The Importance Of Looking Up!

I had an unexpectedly busy day today and so it wasn't until late afternoon that I rushed into Reading (less than 10 minutes away!). I needed to pick up a dress I'd had altered - a dress for a very important event on June 1st! A few years ago there was almost nowhere to get clothes altered, and suddenly some very good tailors have popped up out of nowhere! I find it interesting when a type of business goes from non-existent to finding them on (almost) every street corner. I've seen it in recent years with big storage units (I guess the British have become like the Americans - owning too much 'stuff'), car washes, nail salons, laser treatments and now tailors.

Anyway, I digress. Reading is not the prettiest town on the planet and many old beautiful buildings were torn down in the 60s and 70s. But if you are careful to look UP, there are still some beauties to behold. This is the Old Town Hall, now a concert hall (which was there originally and reopened some years ago), the home of Reading Museum and art galleries and a cafe. When my family first moved to Reading in 1972, this also housed Reading Library, and I have fond memories of many visits there as a child. The more recent Library building is ugly and utilitarian and I never have a desire to go there. There's something about old buildings and books that just go together.

A bit more history of this building can be found in a previous blip here!

I was grateful for this picture as I rushed past, as not many other pictures were taken today - not bad for an emergency blip, I guess!