Hosier St Market and Blue Collar venue

[peterson]

Some really positive news in my view. Blue Collar has been awarded the contract to run the market and hopefully breathe some new life into it. The big idea is a new container food and drink venue in a yard adjacent to the existing market.
Full details and my interview with owner Glen Dinning:
https://readingonthames.com/2021/03/27/ ... interview/

[Cardiac]

I spent 25 years of my life working opposite there from 1960 to 1984, how things have changed.

[bert]

Good interview, I like his passion and vision for that area. It would be great if it’s successful and also leads to a thriving market. I’ll be heading over to support them when it’s up and running.

[sarahbentley]

This will be great and as its partially outdoors I'm sure it'll be a success!
It offers something different to the current fast food places

[OLDMAN]

Just realised a newbie

Hi Sarah and welcome to the forum

[peterson]

A year on, this is opening this weekend. It looks really good, and I did a follow up interview which you can read here, including plenty of photos of it nearly ready to welcome customers:
https://readingonthames.com/2022/03/08/ ... interview/

[bert]

An interesting read, thanks peterson.

Well done to Glen for his perseverance and for sticking to his vision. I walked past in the evening the other day and it looked nice with the light up signs. I'm looking forward to supporting it with a bit of lunch and a pint.

[RTT]

glad to hear that the operator overcame so many obstacles, does not shine a good light on rbc, who continue to waste money on wayfinding and other street clutter, when they should be using money to light the place up at night and remove as much clutter from the streets a frames etc.
removing letting boards from unusued buildings who on average walks past and goes yes please it kinda works for houses not shops.

cycles something needs to be done on broad street to stop all the cycles if impossible maybe a cycle lane down the middle?

[mikejee]

glad to hear that the operator overcame so many obstacles, does not shine a good light on rbc, who continue to waste money on wayfinding and other street clutter, when they should be using money to light the place up at night and remove as much clutter from the streets a frames etc.
removing letting boards from unusued buildings who on average walks past and goes yes please it kinda works for houses not shops.

cycles something needs to be done on broad street to stop all the cycles if impossible maybe a cycle lane down the middle?
[/quote
]what the he'll is "wayfinding"? If it means signs pointing to where things are then removing them is a particularly crazy idea., as us the idea of having a path for cycles down broad st. What is needed is strict clampdiwn. Anyone cycling shiuld have their cyckes srized and either sold or scrapped.

[mikejee]

glad to hear that the operator overcame so many obstacles, does not shine a good light on rbc, who continue to waste money on wayfinding and other street clutter, when they should be using money to light the place up at night and remove as much clutter from the streets a frames etc.
removing letting boards from unusued buildings who on average walks past and goes yes please it kinda works for houses not shops.

cycles something needs to be done on broad street to stop all the cycles if impossible maybe a cycle lane down the middle?
[/quite]
What the he'll is "wayfinding"? If it means signs pointing to where things are then removing them is a particularly crazy idea., as is the idea of having a path for cycles down broad st. What is needed is a strict clampdiwn. Anyone cycling shiuld have their cyckes srized and either sold or scrapped.

[OLDMAN]

Mike -

[RTT]

glad to hear that the operator overcame so many obstacles, does not shine a good light on rbc, who continue to waste money on wayfinding and other street clutter, when they should be using money to light the place up at night and remove as much clutter from the streets a frames etc.
removing letting boards from unusued buildings who on average walks past and goes yes please it kinda works for houses not shops.

cycles something needs to be done on broad street to stop all the cycles if impossible maybe a cycle lane down the middle?
[/quite]
What the he'll is "wayfinding"? If it means signs pointing to where things are then removing them is a particularly crazy idea., as is the idea of having a path for cycles down broad st. What is needed is a strict clampdown. Anyone cycling should have their cycles seized and either sold or scrapped.

agreed i was thinking that some sort of fencing with benches to interupt people going at full speed its very dangerous obviously

as for oldmans predictable comment just shutting down i will offer this link

https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/ ... lutter.pdf

the maps they have installed in reading are great!

[RTT]

City of Edinburgh Council’s citywide ban on ‘A’
boards constitutes a major victory for campaigners
such as the Edinburgh Living Streets group and the
Royal National Institute of Blind People who worked
with the council to make this happen.

[RTT]

Oldman from your other comments im not sure if you actually use the town centre so doesnt really apply to you?

if you do use the town centre where do you go and what do you think of it atm?

[RTT]

Street clutter, which is made up of poorly placed
or redundant street furniture, such as defunct
phone boxes or excessive poles for road signs
can seem harmless but it contributes to a less
attractive walking environment and decreases
everyone’s ability to get around safely. It can
create unnecessary obstructions which are
inconvenient for everyone and particularly
problematic for people with wheelchairs, buggies,
or those living with sight loss.
By getting rid of unnecessary signs, railings and
advertising boards, our streets can be made tidier
and less confusing. Reducing street clutter and
making attractive, interesting and beautiful public
spaces is a major part of how we can create
vibrant areas for walking.

