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I remember the Bull pub I used to go to on my Honda 250, the disco in upstairs room and walking down from the to the Star pub......Really enjoyed the time lapse photos..

Brought back memories of being at school in Caversham at EP Collier 1966 to 1972, bunking off school to the XL Bowl and my first job at Wolfe & Hollander furniture. We lived in Kidmore Road. no 292. I bought my first motorcycle from 234 Motors and used to go down to the Viking Cafe by Caversham Bridge. Memories indeed of 45 years ago....wonder where everyone is now?

Many thanks for making and sharing this! It's great! I was born in Wokingham hospital in 1951and raised in Reading, 192 Kings Road, we moved away in 1961 but returned to Reading in 1967 to live on Cumberland Road, we moved to the top floor of Irving Court Coley Park in 1976 they were still Council flats then and were still really well looked after, 3 blocks in a lovely park setting as you would certainly know, Our view from our 14th floor was absolutely amazing, that flat was a bargain rent wise and we considered ourselves very fortunate in being alloted it, I would imagine those are all under private ownership nowadays and worth a pretty penny! 🤣 We all (Mum & Dad, my Wife & I emigrated to Australia in 1981 after I finished up in the Merchant Navy, I spent most of my life (apart from trips away to sea) in Reading until I was 30, I served my apprenticeship at SPP formerly Pulsometer Pumps, known affectionately of course as "The Pulso" 🤣 Still in Aussie and here I shall happily stay but I'm proud to call myself a Reading ight if that's the proper word?😂 and I've always taken a keen interest in my old home town and seeing how much it's changed especially in the last 43 years since we left, Again Thankyou for making this and sharing! My 86 year old brother (also here) very interested too as he was brought up in Reading from 1944 until him and his wife emigrated in 1968, our Australian friends and fam that were born out here, very interested in this and to see where we come from! Cheers, sorry I could prattle on for hours but Thankyou and we're looking forward to part 2 Cheers Mate 10/10! 👍🇳🇿

Thanks for sharing this! I was born 30 odd years ago in Reading, so I didn't know the town before the IDR, but love to investigate how the town used to be! This is gold dust.

Oh yes, good memories, the changing hub of Reading. I was born there during 1938, most familiar with the town centre. I resided down near Caversham Bridge & walked into town on more occasions than I thought of keeping count. I moved to between Guildford & Aldershot on marriage during 1966 but continued to work in Reading until the early 1980s. During that time I was often in the town & caught up with those changes during that period, After that, rather less, although I would shoot through on Saturdays, to & from dear old Elm Park to the station. I shall always remember it with great affection. My home town.

Just seen this again. Brilliant. I did make a comment some 3 years ago. Smithie did a hell of a job when us mere mortals would not have afforded a cine camera. It's a wonder my old Mum was not up there shopping at the time. Interesting fact. In the film 'Oh Lucky Jim' there are brief views of Reading centre, one very clear for a few frames, on Broad Street heading toward Huntley & Palmers. a trolleybus captioned for Wokingham Road. Reminded me of the numerous vehicles lined up when Reading F.C were home at the good old Elm Park, one tended to disembark at Kensington or Wantage Roads & walk the rest of the way.. What days you blokes who never witnessed the era.

Congratulations on a great resume' of Coley. Was foreign territory for me as I was born at Dellwood Nursing Home, just opposite Prospect Park & resided in Newport Road, close to Caversham Bridge for the initial 28 tears of my life. Remember cycling up Castle Hill , at 14.for a while going to do some work for holiday money, at Bucknells Farm, Southcote. Pretty familiar with Southampton St & when younger used to stand on the corner of Pell St, collecting various vehicle numbers, especially liked the Bulwark Milk containers for some reason. Through train numbering I had a mate who lived at Brixham Road, Whitley so the two of us did uncountable miles up & down Southampton Street to the Basingstoke road & just past the Savoy cinema. Whilst in Reading I suffered National Service but was rewarded, meeting my eternal sweetheart & eventual wife. She was brought up in Woking Surrey ( my parents were originally from there). During 1966 we settled between Guildford & Aldershot although I continued to work down Caversham road at the Signal & Telecommunications works, just opposite the Fire Station, until the early 1980s. Sorry to bore you with that. Well, I was the only Reading boy in our family so it's, come on you Rzzzz.

What a fantastic video with quality knowledge with the different area's, its a big well done from me and many thanks for the memories

I wanted to find out where Coley steps were and 4 minutes in you nailed it! Such a well narrated video.

Myself and my partner - both in our 60's, are Reading born and bred. We really enjoyed watching this film and it brought back some great memories!

Fabulous work. I have very many monochrome pictures of the town between 1972-77. I worked at Langston's as a boy between 73-77. The bicycle shop and bun shop were next door. The Mitre pub and Raffina Cafe opposite. I visited recently the Raffina, Broad St and eventually found 'smelly alley ' linking Friar St. So much change from my time as a 70's school boy

This is fascinating. Thanks so much for the amazing information. 😁👍 But, oh, the god awful characterless concrete buildings of the 60s and 70s! Broke my heart to see them take the place of such a variety of classic architecture! 😢

Truly myopic Town planning.

