what is reading like ?

[stef]

There is a job i could possibly do in Reading, which would mean relocating from Leeds. it is a tricky time for me, with the baby coming out in december, so i need as much info as possible to take an educated decision
doesnt anyone know the town ? is it 'rat race' life style ?
what are house prices like ? area to look into ?
it's fairly specialised, so jobs that i can do dont come up that often, so i cant just dismiss it because of where it is.
the job is near the Madjeski stadium, on the A33. so i'd need to leave somewhere within a 30mins bike/car commute..
i know nothing of the area.
can anyone help ?

[SAMMYE]

I prefer the telly! ho ho ho

Im not too sure!? Ive been there once and it seemed ok (bought my Monster there)

Greater London type place really

[Richard_S]

stef to be honest its not a great place in any respect.
I spend a lot of time there on business and living just 25 miles away our swords have crossed on many occasions. If you want a genuine opinion PM me, it has been a while afterall!

[stef]

I prefer the telly! ho ho ho



somebody had to do it..i'll line them up, you score..

[Shandy]

I work just outside Reading in a village area with nice pubs a few shops etc its not too bad at all, don't go into reading at all I just slip round it on my commute to and from Swindon. I think Readings a bit of a hole hence why I still commute 50 miles each way from Swindon after working here for 4 years!

I know the bit you mention on the A33 is not a good place to drive/ride on at rush times it just gets chocka as its right on the M4.

Houses can be expensive as its only 30 mins from London by train, right in commuter belt territory.

Sorry I don't know more but I do try to avoid going into Reading.

Shandy

[stef]

that's good info..

[CK & AK]

PM Crust - its his stomping ground in the centre of Reading banglatown section :rolleyes:

He'll let you know the places to avoid, at least :D

[gary tompkins]

Driving into collect the new monster from Pegasus MC's 3 years ago was the most I've seen of the place, and that was quite enough for me to be honest :rolleyes:

[A Yerbury]

It's a bit of a new town, actually it's pretty vile...

[nik_the_brief]

They used to have a good music festival by the river so it was good for the weekend but apparently even that's gone downhill now.

[crust]

Yup, I live in the wondorous boro

Well it got a reasonable write up here: :)

http://www.craptowns.com/html/frontsection/craptowns/30_5/england.htm

"Benefiting from millions of pounds of renovation and a massive economic boom, Reading looks more like Bilbao. But insurance salesmen, estate agents, foreign exchange students and mobile telephone engineers populate it. Scum in other words. It is a shrine to par venue pretensions. It may be shinny and new, but the whiff of boredom, wretchedness and despair reaches the nostrils and reminds one of the acrid rotten foundations."


"IT SMELLS OF WEE

The whole place smells of stale urine. In fact, rogue widdling
is eating away at shop doorways and has become such a problem that the council has installed several pop-up urinals at £20,000 a go to try and encourage the Reading male to wee in appropriate places."

Captures the flavour of the place nicely :)

For a town center its OK, all the right shops, banks etc.Its busy area with a lot of companies in the high tech sector and a fair few electronics companies in the area.

However, its easy to get to from elsewhere. The A33/Madejski bit is right by the M4, easy for the A34, M3 etc so 30 mins commute could be 30 miles or so, that could be Basingstoke, Swindon, Bracknell or a lot of villages in between.

If you want more info or details of particular bits, drop me a pm.

:) Crust

[pete]

Ok, Ok, as a resident of Caversham, which blends into the urban sprawl of Reading I guess I should chip in my bit:

House prices. Expensive in the not so nice areas, very expensive in the nice areas, eye watering in some of the nice outlying villages, especially the South Oxfordshire ones.

In my opinion the Caversham side of Reading is the nicest area, and you are not far from the South Oxfordshire border :D

The traffic is hideous, but probably no worst than any other big town.

There are speed cameras aplenty (as in most of Berkshire).

There is a Ducati dealer (Pegasus).

