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 FOREST FLYER IS READING'S FIRST SIGNING OF THE SUMMERTHE Royals have made their first signing of the summer, a bargain free "Bosman" acquisition of 25-year-old Nottingham Forest winger Garath McCleary. The Oxford-born flyer, who played for Bromley and Slough Town before signing for Forest in July 2008, turned down an improved offer from Forest, and chose Reading ahead of several other Premier League clubs. He told the club website: "It's amazing being at a club like Reading. Being a local boy as well, it's the stuff that dreams are made of. I can't wait to pull on the Reading shirt and prove what I can do." Manager Brian McDermott, said "It's important that we have brought a player of Garath's quality through the door. He's young, he's got an eye for a goal, he's very, very quick, he's got a real energy about him. He wants to work hard and improve and, in all the players we've got here, that is a key attribute. And he's a nice lad, so he'll fit in well with what we're trying to do at this club."  ROYALS' BIG MAC WINS THE BIG CHAMPIONSHIP BOSS AWARDTHE Royals' influence on football management becomes more impressive by the season. Brian McDermott has been voted the League Managers' Association Championship Manager of the Year, and was also short-listed for the overall award alongside the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini. The overall award, and also the Premier League award, went to Newcastle's ex-Reading boss Alan Pardew. Another ex-Royal, Swansea's Brendan Rodgers, was high up in the reckoning for both of Pardew's awards. McDermott said: "It was great to be nominated for the top six and nice to see an ex-Reading manager, and a good friend of mine, be recognised. It was a fantastic evening." Legendary Royal Steve Coppell helped Crawley get over the finishing line for promotion to League One. There was not such good news for another of the ex-Reading coaching staff, Steve Kean, relegated with Blackburn - although Martin Allen eventually helped keep Barnet afloat in the Football League after taking over from ex-Royals player Lawrie Sanchez. Full story from the club website.  FRIDAY NIGHT ON A FRIDAY TO REMEMBER ROCKIN' ROBIN!READING had a fair sprinkling of talented players during the mid-1970s, but none could match the legendary Robin Friday for outrageous talent - and outrageous behaviour on and off the field, (writes Roger Ware). Now Reading Museum, as part of its ongoing "Bikes, Balls and Biscuitmen" sporting exhibition, is to hold a Robin Friday special Friday night of nostalgia on May 25th. It will feature a talk by Roger Titford, author of "The Legend of Robin Friday" and discussion and questions with Tommy Youlden and Gordon Cumming, once team-mates of Robin's. There will be photos, film clips, reminiscences and, of course, a bar. Friday's league career lasted only four years before his life went off completely off the rails, and after a long battle with drug addiction he died a tragically early death at just 38. Those of us old enough to not be among the "where were you when we were c**p?" brigade, will never forget watching him play. But because of his lifestyle it could not - and did not - last. A tee-shirt logo once said of the long-haired, bow-legged super-striker "FRIDAY - I'm half your age, and I've lived twice your life…!" Funny, but true. He had another book written about him by Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt entitled "The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw" - also funny, also true. Because outside of the lower divisions he was hardly known. That was at least until the famous day in March 1976 when even the national newspapers - usually sniffy about anything outside the top division - noted that the top referee of that era, Clive Thomas, was so appreciative of a sensational twist-and-volley 25-yard goal Friday scored during a 5-0 Fourth Division drubbing of Tranmere, that he led the applause. The Welsh whistler said afterwards: "It was an amazing goal - the best i've ever seen, including Cruyff and Pele. I can't believe a player who can do that is not in the First Division." Eventually he was, very briefly, with Cardiff City in the Second Division before swiftly drifting off to anonymity and that untimely date with the Grim Reaper. More details of the Museum evening.  