Reading Farmer's Markets!

I'm so pleased to discover there's a Farmer's Market in Reading Town Centre! :) held on Saturday's, twice monthly! I've yet to find out the 2010 dates but can't wait to visit & see what will be on offer.

More Info:
http://www.map-reading.co.uk/rfm/index.html

Oh Coffee!

I have been missing coffee here. Good coffee. Seems you have to do a bit of research and go through some trial and error to find a decent coffee so far in the UK. It's definitely hit & miss & so far...well, mostly miss! The other half refuses to walk into Starbucks (or any of the other big coffee chains found almost everywhere), and to be honest, i'm also reluctant but do get desperate! It means we generally stick to the safer option & order tea! I think the longer we're here we'll start to find the kind of cafe's that remind us a little of the coffee culture that is in Perth.. but in the meantime I carry on searching..

Blogs like these help point me in the right direction while i get to know Reading: http://readingroars.com/wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee-tesco-shoppers/

Will have to try this suggestion: http://www.workhousecoffee.co.uk/

And this one: http://www.picnicfoods.co.uk/

Will let you know how it goes.

Reading road rage & other observations..

We got our lease car this week, and got a brand new GPS system as a xmas gift so we put it to good use and got away for a few days - a visit to Stonehenge & overnight in Bath. It was lovely driving through the countryside and Bath was just amazing!
What is not so much fun is driving in & around Reading. What should be a 10 minute trip takes no less than half an hour..and that's in good traffic (off peak!). A combination of roads in an old town, lots of one way streets, so many traffic lights/roundabouts, more traffic than the roads can handle and people generally not giving way/merging! It's all a bit of a mess here and it seems the locals are just used to the system.. definitely need patience if you want to get anywhere in a car in Reading. Looks like getting around on a bicycle is the way to go... which is a good way to work off all the dining out anyway!! :) just need a waterproof jacket...

A few other things:
Why are chips served/offered with every meal?? Is this a UK thing?

Giving way (in cars & on the footpath)..not done much...

Dark by 4pm :( Plays havoc with my body clock, want dinner by 5pm & bed by 7pm?! This UK winter is going to turn me into a nanna.

Jamie Oliver's Italian

pending..

The London St Brasserie

pending..

The Lyndhurst - Our New Local!

We are pleased to discover a little corner Pub close to home called the Lyndhurst. A cosy & inviting pub that serves beers & awesome "pub grub". The service/bar staff is very friendly and we hope to soon be feeling like one of the locals here! A perfect place to drop in for a beer or cider on the way home from hitting the shops at The Oracle :)

Had a very special dinner here with my friends who had come to visit for the night...We ordered:
Honey Mustard Chicken
Steak Burger
Turkey Roast
Green Curry and 
2 bottles of red

All the food was exceptional, service great and don't think anything was over 10GBP! The owners who run this pub also have 2 other pubs in the Reading area, that we are very keen to checkout.
Here is a link to their website: http://www.spirit-house.co.uk/lyndhurst/ 

Loving: Christmas Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings for around 8GBP! Delicious & generous portion.

Not feeling the Love: Calling at 5.50pm to place a take away order, being asked to call back at 6pm!

The Back & Beyond!

pending..

A new blog in Reading, UK

15th December 2009 - A great time to relocate from Perth, Australia to Reading, UK - Christmas Wintertime! We were lucky to arrive just in time for snow, which made the shock of coming from 39 degrees & every morning at the beach to 0 degrees much more appealing.. lets hope the novelty doesn't wear off too soon!

We have temporary accomodation in a tiny but nice apartment, and as it is the silly season, and the kitchen is not well equiped for cooking, the next few weeks will see us dining out more than usual. A few google searches for restaurant reviews around Reading doesn't turn up much and so LBB - Britain blog is born! Seems like a good time to start my own list of restaurant & pub reviews around Reading (our new home for the next year or so) and maybe also a few reviews from the surrounding areas we hope to visit in Britain.