Community blog

We are now just a month away from our street party on July 5th where we will celebrate our community and the joy of peace in Europe. Victory in Europe (VE) Day marks the day that the allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi forces, thus bringing the 2nd World War in Europe to an end.

In Reading the Mayor formally announced the end of the war at Queen Victoria’s statue by the Town Hall and street parties were held all over town. You can explore photos of VE Day festivities across Reading on the Reading Museum website – but naturally, the Wantage Road party looks the most fun of all!

🙋‍♀️ What we need from you

To make this year’s celebration as vibrant and welcoming as the original, we’re looking for:

• Tables and chairs - any folding or outdoor furniture we can borrow for the day to create a long communal table.
• Tablecloths and festive decorations - especially homemade touches that add personality and charm.
• Helpers - to assist with setting up in the morning, decorating, and packing away at the end.

If you can contribute any of these - or want to lend a hand on the day - please get in touch

• Join our Facebook Group to stay updated and connect with other neighbours: Wantage Road Community Group
• Prefer email? Drop us a message here: Contact Form

See you there - and bring your best VE Day spirit!

If you live on or near Wantage Road, you’re in the 07R parking permit zone - but figuring out exactly where you're allowed to park isn’t always straightforward.

That’s why we’ve taken the original, hard-to-read council map and traced it into a much clearer version (see below 👇). Now it’s easy to see which streets fall inside the 07R zone - no squinting at fuzzy PDFs required!

✅ Streets Included in the 07R Zone

Here’s a simple list of the streets where 07R residents can park with a valid permit:

• Albany Road
• Baron Court
• Belmont Road
• Canford Court (Wilton Road)
• Connaught Close & Connaught Road
• Cranbury Road
• Edgar Milward Close
• Edinburgh Road
• Elm Lodge Avenue, Elm Park & Elm Park Road
• Gloucester Road
• Hilcot Road
• Kensington Road
• Kent Road
• Lancing Close
• Norfolk Road
• Oxford Road (291–555 odd numbers)
• Prince of Wales Avenue
• Richmond Road
• Rutland Road
• St Edward’s Road
• Suffolk Road
• Tilehurst Road (62–212A even numbers)
• Wantage Road
• Waverley Road (1–25 odd numbers)
• Western Elms Avenue
• Wilton Road
• Wilson Road
• Wood Green Close

🕒 What the parking sign really means

We’ll be honest - the sign’s wording confuses a lot of people (residents and visitors alike). Here’s a simple breakdown of what it actually means:

• 8am–8pm:
  Visitors can park for up to 2 hours (but can’t return within 2 hours).
  Residents with a 07R permit can park all day.
• 8pm–8am:
  Only 07R permit holders can park - no visitor parking overnight.

Long before weekend street parties and modern festivals, Wantage Road was already a bustling hub of community life—its story stretching back well over 30 years. From horse-drawn carts and Victorian terraces to matchday pilgrimages at Elm Park and wartime celebrations, let’s rewind the clock and explore the moments that shaped our street.

Victorian beginnings & early 20th-century life

In the late 1800s, Wantage Road emerged as a residential artery lined with red-brick terraces and modest shopfronts. Horse-drawn delivery carts clattered past for daily essentials, and families set down roots in neat bay-windowed homes. Street lamps were gas-lit, and letterpress notices tacked to telegraph poles announced local news.

Post-war reprieve: Victory in Europe Day, May 1945

Residents draped handmade bunting and crafted newspaper-folded party hats to mark VE Day—joy against the backdrop of war-scarred Britain.

When news of Victory in Europe arrived on May 8, 1945, the street transformed overnight into a scene of jubilation. Improvised bunting—stitched from fabric scraps—and newspaper hats typified the resourcefulness of a community emerging from years of hardship. Long tables groaned under shared fare, and neighbours finally had cause to celebrate together once more.

Elm park matchday rituals, 1950s–1998

Fans queued in brisk morning air, winding around the corner toward Elm Park’s ticket office—eager for every home fixture.

For nearly half a century, Reading Football Club’s Elm Park ground sat just around the corner on Elm Park Road. By the 1950s, throngs of supporters—bowler hats, scarves, and ticket stubs in hand—would snake down Wantage Road, waiting patiently for gates to open. Street vendors seized the opportunity, selling hot tea and match programmes, while neighbours peeked out to gauge the day’s turnout.

• Peak crowds: Attendances regularly topped 20,000, meaning queues could stretch from the turnstiles up to the junction with Waverley Road.
• Community pulse: Matchdays were social events—old friends catching up, local bands sometimes playing impromptu pre-match tunes.

An aerial photograph of Elm Park, the former home of Reading Football Club in the 90's. A great view of the Spread Eagle and Wantage Road at the top.