FORMER READING RACERS ACE RICO KILLED IN TRACK CRASHFORMER Reading Racers Speedway star Lee Richardson has died after a track crash in Poland. Like many other British riders, Rico, as he was popularly known, had an attachment to a Polish team, and he was riding for PGE Marma Rzeszow in a league match at Wroclaw on Sunday when he crashed heavily into a safety fence and sustained what proved fatal chest injuries. He died later in hospital. The 33-year-old, Hastings-born son of former Eastbourne rider Colin Richardson, began his career at Reading as a junior in 1995. After a spell with Poole in 1996, he returned to Reading for a highly-successful time between 1997 and 1999, helping the team to the Premier League title in 1997 and the Elite League KO Cup the following year. In 1999 he became World Under-21 champion, and in 2003, while with Coventry, he was the Elite League Riders' champion. As well as riding in Poland, he was this season's captain of Lakeside Hammers, and in his final match in the Elite League, last Friday, scored 10 points while leading them to victory over Peterborough. Hammers owner Stuart Douglas echoed the thoughts of everyone in the sport, saying: "Lee's death is a truly shocking piece of news. Sometimes the dangers the riders face in this sport are sidelined in the competitive spirit, but this proves just how brave speedway riders are. Lee was a magnificent rider and our club, and the speedway family around the world, are left totally bereft by this tragedy." Lee leaves a wife, Emma, and three young sons. Speedway veterans are also mourning the death of Reading Racers' last promoter Malcolm Holloway, and post-war Australian great Jackie Gates.  READING HOTELS - IF you need a hotel room in Reading, the UK - or anywhere in the world - our discount booking service is the answer. Click here for Reading Guide's own link to LateRooms.com®. Availability and prices are updated daily, the prices per room not per person, and there's no booking fee. NOTE: If you make future bookings please do so from this link.
 EXHIBITION SALUTING READING'S SPORTING HERITAGEREADING has a rich sporting heritage, and that is being celebrated with a new exhibition now open at Reading Museum. Cheering on Reading at the Madejski Stadium, running and cycling in Palmer Park or watching Anne Packer surge to Olympic gold on television in 1964 - sport gives many of us Redingensians (yes, no 'a'!) great enjoyment. The Museum has worked with local clubs and stars to produce an exhibition that examines the wide-ranging sporting life of Reading. From Olympic gold medals to sports club trophies, a sculling boat or pre-war bikes, there will be something to inspire everyone. The exhibition provides an opportunity for Reading’s sporting communities to join the Museum in celebrating the story of local ‘sporting lives’ through stories, objects and photographs. It is unique to Reading, and features a huge variety of sporting activities linked to clubs, societies, schools, local personalities and unsung heroes. Local people and sports organisations have been working with the museum to create these displays by putting forward their objects and memories to tell the story of sport in Reading from grass roots to Olympic podia. The exhibition includes stories from all kinds of sports, for example: swimming, running, rowing, cycling, motorsports, martial arts, snooker, hockey, and of course football, rugby and cricket. Did you know the first British triathlon took place in Reading, that there was a cycle race on the IDR before it opened, that the West Indies played Berkshire in a charity cricket match at Kensington Road, or that championship-winning go-karts were built in the town? These are just some of the many sporting stories to discover in Bikes, Balls & Biscuitmen - Our Sporting Life. You may be surprised to find out just how many world-famous sports personalities began their careers in Reading! The exhibition runs until October 28th and will complement a display on rural sports being developed by the Museum of English Rural Life. 
 AFTER trips to Sweden and Croatia in recent years, Reading FC are trying a new destination for their pre-season training camp for 2012/13 - the Algarve region of southern Portugal. While holidaymakers will be hard at it on the beach getting a suntan before adjourning to the bars for some serious lubrication, the Reading players will be hard at it honing their skills and fitness for the rigours of the Premier League. Not for Reading the money-spinning trips to Asia or the USA for glamour friendlies and mini-tournaments. Instead Brian McDermott's men will play three friendlies, probably against lower-league Portuguese sides, or maybe other European clubs on tour in the area. The Royal party depart for Silves in the Algarve on Wednesday 18th July and return to England on Saturday 28th July. Their three matches are currently pencilled in for Saturday 21st, Tuesday 24th and Friday 27th July. Pro Sports Travel have arranged the tour on the club's behalf, and they say that when they have taken other teams to this area, supporters have found it best to stay in the resort of Albufeira. The likes of Aston Villa, Sunderland and QPR have been to this part of Portugal and the clubs and supporters have enjoyed their visit. Nearest airport is Faro, and Royals fans planning to go and support the team on tour can get travel package advice from Pro Sports on 01923 289111 or email details to info@prosportstravel.net - alternatively, click the link below and fill the search box for the LateRooms hotel booking system.
