Reading has a rich history going back well over a thousand years. It has seen kings and queens making extended stays in the town (one king of England is buried there), meetings of parliament and pitched battles fought for the control of the nation in its streets. In its time it has been a nationally important centre of religious pilgrimage, a key part of every new mode of transport – from canals and stagecoaches to the railways and motorways - a manufacturing town whose products were famous worldwide, to a leading centre for the high-tech industries of tomorrow. Well-known local author Stuart Hylton takes the reader on an alphabetical tour of this Berkshire town, looking in particular for the amusing, the offbeat and the unexpected stories hidden within. Fully illustrated with pictures from the past and present, A-Z of Reading is sure to appeal to anyone who lives or works in the town.
| Introduction |
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4 | (1) |
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5 | (3) |
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Blagrave Street and John Blagrave |
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8 | (3) |
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Caversham Bridge and a Missing Chapel |
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11 | (4) |
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Reading in the Domesday Book |
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15 | (2) |
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17 | (3) |
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20 | (3) |
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23 | (3) |
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26 | (2) |
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Isaacs, Rufus, 1st Marquis of Reading |
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28 | (3) |
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Justice -- Crime and Punishment in Reading |
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31 | (2) |
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33 | (3) |
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Law and Order -- the Early Reading Police Force |
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36 | (5) |
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Ian Mikardo MP (1908--93) |
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41 | (2) |
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43 | (4) |
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The Oracle -- a Tale of Mismanagement |
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47 | (5) |
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Reading and the Postal Service |
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52 | (4) |
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Queens Road (and Kings Road) |
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56 | (5) |
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Royal Berkshire Regiment, Brock Barracks and Sherlock Holmes |
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61 | (5) |
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66 | (3) |
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Tilehurst -- What's in a Name? |
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69 | (4) |
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73 | (4) |
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Vachell -- the Family and the Road |
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77 | (3) |
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80 | (2) |
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X Marks the Spot -- but Where's King Henry? |
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82 | (4) |
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Yield Hall and the Travelling Seat of Local Government |
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86 | (5) |
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Zinzan -- the Family and the Street |
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91 | (3) |
| About the Author |
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94 | |
Stuart Hylton grew up in Windsor, studied at Manchester University and has written over twenty books on historical subjects, local and national, including From Rationing to Rock, Their Darkest Hour, an alternative view of the Home Front during the Second World War, A History of Manchester, The Grand Experiment and The Horseless Carriage. He is a member of the Education Team at the Great Western Societys Didcot Railway Centre.
