EVENTS
This is a timeline of our events as we encourage advance booking
To browse the most current events please scroll down
Book Group: Widdershins Walk
Saturday 1st November
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
Widdershins Walk: Round the Edge of Reading
(2025) Peter Driver & Geoff Sawers, Peculiarity Press.
2-4pm
Tel/text 07887 533290 for further information.
Heritage Open Day: Organ Event
Saturday 13th September
2025
Town Hall
A joint event featuring music and talks to celebrate the Royal College of Organists’ Play the Organ Year 2025.
Check whatsonreading.com for updates.
Book Group: The Siege of Loyalty House
Saturday 6th September
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
The Siege of Loyalty House: A New History of the English Civil War
(2023) Jessie Childs, Vintage Publishing.
2-4pm
Tel/text 07887 533290 for further information.
Talk: Jane Austen 250
Monday 1st September
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
Joy Pibworth
Celebrating Jane Austen’s birthday.
The Pantry opens at 10, the programme starts at 11:00
Talk: The Ogham Stone
Monday 7th July
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
Angela Houghton, Collections Management Curator
The Pantry opens at 10, the programme starts at 11:00
Book group: At Home with Jane Austen
Saturday 5th July
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
At Home with Jane Austen
(2018) Lucy Worsley, Hodder & Stoughton.
2-4pm
Tel/text 07887 533290 for further information.
Waterfest
Saturday 28th June
2025
The Abbey Ruins
FoRM stall at Reading Abbey ruins.
Talk: Widdershins Walk
Monday 2nd June
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
ïPeter Driver & Geoff Sawers, two local artists, will speak about their book, Widdershins Walk, which covers an anti-clockwise walk around the circumference of Reading, divided into four quarters and four seasons.
The Pantry opens at 10, the programme starts at 11:00
Annual General Meeting
Monday 12th May
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
The Pantry opens at 10, the meeting starts at 11:00
Talk: Silchester Excavations, part 3
Saturday 10th May
2025
Reading Museum
Second of three talks by Professor Mike Fulford on the excavations at Silchester.
Book Group: The Greatest Knight
Saturday 3rd May 2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshall, The Power behind Five English Thrones
(2015) Thomas Ashbridge, Simon & Schuster
2 - 4pm
Tel/text 07887 533290 for further information.
Talk: Silchester Excavations, part 2
Saturday 12th April
2025
Reading Museum
Second of three talks by Professor Mike Fulford on the excavations at Silchester.
Private View: Reading’s Digital Revolution
Monday 7th April
2025
Sir John Madejski Gallery
Brendan Carr, Community Engagement Curator, Reading Museum, will introduce the Exhibition to be held from Tuesday 18 March 2025 – Wednesday 24 December 2025 in the Sir John Madejski Art Gallery.
The Pantry opens at 10, the private views starts at 11:00
Talk: Silchester Excavations, part 1
Saturday 15th March
2025
Reading Museum
First of three talks that will be given by Professor Mike Fulford on the excavations at Silchester.
Book Group: The Greatest Knight
Saturday 3rd May 2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
’The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones’ (2015) by Thomas Ashbridge.
One of history’s most illustrious knights, the telling of his story is informed, in part, by a 13th century biography. William Marshal died at his Caversham Manor House in 1219; an informative commemorative panel about his life can be viewed on the Caversham Bridge viewing platform.
Meet in The Pantry at the Town Hall from 2 - 4 p.m. New members are always welcome.
Talk: Tom Fort
Monday 3rd March 2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
Tom Fort, author: Rivets, Trivets and Galvanized Buckets. The tale of a humble hardware shop in a local nondescript village and how it was saved.
The Pantry opens at 10:00 and the programme starts at 11:00
Book Group: Mud Larking
Saturday 1st March 2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
‘Mud Larking: Lost and Found on the River Thames’ (2019) by Lara Maiklem. Of linked interest: Thames Museum (pop-up with temporary exhibitions in various venues) and plans to establish a permanent collection telling the history of the Thames through mud larking finds. Website: www.thamesmuseum.org
Meet in The Pantry at the Town Hall from 2 - 4 p.m. New members are always welcome.
Talk: Beekeeping
Monday 3rd Feb
2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
Jenny Morgan, master beekeeper: Honeybees and how they are adapted to carry out their work with examples of how bees and flowers communicate .
The Pantry opens at 10:00 and the programme starts at 11:00
Book Group: The Remains of the Day
Saturday 4th Jan 2025
The Pantry
Town Hall
’The Remains of the Day’ (1994) by Kazuo Ishiguro. Discussion of the Merchant Ivory film (DVD) of the book (2001) and the MERL Reading University Special Collections linked item, ‘Cliveden Set Correspondence, 1938 - 1939’.
Meet in The Pantry at the Town Hall from 2 - 4 p.m. New members are always welcome.
Silent Auction and Christmas Quiz
Monday 2nd Dec
2024
The Soane Space and Pantry
Town Hall
Silent auction of the paintings left to the Friends by Sidney Gold in the Soane Space, with Friends’ Christmas Quiz in the Pantry.
The Pantry opens at 10:00 and the programme starts at 11:00