What we’d do if we still lived in Berkshire this summer

This summer, we’ll have lived in Devon for two years. Two whole years. In that time we’ve bought our first house, had another baby and started new jobs (and schools). Wow. As the summer milestone gets ever closer it got me thinking how different our life might look now had we not swallowed our fears and made the move two years ago. Would we still be living in the same cottage? What kind of things would we plan to do to keep us entertained over the summer?

It’s fair to say that top of the summer activities list would be the Sing-a-Long Frozen show at the Hexagon in Reading. Frog’s Frozen obsession is showing no sign of waning, so she’d be all over this if we still lived up the road.

Here are some other things we’d probably do if we were still in Berkshire this summer…

Things to do:

The Living Rainforest

This used to be a favourite haunt of ours. It’s near Newbury and is a great place to visit on a rainy day as most of it is indoors. There’s also a handy little café on site too.

Thatcham Discovery Centre

We used to live about ten minutes away from the Discovery Centre in Thatcham. It’s a big lake with two play areas – one for older kids and one for younger ones. There are lots of birds to look at as well as some rather aggressive geese! There’s also a café there along with an interactive nature room upstairs. And it’s all free. Bonus.

Newbury Market

Each Thursday and Saturday there’s a market in Newbury which is a fun place to visit. We used to enjoy having a wander looking at all the fresh produce before stopping for a cup of tea in a café in Newbury and then a play at the park near the canal.

A picnic at Prospect Park

We’ve had many a picnic in Prospect Park, a leafy green park on the outskirts of central Reading. There are tennis courts there too, along with a great play area for kids.

Go Ape

Go Ape in Bracknell is a hoot if you’re not scared of heights. Unfortunately, the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine is a total wimp when it comes to this kind of thing, so it’s very likely I’d be visiting there alone.

 

Where to eat

Giraffe

One of our favourite restaurant chains to eat in as a family was (and still is) Giraffe. There’s a Giraffe restaurant in Reading at the Oracle shopping centre which we got to know quite well over the years.

Mya Lacarte

For something a bit fancy Mya Lacarte in Caversham is a good choice. It has a seasonal monthly changing menu and an intimate atmosphere, so would make the ideal venue for a date night treat.

 

Where to stay

If you’re planning a trip to Reading this summer then the Holiday Inn Reading South is an ideal choice. It’s situated at J11 of the M4 so makes for the perfect stopover if you’re en-route to London. For an overnight stay in Reading after the Frozen Sing-A-Long this is a top choice because it’s only a short taxi ride away.

Any more activities you’d add to the list?

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