You are not that far from DWR in Aylesbury (thankfully) ;)

If you have any areas in mind PM me and I'll give you my considered opinion assuming I know that area well....

[stef]

thank you for all this..
it sounds loveley then.
i guess i'll stay away from that career prospect. i was supposed to take a role as the guy in charge of a few electronic engineers. not a reputable job, apparently around the hood..
i'll take a job as a sheep farmer in the highlands instead.

[A Yerbury]

I thought that you were getting busy pimping up your crib Stef? how goes the abbatoir/wet room/helicopter landing pad?

[SAMMYE]

Its is unanimous then Reading is a sh*thole go there only if you need a slash

[Shandy]

[QUOTE=pete]In my opinion the Caversham side of Reading is the nicest area, and you are not far from the South Oxfordshire border :DQUOTE]

Totally agree i work Sonning Common just up the road a bit, apart from a bit of a chav problem in the area its not bad.

Good summing up SAMMYE, i think your sentance covers it all!

[stef]

I thought that you were getting busy pimping up your crib Stef? how goes the abbatoir/wet room/helicopter landing pad?

you know me, i am a bit woohoo a bit weyhey..a bit of a geezer.. never twice in the same place.
ok, i have been pimping up the crib, which looks pretty good know. i could almost sell and make some cash. but i am itching to move on career wise, preferably back to France, find a bit of land and finish building the familly.
but then, i got headhunted and proposed that job.. which threw a spanner in the works..but i guess i'll stay put this time, and wait until the REAL dream job in a dream place comes up. or go and look for it if it doesnt.

got to go back to finish the batcave.

[A Yerbury]

fascinating, what are you building your family out of?

[stef]

fascinating, what are you building your family out of?

MDF, empty toilet rolls, old carpets and pasta shells are your best bet, unless you plan to keep them in a damp environement.

more like hardwork, sweat, and a lot, lot of patience.
It is an evolutionary mistery to me, how prehistorical pregnant women lasted the whole 9 months in the caves without being clubbed to death.
Another point to the creationists.
Only 4 months to go before all hell is let loose. We have a scan on monday to find out if 'it' will stand or sit down whilst peeing. interesting times, and even more interesting times to come.

[A Yerbury]

try blasting the foetus with radiation or have your good lady bitten by a genetically modified insect/weapon? this gives the nippers a head start in life I believe?

Dr Alex.

[stef]

been done before, i am afraid, i read about it in some fact based comics.
and also in women's own.
i decided to take the novel approach of injecting her with a highly evolve chromosmes set instead. I had them in the familly for generations, and after weighting the pro and cons, using a gravity scale, i decided to let her have them. looking at the chavman herd inhabiting my neck of the wood, the human that will come out will be at least a hundred thousand years down the evolutionary line. If not, i'll have words with the postman.

happy bastille day.

[A Yerbury]

what a groovy idea! We have a few bottles of those similar chromosomes in the loft I think? if they are past "use by date" perhaps I could use some of yours?

have a wonderful Bastille day my friend.
Alexandre.

[CraigMac]

Stef,
How did you manage to escape from those headhunters, was it all a bit umbongo and did they manage to get you in the pot??

Im fascinated.....

Regards

[BoozyBOB]

living neer Reading...and travel in to Speedway (next to Madejski) on a Monday..(20 mins).. i was going to comment... :confused:
but i know bu**er all about what you are going on about now... :o
but there are some nice villages outside Reading that will be getting a Monster visit next weekend.. :burnout:

[CraigMac]

Are these "nice villages" where the Headhunters live???
Sounds like a bit of a trap, I would be cautious if you see anyone weighing up your swede....

Just trying to be helpful.

Regards

[BoozyBOB]

i will sure keep one eye on the hedge row just to make sure there are no headhunters there....one on the road..and one on the speed...wouldnt want to frighten them....
i will just keep the other eyes closed...
thanks for the warning Craig.. ;)

[A Yerbury]

But will madejski win big brother? I hope so.