 CHIPS ARE DOWN AND FUTURE BLEAK FOR RACERSTHE legend on the excellent Reading Racers Speedway fansite says: "They will be back" - but that's now looking increasingly unlikely. When the chequered flag was waved for the last time at Smallmead in the autumn of 2008, it was hoped that within a couple of years the Racers would again be burning up the shale. Now it seems, the old familiar winged wheel motif may never again be seen - at least on the same race jacket as the word "Reading". The original plan was for a new speedway and greyhound stadium, with the associated financial boost of a casino, on a site half a mile away. Reading Borough Council was supportive over planning permission - however, 2010 became 2011, then 2012 without progress on construction. Now comes news that a new rival casino is to be housed in a disused furniture warehouse just along the A33 relief road within a race distance from the new stadium being planned by Stadia UK Ltd. It's highly-unlikely the town, which already has two big casinos, could support two more, especially in such close proximity to one another. It's also highly-unlikely that anyone could make a go of just a two-sport stadium without the 16-hours per day casino operation. Meanwhile, the greatest irony is that the old Smallmead site, although now flattened, remains unused, apart from overflow parking from the Madejski Stadium. The other mystery is why, along the way, the 99-year lease signed by original Reading promoter Reg Fearman for the Smallmead site was converted to 34 years during the reign of Reg's two successors, joint promoters Bill Dore and Frank Higley. Reg said: "A lot of people, myself included, will be very disappointed if Speedway never returns to Reading - but it would seem to be difficult without the financial input from a casino." 
 LABOUR BACK IN FULL CONTROL OF TOWN HALLTO the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Labour party has taken a firmer grip on Reading Borough Council. In fact, given the state of national politics, if anything, the Conservatives and Lib Dems are maybe feeling a little relieved their own collateral damage was not greater. Going into Thursday's elections, Labour had 22 seats to the Conservatives' 15, with six Lib Dems, two Greens and one independent. Labour gained five seats on the night, but lost one - to the Greens in Park - while the Conservatives lost three and the Lib Dems two. That Green gain was the only real surprise, although it makes little difference, as the Reading Greens have aligned with Labour, for voting purposes, in the recent past. However, now, with 26 of the 46 seats in their hands, Labour no longer has to rely on Green support. Voter apathy, although not relevant to many, if any, results, was noticeably poor - below 30percent turnout in most wards. Largest turnout, as per tradition - at 41.37pc - was in the Mapledurham ward, where the council's longest-serving member, former Conservative mayor Fred Pugh, gave a nod to his advanced age, and was succeeded in the Tories' safest seat by Isobel Ballsdon. So having had to resort to a little sleight of hand over the Mayoral election to gain overall control last year, Labour can now rightly say it has a mandate to control the town's affairs in the next year. CLICK FOR FULL RESULTS.  FORMER READING RACERS RIDER AND PROMOTER DIES AT 55TRIBUTES are being paid to former Reading Racers speedway rider and promoter Malcolm Holloway who has died at the age of 55. The man the fans knew as "Mad Wellie" had a heart attack and died on Wednesday. He had overcome a previous heart attack he suffered in June 2008 during a Racers match at Redcar. His whole senior career was spent with Swindon and Reading. He first rode for the Robins - where he became an iconic figure - in 1977 and appeared for the club until the end of the 1983 season before switching to Reading. He latterly had a spell as Robins team manager and also turned out for the Swindon Sprockets at Conference League level into his mid-40s. His Speedway Farewell meeting was staged at Blunsdon in 2005. After retiring from racing he co-promoted Reading for their final eighteen months before the closure of Smallmead. The Racers' original promoter, Reg Fearman - now retired and living happily in Henley - told Reading Guide: "It's particularly sad when somebody who enjoyed life so much and contributed so much to the enjoyment of others, dies at such a relatively young age. Malcolm was one of the good guys - an exciting sort of speedway rider, and shrewd enough after that as a businessman to move on into promoting." Swindon co-promoter Alun Rossiter, one of the people who knew Holloway best, said: “We had so much in common with the way our careers and lives developed both in and away from speedway. I knew he’d been poorly for a while but he was determined that he wouldn’t change anything, he was always going to live life his way. The place is going to be a lot quieter without him."  