h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good point! But at least Arthur Dent doesn't think of it as worse than hell and the sea doesn't stay as solid as a rock and the buildings wash up and down!

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I thought that a very true description of Southend...
The only semi decent thing there is the peir - oh, and a rather nice escalator.

I've actually never been so I couldn't say!

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Likewise... But I trust BB's judgement on the place

As for the Station... Railtrack are planning to knock the entire thing down and build a big new one. With two levels of track, to increase thoughput capacity.
Meanwhile they plan on building a couple of temporary stations further up, and lower down the line...

I found out the other day, that the old Odeon Cinema is going to be turned into apartments! Goodness knows how much they'll charge for them! Also the Oracle phase 3 (Where Debenhams used to be) is going to have a couple of apartments in aswell!

As for Drugs... I don't quite think the police are capable of doing much about alot of it... they did shut down "The Jack of both Sides" Pub, which was one of the local hot spots for drugs... But otherwise I haven't hered much on either front...

Whitley I guess is quite tame really... I mean my Dad's from there, as is one of my friends dads.. But they grew up when it was less problematic... But compared to London or other cities, Reading is quite peaceful. And despite the "Pub Land" being created in Friar street, little seems to happen of much...

Oh yes! The infinite land of pubs, pubs and nothing but pubs! Is there actually going to be anything else but pound shops and the like, and pubs along Friar Street within about a year? I'd be interested to know!

The prices of the apartments in the Oracle are going to be about the same as new apartments everywhere in Reading - terrible! Forget it costing an arm and a leg,; these'll no doubt cost you every limb you own!!!

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Congratulations on becoming an ACE.

Indeed! Well done

I have no Idea... but I'm sure they may well merge somewhere in the middle... Then maybe you'll see a new breed of pound pubs

Have you heared about the plans to build a 20 storey office block where the old Prudential building used to be...(round the back of the library)...? It'll be almost twice as tall as the Foster Wheeler building by the station AND the one above the BroadStreet Mall!

The place does seem to have at least one quality....There are so many people willing to defend the place. Well done all you Reading folk. Fly the flag high!!!!!!

LOL. Well done indeed. Hi MB. Good to see you hanging around. Here's a few cases of bottled love, for the good citizens of Reading.

Thank you for the congratulations!

Pound pubs? Now that would be an idea that would go down well with Reading folk!
Or perhaps you'll get pub pound shops... I can see the marketing now: "Buy one of Reading's pubs for only a pound!!! Make a fortune selling completely overpriced drinks!"... Or perhaps that's already happened!!!

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Well it doesn't seem to have stopped...

I like what they've done with Reading Station (apart from the barriers ) with the flat screen monitors. The best thing is, of course, having a Cornish Pasty stall in the station. How classy is that?
But it's never actually open when you want it to be - such as at 11pm.

Terrible isn't it... I'll have to comlian to them about more flexible opening times...

Yes, you do that. I wanted a Cornish Pasty, but was forced to resort to BK.

Why don't you suggest that Mac'ies do Cornish POasties?

...or even Cornish Pasties

I don't think a mass-produced cornish pastie could ever be as nice as a proper pastie - it just wouldn't be the same.

It's just like ANY fast food, it neve tastes as nice as something that people have taken time to prepare, and have used quality ingredients.

Does this, though, strictly belong in the Reading conversation? They are Cornish, and not Reading, pasties afterall

Hmm... I seem to have been crossing my conversations somewhat recently...