Read All About It
December 2023
- The 2nd December sees a Christmas Tree sale in Caversham Court Gardens in the morning. There are some details on the Econet site (side bar).
- There’s a range of things to enjoy on the 2nd December at St Peter’s Church from 10am. Details on the Parish Churches site.
- The Caversham Artists are holding their Christmas Gala on the 3rd December at St Andrew’s Church Hall. Details on their web site.
- The 7th, 8th and 9th December sees the Caversham Park Theatre’s annual panto. Details are here.
- There’s late night shopping in Caversham on the 8th December, 5-9pm. We’re told there will be a market, santa’s grotto, entertainment, wreath making and more … but we can’t find a web mention of it.
- The Friends of Caversham Court Gardens Carol Evening is on the 18th December. The gardens are open from 18.15 for mulled wine, mince pies and hot chocolate, and the carols start at 19.30 – assisted by the St Peter’s Church choir and the Salvation Army Band. Everyone’s welcome.
November 2023
- On November 30th, 5-7pm, Thames Water’s ‘Your Water, Your Say’ is an online event where customers can question their 2025 to 2030 plans. For example, you might want to know more about the services they provide or the company’s impact on the environment, likely future bills … or anything else you want to raise. Book here.
- Reading’s Transport Strategy – it’s bound to have consequences for us all. There’s a drop-session in Caversham library in connection with it – Thursday 16th, 1-7pm.
- For a festive menu (!) and far more, The Flowing Spring is always a good bet. And it’s independently owned too. Their web site always has the details including a live (music) gig there on the 18th.
- The Reading Family Aid Toys and Teens Appeal is now live and all the details about how you can help are on this site. Do remember that the the 3rd December is the last day for donations.
- The quirky outdoor Artisa Christmas Market returns on the 19th November, 10am-3.30pm, Southview Park. And charities and local artists benefit too. All the details on the web site.
- No, not a Caversham-specific item, but money’s tight for a lot of folks these days. The ‘Breathing Space’ service gives free ‘phone advice if you’re struggling. Details from the RG4 site.
- There’s a support group for people arriving in Caversham (and Reading) from Hongkong. With many effectively forced out of Hongkong, this kind of help is invaluable. Details from RG4 here.
- Looking for an original gift? There’s a local artists and makers fair on the 11th at the Methodist Church Hall on Gosbrook Rd (i.e. quite near to Waitrose in Central Caversham). Details from their site.
October 2023
- There will be a Halloween Trail in Caversham Court Gardens on 28th & 29th October, 11am-4pm. For all ages … And the tea kiosk is open 11-4 as well. Free entry but the trail guides cost £1.
- There’s a new Caversham-based centre in Reading supporting women in the criminal justice system. Details from RDG Today.
- The Reading Golf Course development will have a big impact on everyone locally. There’s a public meeting about it on the 12th Oct. Details (from Keep Emmer Green) are here.
September 2023
- One day you might be part of a jury, or be judged by one. The rights of jurors are under threat – and this item about a protest in Reading about the issue is worth knowing about.
- If you’re considering solar power for your house, this Council run scheme might help – details on the RDG site.
- If classical music’s your thing, the October ‘Concerts in Caversham’ could be very tempting. Details on their website.
- The Flowing Spring has announced its Autumn and Winter events. Always worth checking out.
- Whatever you think about UK democracy, it’s always worth voting in local and national elections. The RDG.Today site has details and links.
- Perhaps not what you’d have expected, but it seems Reading is running out of burial space. Berkshire Live as some details.
August 2023
- The Flowing Spring has another ‘gig in the garden’ on 2nd Sept – a must for Bowie fans.
- Theatre in Unusual Spaces presents River Tours – ‘storytelling theatre – at the Sea Scouts Boathouse on The Warren, 8th and 9th Sept. Details are here.
- Caversham Court Gardens has won two awards this year. Details are on the Henley Standard site.
- Don’t forget the (free) Heritage Open Days this September. It’s always worth booking in advance.
- Reading Council has made public plans for the town’s new library and civic centre. Details on the Berkshire Live site.
July 2023
- The developers, Beechcroft, have now made public revised plans for Caversham Park (the old BBC place) public. Caversham and District Residents’ Association (CADRA) has a summary and links, and their suggestion about starting with the Heritage Statement seems very sensible to us. Personally, we’re pleased it puts quite a lot of emphasis on public access to the garden – here’s hoping they deliver on it. We have commented on this development before – see here for more.