Architectural shifts & mid-century modern

As car ownership rose in the 1960s and ’70s, front gardens gave way to driveways. Shopfronts modernized their signage, and gas lamps were replaced with electric streetlights. Yet even as the façade changed, the close-knit spirit remained. The Spread Eagle pub (later renamed) and the corner grocer became informal gathering spots where residents traded gossip and good-natured banter.

Why it matters today

These snippets of Wantage Road’s past—VE Day celebrations, Elm Park matchday lines, terrace-house life—remind us that our street has always been more than brick and mortar. It’s a tapestry woven from shared experiences:

Resilience & resourcefulness (wire-stitching bunting from scraps).

Community rituals (weekly football queues forging unlikely friendships).

Ever-evolving streetscape (from horse carts to hatchbacks, gas lamps to LEDs).

As we plan future gatherings—be it commemorations, street fetes, or simply a neighbourly cup of tea—let’s honor these traditions. After all, every generation adds its own chapter to the story of Wantage Road.

Your Turn:
Do you have memories or heirloom photographs dating back before 1995? Share them with us at history@wantage-road.uk so we can keep our community’s heritage alive for decades more.

The Wantage Road Street Party is back! On Saturday, July 5th, we’ll be bringing the neighbourhood together once again for a day full of laughter, music, games, and good old-fashioned community spirit. But here’s the thing—it takes a village to throw a street party. That’s where you come in.

Whether you’ve lived on Wantage Road for decades or just moved in, there are lots of small (and big!) ways to contribute and be part of something special. Here’s how you can get involved:

🗣️ Spread the Word

Let’s make sure no one misses out on the fun!

• Share our Facebook Event: Click here to RSVP and invite your neighbours.
• Print a flyer: Pop one in a window, on a noticeboard, or pass it along.
• Talk to your neighbours: A friendly chat goes a long way—especially for those who might not be online.
• Use the hashtag: Tag posts and pics with #WantageRoadParty2025—we’ll be resharing community updates and shoutouts!

🤝 Lend a Hand on the Day

We need volunteers to help with:

• Setting up tables, chairs, and decorations
• Running stalls or games
• Stewarding and keeping things safe
• Tidying up after the party

Whether you’ve got an hour to spare or can commit to a full shift, every bit of help is appreciated.

🧁 Have a Skill or Idea?

Musician? Baker? Face-painter? Bubbly personality who loves games? We'd love to hear from you! Bring your talents and creativity to the party—we want it to feel like a true reflection of all the wonderful people who call Wantage Road home.

✅ Sign Up and Stay Connected

Ready to jump in? Here’s how:

• Join our Facebook Community Group to stay updated and connect with other neighbours: Wantage Road Community Group
• Prefer email? Drop us a message here: Contact Form

Let’s come together to make this year’s Wantage Road Street Party the best yet. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🌞🎈🎶

Greener gardens, stronger community.

This spring and summer, Wantage Road is blooming - and so is West Reading! What began as a local effort on one street is now stretching out across Norfolk Road and beyond as part of a larger neighbourhood movement to make our streets more colourful, welcoming, and full of life.

West Reading in Bloom is all about using gardening as a way to bring neighbours together. Whether it’s a hanging basket on a lamppost, a window box full of wildflowers, or a wreath on your front door, every little bit contributes to a more vibrant and connected community.

🌼 What’s It All About?

This isn’t just about flowers - it’s about fostering pride, sharing joy, and encouraging wildlife. We're inviting everyone, from seasoned gardeners to curious first-timers, to take part in transforming our neighbourhood into a pollinator-friendly paradise.

You can join in by:

• Planting in your front garden or on your windowsill - even a single pot can make a difference.
• Putting up a homemade or shop-bought wreath on your door to show you’re part of the bloom.
• Growing wildflowers to attract bees and other friendly insects.
• Caring for hanging baskets on lampposts outside your home (we’ll help install them - you just help water them!).

We’re encouraging every neighbour to participate however they can - even if it’s just adding a splash of colour to your steps.

🌻 What’s Happening?

Throughout the season, we’ll be:

• Swapping seedlings and sunflower seeds to help everyone get growing.
• Decorating Easter eggs and windows to celebrate spring in style.
• Checking in on sunflower progress, with a friendly challenge later in the year to see who’s grown the tallest.
• Celebrating creativity with Easter drawings and prizes for community contributions.

And we’re not stopping there - we’re planning to recognise outstanding contributions later in the summer with informal awards for things like:

• Most colourful garden
• Best use of space
• Most eco-friendly planting
• Most improved garden
• Community choice award

It’s all in the spirit of fun and neighbourhood pride - not competition, just celebration.

🌷 Why It Matters

Besides making our streets look wonderful, planting flowers and wild greenery helps support biodiversity, attract pollinators, and create a stronger sense of belonging on our streets. It’s a way to say: we care about where we live, and we care about each other.

So whether you’re potting up your first marigold or covering your railings in sweet peas, you’re a part of West Reading in Bloom - and we can’t wait to see what grows.