Minster of Saint Mary the Virgin

I am not a great fan of the town of Reading. It lies about six miles west of where I am staying. It feels a bit confused, and is quite confusing to drive through. I think it has failed to make a happy transition to the 20th century, and is now a bit of a lost cause. Too many cars as well, while the centre is a series of one way streets, eventually confusion occurs when the cars try to leave the town.

I decided to visit the centre in order to treat myself to a fruit tart at John Lewis. The store is quite a bit larger than the store in Aberdeen, and looks a bit more modern. I had parked at the Oracle shopping centre, a short distance from John Lewis. The Oracle shopping centre is one of the more successful parts of Reading, as it is quite well landscaped around a small river. I noticed another Jamie Oliver restaurant in the Oracle Centre, I have not tried one yet, but have doubts about the ability of a chain to compare favourably with a good Italian restaurant.

On the to John Lewis way I happened to pass this C of E church. The name sounds more Roman Catholic to me. I was attracted by the chequered black and white stonework. Should I make another trip into Reading while I am here I think I shall use the train.

On the photographic front I normally aim to under expose slightly and then recover the dark areas in photoshop. I was reading a photographic magazine today which said I should be doing the exact opposite. So this was my first attempt at over exposure, again recovered in Photoshop. Apparently more detail is recorded (in Raw) by overexposure. My instinct was against overexposing, but I have been able to recover the sky.