- Reading Council’s site shows a fair amount of road resurfacing work going on in Caversham (and elsewhere) 24th July-17th August.
- There’s a nature printing event in Caversham Court Gardens on the 23rd July (2-4pm) – something for kids, and adults too. Details here. (We should add we are Friends of Caversham Court … and you could be as well.)
- The Flowing Spring has another event on the 22nd July. We’ve always enjoyed going there – for food, music or anything else! Details are here.
- Parts of Henley Road (between Grosvenor and Chiltern Roads) to be closed for resurfacing on 31st July and 8th August, 8am-8pm. The letter to (some) residents talks vaguely of the road being “temporarily closed” and only where is it “safe and possible” will access be maintained for residents and businesses, but this “cannot be guaranteed”. Your guess is as good as …
- On the 15th July it’s the St Barnabas summer garden – starting at 2pm. Games, food, the Blue Sky Big Band and more. Any money raised goes to educational charities in Africa.
- The 8th July sees the Parish Fete at Caversham Court with various stalls, cream teas, a flypast and more. It opens at 1pm.
- Receiving benefits including universal credit? The Guardian reports that you might be able to save on broadband costs.
- Yet more building on the Henley Road approved by Reading Council.
June 2023
- On the 2nd July there’s a chance to get to know more about the meadow at Clayfield Copse, thanks to Econet – where all the details are.
- Mikron Theatre presents ‘A Force to be Reckoned With’ on the 1st July at 1pm, at Caversham Court Gardens. Free entry. Details are here, and the Caversham Court site is here.
- This year’s Readipop Festival runs from 14th-16th July. All the details, tickets and so on are on the site.
- The Reading Chronicle reports Green Councillors criticising Reading Council for blowing millions of pounds of our money on auditors. We can only agree – we first reported on the same issue in April last year.
- Another building development applied for, for the Henley Road – and questioned by the council.
May 2023
- We’d all be wise to think ahead to allow for central Caversham being closed for several days – for replacement sewer works. (Now extended until 26th June.)
- An old tree in Caversham can live on … hurrah! It’s always good to see examples of local action having a positive outcome. Don’t give up …
- We all talk about the weather, and this item from The Conversation caught our eye. It concludes with saying extremes (of weather) are here to stay. Our own experience lately includes seeing heavy rain run-off where we’ve seen none before – and that’s after living here for decades.
- More on hollow elections … This item on Berkshire Live adds a bit more to info about last elections. Given that the margins between winners and losers on some wards was very small, voter ID might well have been a bigger player than you imagine.
- Beer and beards and moustaches. OK, not an ideal combination for everyone, but this festival at Loddon Brewery on the 20th May will be fun for many. Tickets cost from £6.66 upwards.
- This article about making parks safer for women and girls struck as wholly sensible. We can only hope Reading’s council takes note.
- The Caversham Arts Trail is on over the 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st May this year. The Henley Standard has a good write-up about it, and the Caversham Arts Trail site includes a link to useful map of the venues.
- Hollow local elections. Nowhere in Reading did the majority of the eligible electorate vote. In turn, that means the ‘winners’ won with a still far smaller percentage. The details are here. (Our views about politics last year remain true.)
- Don’t forget that it’s ‘No Mow May’. Give your lawn a rest. The Reading Chronicle has an item on it. And here on this site, we’ve long been fans – and you’ll find more links about it all here too.
News, Links And All That
We thought it would be good to include links to some newsy kind of things on the Caversham site. But what are we calling news? This is the approach we’ve decide to adopt:
- Include things that are new to us.
- These things have to be about topics that we think our readers might find useful and/or interesting.
- Briefly explain why we’re including an item/link.
- Avoid being too specialist: only include things that are likely to be of interest to more than one or two people.
And, of course, there are some caveats too:
- If we have any connection with a site we mention/link-to, we say so. This includes connections to sites that are also part of ‘Unstated’, the creators of ‘Caversham’.
- All links are provided in good faith but ‘as is’. We’re not responsible for the content of any sites we link to, nor do we vouch for them.
Hopefully, that all seems sensible to everyone.
