Reading List

Local Government: Now & Then

2012-05-09T10:30:00.000+01:00

Following on from yesterday's 'Then & Now' post, here is RBC's own video from last Thursday's election and the count held at the Rivermead Centre. Oranjepan says: Beyond the significant changes to the role and responsibility of local councils, a comparison of then and now shows a stark change in media perspective - the purpose of the 1940s dramatised narrative is to engage the public by

Local Government: Then & Now

2012-05-08T00:30:00.000+01:00

Things have changed a lot in local government in the 70 years since the 1940's when the British Council made this wonderfully evocative information film. Oranjepan asks: can you spot the differences? Are they for the better or the worse?

Racism in Reading?

2012-04-09T19:00:00.000+01:00

Reading Borough Council's local election campaign exploded into controversy this week as accusations and counter-accusations exposed the political divisions between the parties. Following the deselection of sitting Conservative councillor, Jamie Chaudhary, over an internal 'vendetta', the Peppard ward representative announced his party resignation during the full public session of the Council

The Anti-Bully Ball!

2012-02-29T11:20:00.001Z

Local charity Red Balloon has teamed up with new celebrity patron Danyl Johnson to help promote a 'Black & White' charity fund-raising ball. The event will take place from 7-11.30pm on Saturday 17th March at Shehnai Banqueting Suites, 75-77 London Street, Reading, and is hosted by Yell UK Chief Executive Richard Hanscott with Red Balloon founder Dr Carrie Herbert MBE. Tickets cost £45 and

The shock of the cold

2012-02-05T17:00:00.012Z

Winter weather traditionally inspires giddy childlike enthusiasm, as can be seen on Bracknell's slopes (video) - and this has been replicated on the blogopshere too. Ceramix notes the generally mild winter to date, but gets excited by his rapidly falling thermometer which bottomed out at -8 degrees Celcius and takes a few snaps of the snow. Up on the downs Adrian Hollister turns killjoy with a

What's that you say?

2012-02-03T12:10:00.000Z

Cyclists and journalists may seem like occassionally odd bedfellows, but local bloggers appear to think they talk the same language. Groovy Yank pokes some fun at the self-importance of guardians of public information. And Andrew Sykes puts a spoke in the wheels of peddalers of stereotypes. Elsewhere Caroline Everleigh suggests it is the haste of people working under pressure which leads to

Checkout #14, please

2012-02-01T13:00:00.006Z

#rdgnews - Tesco's remarkable recent growth in the local area has lead to suspicion of backroom favours and secret deals are propping up political interests at the expense of local businesses. The decision to award a £27m contract for a new 84,000-sq m. distribution centre to Vinci Construction UK on the site of the former Courage brewery in Whitley was greeted by a delighted Chris Pape, who

Thoughts of flying

2012-01-27T11:30:00.002Z

It must be that time of year again - when the New Year's resolutions have been put on the backburner and people start dreaming of getting away from routine. Graeme Thiessen recently emigrated from Reading to Adelaide in Australia - he describes the first part of his family's travels (and some travails too) with a selection of fantastic photos to stir the wanderlust. Putting everyone in the mood

The Mole who was a Plant

2012-01-26T10:00:00.001Z

#rdgnews - Reading's Labour party bosses have admitted they were 'forced' to reveal their plans to eliminate senior management posts in a £1m savings drive earlier than required. Cllr Jo Lovelock described her 'embarrassment' at discovering the 'leak'. The anonymous author of the since-deleted Civic Minded in Reading blog had reported 'overhearing' a private supermarket conversation in which a

Madejski embraces Russki 'dream'

2012-01-25T08:50:00.033Z

The announcement that Reading FC owner Sir John Madejski has agreed to sell a controlling stake in the club has been met with mixed feelings. Reading Post polls 2:1 of readers in favour. The deal, which is 'subject to due diligence and league approval', will see Thames Sports Investment Ltd recieve 51% of shares in exchange for an estimated £40m upon completion at the end of March. At the

13th-time Unlucky!

2012-01-14T11:07:00.003Z

Friday 13th appears and TV repeats of the horror series are resurrected. In a similar vein local bloggers are on the scene... Elizabeth Thomas worries that she has enough accidents as it is, and promises not to get out of bed for the whole day. Reading some of the bedroom door notices gives a sense of the approaching fear and trepidation. Elsewhere jabblog scares all-comers with the depth of

Reading Tories choose new faces... and some old ones too!

