Pop-Up Lunch

I took the train into Reading today. After weeks and weeks of not visiting Reading this is my second time in 3 days!

There is a pop-up lunch market every Friday in Market square that is really quite fun. I don’t know why I don’t come in more often. I had a South African venison curry on a bread roll shaped like a bowl. It was delicious. I discovered earlier in the week that there is a lunch market on Wednesdays also, but different vendors so there are even more to try.

The main reason I went into Reading was to order/reserve the tumble dryer that I’ve chosen after mine died a few days ago. I want a particular one because it’s a match to the washing machine I bought 3 weeks ago. I’ve discovered that it’s rare to find washers and dryers as a set in this country. They certainly aren’t marketed that way. I’ve lived here 26 years (plus 11 years as a child) and I’ve only just realised this. The woman at John Lewis department store was surprised to find out we often buy them in sets in the US.

Anyway. I was not successful. The machine in question is out of stock (which I knew) and because they’ve had SO many orders the computer won’t allow any more to be placed. So I have to wait for an email alert when it comes back in stock. Expected date is September 24!! And because no actual order could be placed the price is not guaranteed. A little frustrating! Personally, I can live without a dryer but it’s an amenity I promise my lodgers so I need to find a plan B.

My extra is a collage of the three faces of Reading railway station. I do believe I’ve done a similar picture as a main blip in the past so I’ve not done it as my main picture. The order of the pictures are top to bottom as you’d see the buildings left to right standing in front of them. But the middle picture is the oldest building (1860s) and this was the Reading station I remember as a child in the 70s when my family first moved here. It has been a pub for a long time now, but was recently refurbished and has a very nice outdoor eating space at the front. The bottom picture is the newer building that was opened in 1989 and it’s still part of Reading station. The top picture is the brand new building that was opened In 2014 when Reading station was almost completely redeveloped, adding extra lines, not just a new station building. It rather has a feel of an airline terminal both inside and out. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. The area in the front of the 3 buildings is now completely pedestrianised and there is a new amphitheatre-like seating area which seems popular on a sunny day like today. That will have to be a blip for another day.