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New 3-day season tickets to be introduced for occasional home workers

Published

5 years ago

July 20, 2020

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Great Western Railway said the new initiative could help get thousands of workers back to their London offices after Boris Johnson urged the nation to return to work on Friday.

A major railway firm is proposing new three-day season tickets to help get the country back to work and reboot the London economy.

Great Western Railway said it’s in talks to introduce a new shorter weekday pass, in an attempt to get thousands of workers back to their London offices.

The network said it will also offer a 12-day pass which can be used at any time over 30-days.

The railway company, which runs services into London from towns and cities including Bath, Cardiff, Reading and Oxford, said: “Our research suggests commuters will travel, on average, into work three days a week, rather than the current five.”

The price of a standard class Great Western Railway annual pass from Reading to London Paddington is £5,620, or £4,736 excluding the cost of Tube travel within the capital itself.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, the independent watchdog, said: “A get-back-to-work message has got to be matched by the get-back-to-work rail products to underpin it.

“The only certainty about the future is that there will be less travel to work.

“I think the annual season ticket, except for a very few people, is probably pretty much dead.”

Rail firms will this week submit proposals to the Department of Transport to offer cut-price fares, with a view to come into force later this year.

It comes after Boris Johnson called on bosses to get Brits back to work – and claimed life could be back to normal by Christmas.

The Prime Minister said England could return to “near-normal” from August 1, but told employers the onus is on them to get staff back to work.

“Instead of government telling people to work from home, we’re going to give employers more discretion and ask them to make decisions about how their staff work safely,” he said.

“That could mean, of course, continuing to work from home which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees.

“Whatever employers decide they should consult closely with their employees, and only ask people to return to their place of work if it is safe.”

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OLLY MURS plays READING – Palmer Park on Friday 13th June 2025!

Published

6 days ago

April 11, 2025

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Olly Murs fans, buckle up! The Palmer Park Summer Series is delighted to announce Olly Murs Live in Palmer Park, Reading on Friday 13th June 2025.

It’s 15 years since Olly exploded onto our screens, yet he is still more determined than ever about what’s next. With 7 successful albums, 5 of them reaching no.1, in excess of 2 million tour tickets sold, 7.6M monthly Spotify listeners & a combined following of over 27M across social media, Olly has so far had an incredible career as a singer, songwriter & TV personality.

2024 was also a busy year with Olly working 44 dates touring with Take That & finishing off the summer with a run of his own headliner gigs. Having just announced a summer tour in 2025,
Olly has another action-packed year ahead of him & will be celebrating his 15-year anniversary gigging all the hits as he travels down the road to Reading, Palmer Park with Legacy Live on Friday 13th June.

Don’t miss the chance to celebrate 15 fantastic years of Olly Murs in Reading! Book your tickets now at www.legacylive.co Limited Tickets Available!

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Host a Street Party This Summer – Apply Now for Free Road Closures in Reading

Published

2 weeks ago

April 4, 2025

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People are being encouraged to bring communities together this summer by holding their own street parties as part of The Big Lunch 2025.

This year’s celebrations are particularly significant, as they coincide with the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day – a special opportunity to come together with neighbours in both celebration and commemoration.

Free Road Closures for Summer 2025 Street Parties

Reading Borough Council is once again supporting local events by covering the cost of road closure fees for street parties on any of the following weekends:

Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 June – The Big Lunch Weekend
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 June – Armed Forces Day
Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 July

How to Apply

To host a street party, residents must apply by Monday 21 April 2025. Applications must ensure the proposed road closure does not affect a main through-route or public transport route. Organisers are also asked to consult with neighbours, address any concerns, and ensure access for emergency services is maintained throughout the event.

You’ll need to provide:

Your name and contact details
The name(s) of the road(s) to be closed
The date and times of the closure
A list of the properties that will be affected
Details of how you will notify residents of the closure
Confirmation that neighbours are on board with the plans

So, roll out your bunting, get the trestle tables down from the loft, and start planning your perfect summer street party!

For more information and to submit your application, visit the Reading Borough Council website.

News

MP for Earley and Woodley Yuan Yang shortlisted for women’s prize

Published

3 weeks ago

March 28, 2025

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MP for Earley and Woodley Yuan Yang among shortlisted women for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction in 2025.

Yuan Yang, the MP for Woodley and Earley, wrote Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China, while Oxford-based Dr Rachel Clarke wrote The Story of a Heart.

Ms Puri said the non-fiction works were “united by an unforgettable voice, rigour, and unique insight”.

The shortlist is rounded out by Dr Rachel Clarke’s The Story of a Heart, The Buffalo Stance singer’s A Thousand Threads, Chloe Dalton’s Raising Hare, Clare Mulley’s Agent Zo: The Untold Stories of Courageous WW2 Resistance Fighter Elzbieta Zawacka, and Helen Scales’ What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World’s Ocean.