ROYALS HOPE THAT THE ICEMAN COMETH BACK NEXT SEASON!HE'S the last remaining on-field link with the Royals' recent Premier League past - now the club want Brynjar Gunnarsson to be an off-field part of what they hope will be a glorious Premier League future. It looked as though the 36-year-old Icelander's last act as a Reading player would be giving away a last-minute penalty in the final game of the season at Birmingham. But manager Brian McDermott is determined to keep Boris - known as that by the fans because of his likeness to a certain German tennis player (!) - whether or not he eventually wins a place in the strictly-limited 25-man Premier League squad. He's been offered a new playing contract, but in reality it's more likely he will stay as part of the coaching staff. Manager Mac said: "Whether that's in the 25 or not, it's about him being here to add experience to what we've got. He's just a great person and a great professional. I told him that whatever happens, I want him to be around." 
 GRIFF'S AMONG THOSE ON HIS WAY AS ROYALS SHUFFLE PACKFIVE of the players who collected medals and joined the shenanigans during during Reading FC's celebrations at the Mad Stad on Sunday will not be with the club next season. Defender Andy Griffin, and midfielder Tomasz Cywka have been released, as have loan players Matt Connolly, Hayden Mullins and Benik Afobe, who will return to QPR, Portsmouth and Arsenal respectively. Midfielder Brian Howard has also left, along wioth the others released - Cedric Baseya, Cameron Edwards, Ethan Gage, John Goddard, Simon Locke, Carl McHugh, Jack Mills, David Murphy, Frankie Raymond, Jacob Walcott, Dan Carr and James Murphy. Ten others have come to the end of their contracts, but are in discussions over renewal, including the club's longest-serving player, Brynjar Gunnarsson, and another evergreen, Ian Harte. Also considering their offers to stay are Nick Arnold, Jonathan Henly, Michael Hector, Charlie Losasso, Matt Partridge, Dean Santangelo, Gozie Ugwu and Josh Webb - Josh is the third generation of his family to play for Reading behind his father Neil and Grandad Douggie. Along with Henly, Santangelo and Partridge, young Webbie has the chance to move up from Academy to pro terms. Those who had already extended their contracts recently are Jay Tabb, Alex McCarthy, Jimmy Kebe, Joseph Mills, Jake Taylor, Mikkel Andersen, Dominic Samuel and Ryan Edwards. All the others on the club's books have ongoing contracts. One problem the club faces is that in the Premier League they have to nominate a squad of 25 players - while there's a slight benefit in being able to choose from seven subs per match. Brian McDermott's comments from the club website. Web fanzine The Tilehurst End also has an interesting tribute to the main trio of departees. 
 UNI STUDENTS BRING HISTORY TO LIFE AT URE MUSEUMANCIENT history will come to life at the launch of a new student exhibition in the University of Reading’s Ure Museum. The innovative new work, which has been produced as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, will be showcased for the first time on Saturday - and the event is open to the public. There will be a chance for all the family to decorate their own Grecian pots, play some ancient games and learn about animation, in the atmospheric setting of the Ure Museum, which houses around 2,000 ancient Greek and Egyptian archaeological finds. In a series of workshops University of Reading Classics students have worked alongside local schools to create the unique take on ancient Greek art. Pupils at Maiden Erlegh and Kendrick have designed and created giant versions of some of the museum’s ancient urns, which will be brought to life with digitally projected animations, inspired by the friezes that are commonly seen on pottery from the period. The project was undertaken as part of the ‘Stories of the World’ initiative, which aims to get young people working with curators, filmmakers, artists, writers and musicians to explore and reinterpret museum collections, giving a new perspective on the stories that tell us about our place in the world. Alice Le Page, Education Officer and Assistant Curator of the Ure Museum, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to be involved with the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. We hope that the exhibition showcasing the students’ creativity and hard work will give people a new appreciation of the ancient Greeks, especially as the modern Olympic Games were inspired by the Greek tradition." 
