admittedly impressive – forefathers.

I much prefer the fact that I can wander through Forbury Gardens and under the Gatehouse. Down to the Holy Brook – created by monks by diverting the Kennet towards their Abbey’s walls so that it would power their mill – and quietly contemplate the fate of Oscar Wilde, housed behind the red brick wall of the Gaol. All this without being jostled and bothered by map reading tourists and bored kids trailing their anorak’d parents.

Reading’s history keeps a dignified silence, there for those who care enough to find it. That’s the fate it deserves.

In my last post I asked what a refreshed Reading identity might look like.  How about an upgrade to the “City of Reading”?

For this is what a new online campaign hopes to see accomplished.  “City of Reading” seeks support for Reading’s city status bid by disseminating positive news about the town. Behind the initiative is a company (no individual is named), City of Reading Ltd, incorporated May this year, with the help of web marketing outfit 2maad.

At the heart of City of Reading is a website inviting members of the public to submit upbeat stories.  Although many pages lay bare, there is a wealth of information about the town and bid, a photo gallery and a forum (albeit fledgling).

Flanking the site are a Twitter channel (@cityofreading), Facebook page and even a MySpace presence.

And it’s Twitter where the thrust of the campaign is most vigorously and impressively felt, with personality-laden updates posted on a frequent basis.  More than 680 tweeps and 34 Twitter lists now follow @cityofreading (to compare, the Facebook page is liked by 36), though follower growth appears to be slowing markedly.

Whether you consider the town’s third city status attempt worthwhile or not (and I’m with John, who asked previously on this blog: Can Reading do better than city status?), there is no denying the ambition and eagerness of this grassroots effort to turn heads.

Having perhaps clicked on the links above, what are your thoughts on City of Reading?  What changes would you make?

Moving on to local activism more generally, is there a campaign that you are involved with that you can tell us about?  Alternatively, are you looking to rally support for a cause, but unsure how to proceed?

The September edition of Monocle magazine explores Britain’s image and asks experts what they would do to improve it, from business to the arts.

I thought that it would be interesting to think about what Reading suggests to the world and what a makeover might look like.

Ask an international audience what Reading means to them and they might say “the Reading Festival” or Reading FC (I know that the football club is recognised in Premier League-loving Southeast Asia largely because of their successful run in the top flight).

The University of Reading might also get a mention, thanks to its overseas students and academic connections.

However, Reading FC are no longer competing at the highest level domestically and the Reading Festival takes place just once a year.

So football, festivals and indeed faculties aside, what else can we add to the mix?  How would you strengthen or reinvigorate the Reading “brand”?

Day 3 of the Reading Festival beckons and Guns N’ Roses are still dominating headlines after that show.  But what else has been happening at the Richfield Avenue site?

If, like me, you have been unable to go to this world-famous event this year, you might be interested in getting updates from the following online sources:

Twitter

• @allfestivals - UK music festival news
• @BBCreadingfest - BBC Reading Festival
• @BBCR1 - BBC Radio 1
• @Gigwise - News from… Gigwise
• #htfreading - Updates from Hit The Floor magazine
• @johnmcg - Co-blogger John McGarvey
• #readingfestival - The Reading Festival hashtag
• @TVP_Reading Fest - Latest Thames Valley Police news about the Reading Festival
• @vf - Virtual Festivals

Press

• NME.com news
• Reading Post special feature
• Reading Chronicle homepage
• Reading and Leeds festival on Twitter (via The Guardian)

Facebook

• Reading Festival status updates (via Openbook)
• Official Reading Festival Facebook group

YouTube

• Reading Festival 2010 videos

Who/what else should I add this to the list?

I have been amazed by the number of significant Reading organisations joining Twitter in recent months (institutions that have included Reading Buses, @reading_buses, and Thames Valley Police, @ThamesVP), the broadening adoption of the #rdg hashtag (looking much like an airport code and fast becoming a new brand identity for the town), and the continued successes that are Reading Geek Night and Thames Valley Social Media Club.  All impressive.

All this has left me wondering: where does local politics fit into this expanding phenomenon? How active are Reading councillors - they who work for us - in social media? 

Using the simplest of tools only (Google, Twitter’s people search and Facebook Search), I set out to uncover who’s using what to get closer to their constituents.

As I didn’t spend considerable amounts of time trawling the web for pages, posts and profiles, the results - listed in full below - are not likely to be fully accurate. But then anything missed is not easily findable, and of limited public interest.

So here is what I discovered: of the 46 borough councillors in Reading, 11 maintain blogs (24%), 14 are on Twitter (30%) and four have public Facebook pages (9%). Four councillors span all three - blog, Twitter and Facebook.

What do you think? Surprised or not surprised?

Of course, this research only scratches the surface and could lead to further digging (if the interest is there). How frequently do our local political Twitterati post updates? How many Twitter followers do they have? Do they reply to questions posted by local residents? Do blogging councillors prefer Wordpress or Blogger? Are any on LinkedIn? or Foursquare? Not all questions are pertinent, but interesting nonetheless. 

With Reading’s first local social media election probably not far off, perhaps it would be worthwhile to revist this every so often.   At the moment we have four social media rock stars (Daisy, Rachel, Gareth and Rob).  Expect this club to grow.  Things could get interesting over the next eight months.

And now the results in full (shout if I’ve missed somebody):

Blog

• Daisy Benson
• Ricky Duveen
• Rachel Eden
• John Ennis
• Gareth Epps
• Glenn Goodall
• Dave Luckett
• Warren Swaine
• Emma Warman
• Rob White
• Richard Wills

Twitter

• Isobel Ballsdon
• Kirsten Bayes
• Peter Beard
• Daisy Benson
• Rachel Eden
• Gareth Epps
• Paul Gittings
• Glenn Goodall
• Sarah Hacker
• Dave Luckett
• Mark Ralph
• Warren Swaine
• Rob White
• Richard Willis

Facebook

• Daisy Benson
• Rachel Eden
• Gareth Epps
• Rob White

Last week on this blog I asked readers to help identify topics I could write about from a distance.

Posting a reply on Twitter (thinking about it, tweet replies should probably now be interspersed among blog comments on Reading Roars!), the delightfully-named @alabamawhirly suggested Reading’s city status bid, the Outside Inside festival (@OIFestival) and Jackson’s 135 year old birthday.

Good suggestions.  Any other ideas?

I’m cringing.  Red-faced at the sight of the very first entry posted on this blog, dated Sunday 18 July 2005 (you will have to find it yourselves).  Yes indeed, this blog is now five years old.  Remarkable.

But will it last another five?  I hope so.  I hope to blog again as before (I’m convinced that blogging adds years to your life).  The challenge is how, and what exactly to write about.  The reason?  My location: I have been away from Reading and indeed the UK for almost one year.

Thoughts, suggestions and of course birthday wishes are welcome.  And if there are any Malaysian or Singaporean readers who wish to find out more about Reading, please get in touch!