The second of my two Heritage Open Days this year and this one was closer to home.
Reading Minster
My first stop was the Reading Minster on St Mary’s Butts an interesting chequered building that I had never been into before. I was drawn in by the promise of “historic parish records alongside Norman foundations, Gothic architecture and Victorian restorations.” Unfortunately the details and dates on the Heritage Open Days website were wrong and there were looks of confusion when I asked about said documents.
Vicars and vergers were consulted, and they informed me that the documents had only been available on the two preceding Saturdays, but they could get them for me. I said that it was fine, and I was met with polite insistence, so I sat down, and a box was brought to me along with a table. Meanwhile, in front of me, the choir practised, ready for the service, which was due to take place in half an hour. A service on a Sunday? Aha, that is why the documents were only available on the Saturday.
The document had been provided by the Royal Berkshire Archives and included the parish register for 1783 and copies of the parish magazine from the 1920s. The register was full of well known street names and some that have now disappeared. One street that stood out was “Oracle” which today is a smart shopping centre but then would have been the workhouse. The parish magazine was an interesting snapshot of life from the 1920s, but something that hasn’t changed is the need for money – on each page was a message asking that readers take note of the advertisers!
Brock Keep
The second visit was to Brock Keep which I had last seen when I walked the number 17 bus route. Today I caught the bus itself.
I decided that I needed to visit this time as its future remains uncertain. It could well be sold by the council for development and this would be my last opportunity.
Currently, Brock Keep is home to 12 artists in residence, and today there was an exhibition of some of their work. As ever, this was a mixed bag, depending on what your interests are. Another woman visiting, raising the important question, “Is this to be looked at?” Clearly, not sure whether it was a work of art or just something that someone had put down!
It will be sad if the Keep closes and it would be nice if the army, which still owns the barracks next door could contribute to keeping the Keep open. Alternatively, maybe Banksy would like to contribute – it would be cheaper than his proposed investment in the Reading Gaol.