EVER since Thames Water's head of water-efficiency, John Sullivan, lectured us on how we should be "proud to have brown lawns and dirty cars" throughout the summer, it has hardly stopped raining. The driest March in recent years has given way to what is now confirmed as the wettest April EVER. Local rivers are running high and fast, and flash-flooding has kept the fire service busy. The weather forecast says there's more of the same to come - much more. But Mr Sullivan, perhaps predictably, says that these torrential downpours have been but a drop in the ocean. He said: "We’ve had some rain recently and, although for us, the wetter the better, a few wet days are not going to be enough to get us out of a drought caused by two years of below-average rainfall. While it may have been raining cats and dogs, really we need it to rain rhinos and reindeer for many months.” While some people, not least the thousands of avid gardeners locally, face seeing their handiwork - and not insigificant financial outlay - wrecked by the hosepipe ban, there are doubtless less harmful ways to help preserve water supplies which will find more favour with the public. For example, not letting the tap run whilst cleaning teeth, and taking a quick shower rather than a long, deep bath. One thought which occurs to some - how tough would it be for the hose ban to be put on a rota per postcode area, giving everyone, say, one day per week when they could use a hose? And how tough would it be to make it a sprinkler ban rather than one on hosepipes? Thames, however, is offering worthwhile help by offering free water-saving devices.  READING UNI SCIENTISTS SAYING GIVE BEES A CHANCE!PARKS, gardens, allotments, cemeteries and other natural and man-made habitats across Reading will be studied by scientists from the University of Reading this spring as part of the next phase of a three year, £1.3million research project examining how bees, flies and other pollinating insects are affected by urbanisation. Over the next few months, teams of ecologists will be sampling plants, pollinators and their interactions in gardens across four UK urban areas - Reading, Bristol, Edinburgh and Leeds. They will also be creating large flower meadows in 15 sites in public parks and school grounds in each urban area. These flower-rich meadows will provide pollen and nectar for pollinating insects and act as ‘wildlife corridors’, allowing insects and other invertebrates to thrive. Urban areas now comprise nine per cent of land in the UK so it is important to know how pollinators are affected by city life. This fieldwork will provide exact data on where pollinators can be found in the UK and shed light on the complex network of interactions between plants and their pollinators. The information collected will ultimately help local authorities to bring about more effective conservation management of these important insects. Professor Simon Potts, Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at the University of Reading, said: “The parks, gardens and green spaces of Reading would be far less colourful without the bees, beetles and butterflies which pollinate our flowers, and gardeners would be without some of their favourite fruits and vegetables without pollinators playing their part. This research will help to suggest the most effective conservation methods and ensure a better future for these fascinating and hard-working insects we so often take for granted.”  NEW LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR COMMUTERSIT has been revealed that the Thames Valley has the most overcrowded commuter trains in the country - but the main local operator, First Great Western, has announced that help is at hand. FGW, known, somewhat unkindly, by some commuters as "Worst Great Western", says it is making a £29million investment in 48 new carriages which "will deliver thousands of extra seats across the network". This, they say, is in adition to the 36 new carriages announced last year for the West Country. First Great Western Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “We’ve seen an ever increasing demand for travel on our services. While that is gratifying in one respect, it can lead to overcrowding on peak services, which is why we’ve been working to secure additional carriages. We have put together an innovative deal that maximises the benefit to customers. CLICK FOR FULL STORY >>.  400 JOBS TO BE CREATED AS IKEA STORE GETS GO-AHEADPLANS for a huge new Ikea store at Calcot have been approved by the West Berkshire Council Planning Committee. There had been objections to an application by the Swedish furniture and furnishings giant to build at the Pincents Lane Retail Park, but after some slight amendments to the original application, and assurances given to an earlier public meeting, the committee approved the project by seven votes to four. The £10m store, due to open in two years, is expected to create 400 new jobs in the Reading area, but objectors said they feared traffic chaos around Junction 12 of the M4 and on the A4 near the already-busy roundabout on the A4 outside the Savacentre store. An Ikea statement said: "In response to concerns, where possible, we sought to address and agree on improvements to the scheme." CLICK FOR FULL STORY >>.  