2012-01-12T10:00:00.001Z

#RdgNews - Reading Conservative Group have elected a new frontbench leadership team. New Leader, Cllr Harris Church Ward's Cllr Tim Harris was elected unopposed as the new leader, replacing Cllr Andrew Cumpsty. In a deliberate show of unity he was proposed by Cllr Richard Willis and supported by Cllr Jeanette Skeats, new Group Whip and Deputy Leader respectively. Cllr David Stevens was

Does Berkshire have #opendata?

2011-12-20T11:00:00.001Z

According to the Openly Local UK Councils Open Data Scorecard, only 3 of Berkshire's six councils have open data - compared to 85 out of 428 across the rest of the country. So far Bracknell Forest, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and West Berkshire have responded to public demands for greater transparency, while Reading, Slough and Wokingham have not. As part of the government

Fostering International Understanding with Reading International Festival

2011-10-27T13:30:00.002+01:00

Cross-cultural dialogue has been to the fore during this year's Reading International Festival - and there's been remarkable evidence that to be successful learning must be a two-way exercise! Organiser Dave Richards explained the festival is designed to present "an amazing programme of events that will help you explore the world outside your comfort zone." Iranian news agency Ahlul Bayt (ABNA)

A View To Local TV

2011-10-07T10:00:00.005+01:00

#rdgnews - While parts of Berkshire completed the switch-over from analogue to fully-digital television on 28th September the government is moving forward with plans to liberalise broadcast media coverage across the country with a strategy for decentralising production and opening up ownership to new companies - and Reading has been identified by the DCMS as one of the 65 potential locations to

Round-up: Reading Festival 2011

2011-08-30T11:00:00.003+01:00

Swamp-like conditions and motorway misery weren't going to stop the fun for thousands of visitors to Reading for the annual Bank Holiday festival washout - not that the hordes are known for their fondness for soap. The event According to one reviewer Reading is recognised as the festival which creates the most buzz due to its prestigious position at the climax of the outdoor season. The

New application to develop Bath Road Reservoir

2011-08-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

#rdgnews - Thames Water have returned with a new application to redevelop the former Bath Rd reservoir site. Changes include another reduction of the number of residential properties from 96 to max. 80 homes and a restriction on the overall height of development. Additionally the Grade-II listed pump house visible to the public will no longer be converted to offices, but luxury flats instead.

Disorder spreading to Reading?

2011-08-12T13:00:00.009+01:00

#riots - As coverage of rioting gripped the nation this week, locals have been keen to get in on the act. Mike McNamara reports Thames Valley Police recorded several small incidents in Reading and Oxford, and offered precautionary advice to carry on with business as normal so as "not to cause widespread public concern". Bracknell's Cllr Alvin Finch says an additional Police street presence

Round-up: Reactions to Swaine's return

2011-08-05T20:30:00.006+01:00

#rdgpol - Controversial Katesgrove Councillor Warren Swaine has had his party membership reinstated after a drawn-out suspension lasting six months. At a 2 1/2 hour hearing in front of LibDem officials in Basingstoke last Tursday he was asked to provide a detailed explanation for a light-hearted remark published on Twitter on 27th January during a #bbcqt session. In an interview with Linda

Big Talk, Big Questions

2011-08-02T22:00:00.069+01:00

#rdgpol - As part of coordinated efforts to encourage greater engagement with residents Reading Borough Council recently announced a new initiative to create a direct feedback channel to Council officials and councillors under the strident headline: "Difficult times, big questions…We need to talk!" Respondants will be encouraged to discuss the "difficult decisions facing the council in the

Berkshire Employment Outlook

2011-07-19T19:10:00.001+01:00

Official mid-year job figures have been published showing the strength of the local economy, as average unemployment rates continue to be among the lowest nationwide. Slough and Reading lag behind on unemployment, reflecting the continuing existence of relative deprivation in these more heavily-urbanised areas. However joblessness fell across the six local authorities, each showing monthly

'Limited Life' of Social Care Services

2011-07-13T08:35:00.008+01:00

West Berkshire Council has promised to intervene despite not being legally responsible for the care of residents in three homes put at risk by the collapse of the country's largest private care home operator Southern Cross. However, after receiving many similar public assurances and only weeks after being given a four-month period of grace to find a solution managers have forced the

Maidenhead Banker now a 'Witch Doctor'

2011-07-12T11:59:00.021+01:00

After a ceremony in which he endured significant hardships a 32-year-old from Maidenhead, Thomas Heathfield, has graduated as a Sangoma, reports Thabisile Khoza. The process to become a traditional tribal healer culminated at Mangweni village near Komatipoort, in South Africa's Mpumalanga province, where he was given the new name, Gogo Mndawe. He kept himself isolated from all family and friends