What a fabulous history of Reading, and what was lost with the development of the IDR, I wonder what traffic would be like without the IDR?

👌

If only we could step into the past through our smart phone. Many of the people will still be around today. Dave. Reading, born 1953.

Reading has been destroyed by development.

Jacksons had a pneumatic tube system for sending cash to accounts in the 1970s. I got my school uniform and sports kit from there. They also had a foot X -ray machine in the shoe department.

This is a terrific short film. I walked along the branch line this week with my Dad and we both really enjoyed it. It's amazing showing the picture of the bridge on Berkeley Avenue with nothing around it.

Anyone remember Bert Hall who drove for Smiths

Anyone remember Bert Hall who drove for Smiths.

I was born in field road. The fish and chip shop on the corner. Used to sell freshly cooked beetroot. And Morris newsagents on the opposite corner.and down the slope of field road was a butcher's shop

Moving traffic in reading....what ever next

Bert Hall drove for Smiths.

I lived in Wolseley Street,from1981-1999.

I used to work into coley yard with the trip coal from Reading west Junction back in the early 80,s with a class 31 loco or sometimes an 08 yard pilot. We usually had a break van too and used 16 ton unfitted coal wagons.

When you consider the roads in the area you can see why they built the IDR, it was fairly packed,

Can remember the building 🏫🎒 play football outside!!Back in the 70 's

Amazing Footage.. Thank you !!

Amazing how busy it is.

Criminal what they did.

The free Dutch houses my dad Was born in the middle one

Hello Mr. Doak. Many thanks for this fascinating account of Huntley and Palmers and it's place in the life of the town of Reading. My great grandfather, John Ambrose, was a baker there in the later part of the 19th Century and on into the Edwardian era. Your observation that rates of pay were low is born out by my Grandfather, George Ambrose who told me that his Dad used to joke that at H.P. as a baker, you were paid four Pounds a week. One Pound in gold, and three in broken biscuits . I was a boy in Reading in the 1950's and even then I believe the factory was the chief employer for the town. You could tell where you were in the town even with your eyes closed in those days just by the smells : The Cadena coffee house roasting coffee beans, Simmons brewery at the far end of Broad Street, and, where Kings road crossed the canal, the smell of fresh baked biscuits. I left the UK in 1976, the year the factory closed and have lived in rural eastern Ontario ever since making my living as a self employed furniture maker. Your excellent presentation has brought back vivid memories of childhood and youth in Reading. I'm very grateful to you. David Ambrose.

My mum was friends with a lady from Serbia (I think) who did alot of the urban planning or Bracknell in the 60's. I wonder if you know her. Anyway do you think that Reading is an example of good Urban planning and development in general? I lived in Reading from 1984 to 2008. Benn back there 3 or 4 times since and shocked at all the changes. Anyway I dont expect an answer to this comment but Im just wondering if everyone is happy or if alot are scratching their head at whats going on.

I lived in the yuppie flats at Dukes Bridge court in the 80s and I remember them demolishing tall houses opposite my home and seeing the old wall paper and where the stairs were etc. they made office blocks there. I also remember them building the Library on Kings road and there was an archaeological dig on the site of one of the big office blocks down the road at that time. We went down to see it coz they had found an Anglo Saxon era man who had been stabbed in the back, the knife still broken off in his spine. apparently they said he had been under a small bridge in his day so either he was killed there or dumped there. a 1000+ year old murder on the Kings road! I haven't lived in Reading for about 20 years but I was back there last year and what a shock the Train station area is. wtf is that all about? those massive concrete steps or whatever. So cold and windy. Anyway most of my reading family and friends are dead or moved away now so i guess it doesnt matter.

I remember decades ago an old man telling me that the IDR had killed Reading. Took the heart out of it I think he said. So sad to see such beautiful buildings and nice streets where there is now just shitty 70's buildings. They basically bulldozed half the town and then filled in with immigrants. Sorry immigrants I love my friends but its true that youre parents were immigrants and changed the feel of the town. and why? why do we need the f-g IDR?

Precious pics and history. Thanks so much. Do y have any pics of cemetery junction and it's surrounding area

City planners ruined this town. A real shame knocked all those old buildings down.

Brilliant work 👏🏼👏🏼

I remember buying overalls from Langstons...

Very nice video. The Green Park reference at the end isn’t quite right. It’s not a new line in from Green Park, just a new station on the existing line to Basingstoke. I remember going over the Berkeley Avenue bridge and craning my neck to see the goods yard. And now when I drive down the A33 I always think about the way it was.

A fabulous video. Thanks for sharing

Thank you so much for the wonderful videos. I grew up in coley garnet street 1982-85 then Dover street 1985-1997 my mother still lives there now. Was a pupil of old coley primary and brought me so much history I never knew about coley before.

Interesting stuff 👍

What a great little collection. Thank you for making these films, and for sharing.

Very interesting

44:50 - Where does existing 19 Bridge Street building (Now the health care recruiters) sit within that picture? I thought it may have been the building on its own in the middle but that building has a different frontage

Very nice 👍🙂

This is better than watching documentaries on tv. Keep up the great work.

If you want to find old Coley Steps start from Coley Place, I used to play on them in the 1950s. Karol