 THE detail has now been put into the route the Olympic torch relay will take around the Reading area on July 10th and 11th - and local residents on all four sides of the town will have ample opportunity to take in one of the great spectacles of our time. On Tuesday the 10th, the torch will start in Oxford, and move on through Abingdon, Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Nettlebed, Henley-on-Thames - where it will travel by rowing boat - Bisham, Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor, Egham, Ascot, Bracknell and finally Reading for the overnight stop. The Torch is scheduled to reach the east side of Reading borough along the A4 London Road, near Palmer Park, around 6pm. It will continue along London Road towards the town centre, heading down London Street, across the IDR and looping around the riverside at The Oracle centre before being transported to the Madejski Stadium for the 7pm ceremonial lighting of an Olympic cauldron. After that it's an evening of celebration and entertainment starting at the Mad Stad - where more than 20,000 free seats will be available - and continuing later in the town centre. Next morning (Wednesday 11th) it will leave from Caversham Court at 8am. CLICK FOR FULL STORY >> and more details.
 EVERY ONE A HERO OR HEROINE AMONG THE TORCHBEARERSMORE than 7,000 of the 8,000 people who will carry the torch on its journey around Britain have now been named, including those who will carry the flame on the stage into Reading on July 10th and out again on the 11th. All have been handpicked from the original mountain of applications because they have something "special" about them, either having unsung achievements, overcoming illness, or making an outstanding contribution to their community. Strangely not all the people running through a locality are from there - for example, Susan Sedden (pictured) is from Wargrave, but will be running a leg of the relay at Egham on the 10th. Susan's nomination, from her daughter Hannah, outlined an inspirational story of overcoming adversity in business, whilst battling cancer and bringing up a family. CLICK FOR FULL STORY >> and names of all the torchbearers for the two days involving Reading.  FORMER READING STUDENT RETURNS WITH ART DISPLAYREADING-based art organisations, roves and roams and Jelly, are working together to produce "Context", a town-wide exhibition of work by Chris Stevens. The London artist, who graduated from Reading University in 1978, has since exhibited internationally and was awarded the BP Portrait Award from the National Portrait Gallery in the ‘90’s. Stevens says of his work: “I always use figures in my paintings. I use them to challenge the preconceptions we have about people due to media stereotyping. The paintings are concerned with identity, class, race, gender and the environment. This narrative is an essential element in my work”. The notion behind Context is to support the use of alternative creative space in order to reach new audiences and reconceptualise the ways we experience public art. Between Saturday 12th May and Saturday 3rd June, the paintings will be on show at various spots around Reading town centre with locations including windows in Broad Street Mall and the Oracle. roves and roams produce events, exhibitions and publications which are committed to presenting experimental national and international artists, enabling wider engagement between new work and new audiences. Jelly is an energetic charity championing the creative arts, which has played a strategic role in Reading’s cultural life since 1993. MORE INFO >>. 
