June

MORE closures were blamed on Regeneration as the Grape Escape and Wetherspoon’s Gig House both shut suddenly.

The town centre street concert proved popular, as did Twyford’s beer festival, Woodley’s Carnival and the Hurst Show and Country Fayre.

The return of ArtFest was in doubt, but contractors managed to lay just enough new paviors to allow it to go ahead amid the Market Place chaos.

However it was apparent that the warm weather was having a less pleasant effect as shocking news of two assaults and countless examples of anti-social behaviour were reported.

The Borough council was in denial over failing to help local businesses with rate relief and the axing of school lollipop crossings showed that WBC was spending £400,000 in order to save £85,000.

There was a ray of political sunshine as WBC’s mayor opened Fosters Independent Living – a new council-built housing scheme for older people.

In a welcome show of civic fortitude, June’s planning meeting saw Reading’s so-called mass rapid transit scheme being kicked into the long grass (no trees remember).