The Oracle has achieved the impossible. My dear mum does not like shopping. (I think I'm adopted). However, even she can be persuaded to come shopping with me in Reading, which is handy, because as the ever-doting grandmother, she pushes my double buggy, leaving me free to shop till I drop. Fantastic.
Access-wise, the town of Reading (or is it a city? Sorry if I've inadvertantly offended any patriotic residents) has a major train station with lifts over the platforms. A godsend. If you have small children of a pushchair-requiring age, you'll understand. As a non-driver, this is a massive bonus. If you do drive, I think it's junction 11 on the M4, but you'll probably want to check that on a roadmap. Whatever. It's got good road and rail links.
My husband likes to go shopping in Reading, as it has a good variety of shops selling "blokey" stuff. By this, I mean department stores selling various gadgets, gizmos and entertainment systems. In fact, while we're on the subject, Reading has not one, not two, but THREE major department stores: House of Fraiser, Debenhams and John Lewis. Feel free to creche your man in one of these and collect him when your funds are exhausted.
It's hard to think of a retailer that doesn't have a store either on Reading High Street, or in The Oracle or Broad Street Mall. And not only are they there, but chances are it'll be one of their larger outlets that'll stock the full range of whatever it is you're looking for.
Examples of shops in Reading:
HMV and Virgin Waterstones, Ottakers, Books etc and others Boots Mango Elle H & M Next Dixons T K Maxx Game Disney Store Monsoon and Accessorise Past Times La Senza Woolworths Argos The Origins Store The Pier Natural World Bang and Oulfsen (for those multi-millionaire wanting home entertainment systems!) Mothercare
This could take a while...
The Oracle itself is fairly new, only about five years old. They built this shopping centre in two halves, with the existing canal in the middle. This can be crossed on one of several footbridges. It's actually quite a nice setting. In both the summer and winter they hold music events on the banks - you know the sort of thing, classical stuff in the summer, carols in the winter.
There is a large multi-storey car park within the complex, but be warned: it is expensive (something like £1 PER HOUR).
The shopping mall is open until 8pm on week days, 7pm on Saturdays, and 4 or 5pm on Sundays. Obviously around Christmas time these opening times are extended.
If the range of retailers is impressive, what deserves equal praise is the range of eateries that run around the exterior facing the canal (it's quite hard to describe). No matter how fussy an eater you are (and trust me, I'm the fussiest of them all), you'll find something to suit your palette. Here are just a few:
Yellow River (chinese) McDonalds Old Orleans Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken Pizza Hut Chilli's Costas, Cafe Nero and many other outlets of a similar type
There are also late license pubs and restaurants that provide entertainment, live music and dancing until, well, late.
There's a supervised creche for children aged three months to five years, a pushchair hire service and really excellent baby changing and breast feeding facilities. The breast feeding area is a separate and women-only room, but the rest of the baby facilities are unisex, so that there's no excuse for dad not taking his turn at changing those nappies!
There are several ATM machines in the Oracle for those oh-my-god-i-have-to-have-it moments. All major credit cards are accepted at the resident shops and services.
And on top of all that, there's a multi-screen cinema there too.
It's great.
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I'm a Reading girl myself so The Oracle is my local shopping centre and I think it's great! It's got basically all you need under one floor. Good, helpful review.
markwriter 10.03.2005 00:20
I just couldnt get into this review, not one of your better ones.
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Advantages: Close to heathrow, road and rail links, close to london, safe, lots of jobs Disadvantages: not much nightlife, not many decent shops, aircraft, ali g
idaviesuk 02.03.2005 ·
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