Reading
Reading is a large town located at the confluence of the river Thames and the River Kennet in Berkshire, approximately 25 miles from Oxford, 42 miles from London and 17 miles from Basingstoke. Reading was established in the 8th century as a market town and became prosperous over the following centuries thanks to its cloth, iron works, breweries, bulbs/seed and biscuit industries. In the 20th century the town continued to expand and is now a significant business centre and home to the UK offices of a significant number of global Pharmaceutical, Life Science and IT companies. The town has become famous for its annual Reading Festival held over the August Bank Holiday weekend and attended by thousands of music lovers.
Famous people born in Reading: Ricky Gervais (comedian) and Kate Winslet (actress)