Opinion

We took the children to London at the weekend to meet my cousins for brunch

There are no outcasts living on the edge of Reading and there are no camps of people who have been ostracised due to disease. But they are around us

The message I heard on almost every doorstep was clear ? real help is needed now to deal with the spiralling cost of living which is causing hardship

There must be something amazingly gratifying to be able to perform your greatest hits to a large, supportive crowd,

I went to Woolworths and, from my pocket money, bought her a little bottle of the perfume Evening in Paris

We are all too aware from daily headlines that the world is facing many challenges right now.

At this time of year, with local elections upon us, I often find myself thinking about the things that set Reading apart from other places.

It?s been a tough couple of years, and the challenges continue ? who would have expected war in Europe hot on the heels of the pandemic?

Unfortunately, Reading Borough Council has been run by the same tired Labour administration for most of the last 24 years.

Social care services is probably the most life-changing and life-enhancing thing that Reading Council does. It?s also two-thirds of the annual budget