Whitley's first festival runs free from 19 to 23 October: a wartime air raid shelter, two theatre premieres and a walk on The Cowsey. The full timetable.

Whitley is holding its first festival next week, five days of free events about the people and history of south Reading. Whitley Festival: Our Home runs from Monday 19 to Friday 23 October, mostly at the community café on Northumberland Avenue.

The programme includes a Second World War air raid shelter, two new pieces of local theatre, a family history session and a walk on The Cowsey. Every event is free, according to Reading Borough Council, which announced it on Wednesday.

The festival is run by Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA) and a dozen local groups, in partnership with the council.

The timetable

All events are at the WCDA Café, 252 Northumberland Avenue, unless the venue says otherwise. The council lists:

Day Time Event
Mon 19 Oct 11am A Glimpse into Wartime Whitley
Mon 19 Oct 5.30pm Festival launch, WCDA Café and Hall
Mon 19 Oct 5.30pm Whitley Park School art showcase, South Reading Community Hub
Tue 20 Oct 10am Reading Local Studies Library: what it holds and how to use it
Tue 20 Oct 3.30pm Whitley Park School art showcase, South Reading Community Hub
Wed 21 Oct 4.30pm Whitley Park School art showcase, South Reading Community Hub
Wed 21 Oct 5pm Film workshop, with the University of Reading
Thu 22 Oct 6pm Rank and File Theatre: Common Ground
Thu 22 Oct 6pm RABBLE Theatre: Whitley, Our Memories
Fri 23 Oct 10am The Cowsey community walk, meeting at the café
Fri 23 Oct 12.30pm Berkshire Family History Society
All week Our Schools’ History display

The council’s release gives the two theatre slots on Thursday the same 6pm start. It does not say whether they run one after the other.

What is on, in more detail

The wartime visit. On Monday morning there is a visit to a Second World War air raid shelter, with stories of how Whitley got through the war. The release does not give the shelter’s location, so ask at the café.

Two theatre pieces made in Whitley. RABBLE Theatre opens its project Whitley, Our Memories on Thursday evening. Rank and File Theatre shares Common Ground, a work in progress. The council says it is built from conversations and stories gathered in Whitley.

Tracing your house and family. Reading’s Local Studies Library gives a presentation on Tuesday at 10am on what it holds. On Friday afternoon, Berkshire Family History Society takes beginners through the records, photographs, maps and archives that can tell you who lived in your home.

The Cowsey. Friday’s walk visits the open space, which the council calls cherished locally, with memories and reflections from people who live nearby.

For families. Whitley Park School’s art showcase runs at South Reading Community Hub through the week. Visitors can make their own Whitley badge, with the arts charity Jelly.

Cllr Jacopo Lanzoni, the council’s lead for leisure and culture, said: “Whether you have lived in south Reading all your life or are a newcomer to the area, young or old, I am sure everyone will learn something new from coming along to the Festival events.”

Who is behind it

The council names 13 partners:

  • Whitley Community Development Association
  • Whitley Museum
  • Museums Partnership Reading
  • Whitley Walks
  • Jelly
  • Reading Libraries
  • Reading Borough Council
  • New Directions
  • Aspire2
  • RABBLE Theatre
  • Rank and File Theatre
  • Berkshire Family History Society
  • Whitley Park School

WCDA is a registered charity based at the South Reading Community Hub, 252-260 Northumberland Avenue, RG2 7QA, according to its Charity Commission entry.

What it means for you

  • It is free, and you do not need to have lived in Whitley long. The organisers say the week is for newcomers and lifelong residents alike. The council release does not mention booking.
  • Roadworks the same week. Northumberland Avenue is closed between Christchurch Gardens and Newcastle Road from Monday 19 to Friday 30 October for utility works. The emerald 5 diverts via Basingstoke Road, Long Barn Lane and Canterbury Road, rejoining its route at the Newcastle Road stop, and cannot serve Christchurch Court or Warwick Road (Reading Buses). Allow extra time, and see our Reading roadworks page.
  • Half term. Reading’s October half term is the following week, 26 to 30 October. See what’s on in Reading over half term.
  • Running something in your part of Reading? Send us your news.