[Mayfield]

City of Edinburgh Council’s citywide ban on ‘A’
boards constitutes a major victory for campaigners
such as the Edinburgh Living Streets group and the
Royal National Institute of Blind People who worked
with the council to make this happen.

But not for businesses who often described their wares on such boards - such as restaurants. In some areas frontages are incredibly small and something on the window could just create a crowd preventing people getting in….so what are the businesses doing as an alternative ?

[mikejee]

agreed i was thinking that some sort of fencing with benches to interupt people going at full speed its very dangerous obviously

as for oldmans predictable comment just shutting down i will offer this link

https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/ ... lutter.pdf

the maps they have installed in reading are great!

RTT seems to be somewhat confused. He/she gives a link to a site which seems mainly aimed at streets where traffic is going through, not pedestrianised streets. He/she claims that Oldman does not use the city centre, but seems unaware that Broad st is pedestrianised . He/she them proposes allowing cyclists to ride through this pedestrianised street in direct contrast to the legal position. In fact the whole aim of his/her posts seem to be to justify cyclists being allowed to ride through the street - scarcely desirable for those who wish to use the street as it should be, free of cyclists.

[RTT]

I was interested if anyone had a idea of how to do both or block it all together as is very dangerous as is, and if not dangerous destroys what should be a place to walk/sit eat your lunch.

my thought was people wont change was to put the bikes in a lane, or design some way to stop them flying down the road this should be a separate thread, whats all this he/she got to do with anything?

[RTT]

City of Edinburgh Council’s citywide ban on ‘A’
boards constitutes a major victory for campaigners
such as the Edinburgh Living Streets group and the
Royal National Institute of Blind People who worked
with the council to make this happen.

But not for businesses who often described their wares on such boards - such as restaurants. In some areas frontages are incredibly small and something on the window could just create a crowd preventing people getting in….so what are the businesses doing as an alternative ?

if your business is doing that poorly that you have to put something in the street often in the way not great, just to behave like all the previous replies doesnt make sense, menus belong on windows/websites not blocking streets

[mikejee]

I was interested if anyone had a idea of how to do both or block it all together as is very dangerous as is, and if not dangerous destroys what should be a place to walk/sit eat your lunch.

my thought was people wont change was to put the bikes in a lane, or design some way to stop them flying down the road this should be a separate thread, whats all this he/she got to do with anything?

Being correct. No idea as to your sex. The facts are that cycling is prohibited. There is no good reason to allow it in a pedestrian area. If idiots try do do otherwise they should be prosecuted and their cycles should be removed from them with no appeal. The same applies to electric scooters

[Mayfield]

City of Edinburgh Council’s citywide ban on ‘A’
boards constitutes a major victory for campaigners
such as the Edinburgh Living Streets group and the
Royal National Institute of Blind People who worked
with the council to make this happen.

But not for businesses who often described their wares on such boards - such as restaurants. In some areas frontages are incredibly small and something on the window could just create a crowd preventing people getting in….so what are the businesses doing as an alternative ?

if your business is doing that poorly that you have to put something in the street often in the way not great, just to behave like all the previous replies doesnt make sense, menus belong on windows/websites not blocking streets

Have you been to Edinburgh ?

[piwacket]

….my thought was people wont change was to put the bikes in a lane, or design some way to stop them flying down the road this should be a separate thread, whats all this he/she got to do with anything?

Cyclists should not be in a pedestrianised area - but they are! A dedicated Lane won’t stop them, no more than they cycle in dedicated lanes on the road, and still use the pavements! - and who’s to stop them, they’re not monitored or challenged, except maybe the occasional pedestrian - if they don’t mind a challenge or a shrug of the shoulders.
A-frame advertisement boards need planning permission, as I found out when I wanted to use one…. And was refused. So we always ensured the display window was interesting and changed usually twice a week. Which in itself sometimes caused a problem, as people in the traffic queue might find the car behind would get annoyed but presumably there’s no motor traffic in the area you’re talking of, I haven’t been and looked. But if there’s wide walk ways …..?

[Fed-up]

Don't forget that from John Lewis to The Oracle it is valid to drive a car and ride a bicycle. It is only from the Broad Street Mall to John Lewis that NO vehicles are allowed.

[OLDMAN]

Oldman from your other comments im not sure if you actually use the town centre so doesnt really apply to you?

if you do use the town centre where do you go and what do you think of it atm?