 AFTER a huge effort, which made it a red-hot favourite to be the English town awarded City status as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Reading has failed for the third time in its bid to be upgraded. Unlike previous years, when several towns were awarded upgrades, this time there was only one place for each of England, Scotland and Wales. Chelmsford got the nod for the English place, making it the first City in Essex. Perth won the Scottish accolade, with St Asaph in Wales becoming the smallest city in the UK. The decision on this, which also stunned other front runners Bournemouth, Middlesbrough and Bolton, was technically given by the Queen, as part of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. In reality it will have been adjudicated by a committee of civil servants who may have a downer on Reading which clearly seemed to have the most convincing claims. Reading's Labour-controlled council took the disappointment on the chin, council leader Jo Lovelock saying: "It's a little ironic that we have not been recognised with City Status, when most people think of us as a city in any case. It is disappointing, particularly when we have just been named European Micro City of the Future and fifth best European city overall behind London, Paris, Vienna and Moscow."CLICK FOR FULL STORY >> and more comments.
 THE CURE, KASABIAN AND FOO FIGHTERS THEHEADLINE ACTS FOR 2012 READING FESTIVAL THE big three headline acts for the 2012 Reading Festival are The Cure on Friday, Kasabian on Saturday and the Foo Fighters, who will close the show on the Sunday. Backing them up, respectively, will be Paramore the Tennessee rockers who were a big hit last year - plus another of last year's successes, Florence and the Machine and Ohio rock band The Black Keys. There is no actual Reading band amongst the acts announced so far, but there is local interest in You Me at Six, elevated to the main stage after an appearance on one of the outside stages last year. The five lads from Guildford sometimes rehearse in Reading and recorded their second album here. The Bombay Bicycle Club also make it to a main stage billing after achieving cult success at Reading previously. And any football fans amongst the festival-goers will be delighted to see Ealing rockers The Vaccines high up the bill - their career has received a boost with frequent musical inserts in Sky's Soccer AM Saturday morning show. As for the mainline acts, The Cure, originally from Crawley, have a history dating back 36 years, while Kasabian, from Leicester, have built their reputation over 15 solid years. Foo Fighters originated from Seattle, USA, in 1994. Dave Grohl, previously drummer with Nirvana, founded the band and is still its leader today, now on vocals and rhythm guitar. Organisers Festival Republic have produced their usual excellent briefing information for festival-goers - and local residents who may not appreciate the finer points of the event, which this year is from August 24th to 26th. LINE-UP SO FAR and ticket details. 
 IF you're reading this at home in the Thames Valley - even better if you are reading it in your workplace - you can rest easy that even in these uncomfortable economic times, you are likely to be comparatively better off financially than anyone else in the country. Because a Government survey has shown that six of the Top 20 places in Britain to earn the most money are in Berkshire, and four more in the Top 30 are nearby. Top place in the country in the Office of National Statistics survey - obviously - is the City of London where the average weekly wage is £980. But second, and the best place to work in Big-Bucks Berks, is Bracknell, where the average weekly salary is £698. In fourth place is Wokingham on £666, with Slough 11th on £603, West Berks 18th at £584 and Reading 19th with an average weekly wage of £582, while Windsor and Maidenhead borough sits 20th on £580. And not far behind come Wycombe (21st, £577), Guildford (25th, £570) and Basingstoke (29th, £560) with Runnymede 7th on £624. Bracknell's secret is big corporate employers such as Panasonic, Fujitsu, Dell, BMW and Hewlett-Packard, as well as the HQ of ever-expanding supermarket giants Waitrose. The West Country and North West have most areas in the bottom 20.
 QUEEN TO VISIT HENLEY ON DIAMOND JUBILEE TOURMANY events are being planned locally for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but people in the Thames Valley will have only one opportunity to see the Queen in person during her UK Diamond Jubilee Tour, and that's at Henley-on-Thames. Between March 8th and July 25th Her Majesty will visit 50 towns, cities and counties, but Henley, where she will be on June 25th, is one of only three single destinations on any day. It is also the only place on the list within 40 miles of Reading. A statement on the official website of the British Monarchy, announcing the places to be visited, said: "Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will mark the year of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a series of regional visits throughout the United Kingdom. Touring the country by road, rail, air and sea, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel widely across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These visits will give Her Majesty the opportunity to express her thanks to people throughout the country for their continued support and loyalty." 
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