First up - I didn’t actually make a ‘comment’ and why predictable by your view is very strange indeed
I only put ‘Good Posting’ (which isn’t a comment) to Mikes comments about a cycle lane in Broad St and clamping down on it all - and for a very good reason
Many years ago a friends 10yr old son was run down in Broad St by a cyclist racing through – he suffered a very badly broken leg, which never healed correctly and now as a 27yr old man walks with a pronounced limp, it also deprived him of his passion for running
And - he was 5' 11' / stocky-solid build so imagine if it had been a small child or someone older / frail - doesn't bare thinking about
The cyclist just picked up his damaged bike up and cycled off - police where involved but he was never traced / caught
And I’ve heard of other being hit by cyclists in BS, but fortunate for them no serious injuries


Now in answer to your other strange question – not sure why from ‘my other comments’ that I don’t use the TC then you obviously have a problem in understanding the written word, or you misconstrue my comments

Yes I don’t go into ‘town’ that often but that’s for shopping etc, I do go through a lot though – admittedly only about 6-7 times in the last couple of years due to Covid, but have been through very recently (about 5wks ago) when I walked in form a darts match down the Oxford Rd, then caught a bus in Friar St – this was about 11:00pm

When we do venture in for a day out its normally a quick walk through the Oracle, round to The Mall, then Broad St / Friar St etc and find a pub for lunch / drinks – often at Revolucion De Cuba as one of our favourites

As for the town in general I like it

And just for info – I do cycle (although not so much at present due to bad knees) and ALWAYS stick to the rules / routes / law and find the cycle routes in Reading all okay – and without the need to use Broad St!

And one thing I do agree with - yes there is too much street clutter / furniture about that should be sorted

And one of my pet hates - temp signs fixed on posts with Tie-Wraps, at 6’3’’ they are often stuck out at eye level

[Jude]

Just for clarification, cycling is legally allowed on the eastern half of Broad St and Queen Vic St, just not the western half.

[chris_j_wood]

Just for clarification, cycling is legally allowed on the eastern half of Broad St and Queen Vic St, just not the western half.

Is there a problem with people cycling in Hosier Street?. Not clear what Broad Street and Queen Victoria Street have to do with Blue Collar either. What have I missed?.

Anyway I walked passed on Friday evening, and there was obviously a launch party going on. Lots of people turning up and having their names ticked off by clipboard wielding door staff. It looked pretty good; looking forward to sampling it.

[piwacket]

https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/r ... r-23379593

Ibiza

[chris_j_wood]

https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/r ... r-23379593

Ibiza

Oh dear. If ReadingLive thinks it is good, then that in itself is not auspicious. Nor are references to Ibiza.

But Blue Collar are usually pretty good. They do the Wednesday street food market in MarketPlace and (do/did?) the Forbury Gardens 'cheese market'. As I'm sure you know, they have done the bar for Shakespeare in the Ruins several times. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt until I've been myself.

[Pooneil]

I popped along on Sunday lunchtime. I can't quite say I felt I was in Ibiza (having never been there for a start), but it was generally impressive - a nice use of the space, great food choices and a pretty good bar. And even if the views weren't stunning (what did I expect to see out the back of Broad Street Mall - the hanging gardens of Babylon?) it felt pretty nice sitting out in the fitful sunshine above the world down below. My only moan would be the endless electronic dance music played over the numerous speakers; some of it was passable funky and soulful, but far too much was endless widdly sequencers and drum machines. And whilst it wasn't oppressively loud, I felt it was louder than it needed to be (but I'll concede that I might not have been so bothered about the volume if it had been music I'd liked). I sort of feel that I have to put up with it to an extent as I'm probably not their target demographic.

Neither the food nor the beer was cheap, but given recent price rises in the hospitality sector supply chain, they may not be totally unreasonable. Certainly those of the "Wetherspoons are wonderful" brigade may look askance at the prices, but I suspect they aren't Blue Collar's target demographic either...

[Pooneil]

https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/r ... r-23379593

Ibiza

Oh dear. If ReadingLive thinks it is good, then that in itself is not auspicious.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day...

[piwacket]

….sunshine above the world down below….

Isn’t it at street level?

[Pooneil]

….sunshine above the world down below….

Isn’t it at street level?

All the food outlets and bar are at ground level, along with much of the seating, but there's also an L(ish)-shaped decked seating area over the top of the 2 food outlets on the Eastern end and over the bar and a third food outlet on the back (southern) of the site,so probably somewhere between a half and two-thirds of the whole back length of the site.

[mikejee]

From the look of the picture on the link, no pi. Not sure I'd want to visit with my knees

[piwacket]

All the food outlets and bar are at ground level, along with much of the seating, but there's also an L(ish)-shaped decked seating area over the top of the 2 food outlets on the Eastern end and over the bar and a third food outlet on the back (southern) of the site,so probably somewhere between a half and two-thirds of the whole back length of the site.

Oh right, thanks.

[Jude]

Just for clarification, cycling is legally allowed on the eastern half of Broad St and Queen Vic St, just not the western half.

Is there a problem with people cycling in Hosier Street?. Not clear what Broad Street and Queen Victoria Street have to do with Blue Collar either. What have I missed?

I'm not sure either, but the conversation had already drifted onto cycling along Broad Street...