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READING DIRECTORY— 1 9 1 4 .

Reading is the d ep ot of the 1st (late 49th F oot) and 2nd (late 66 th
F oot) Battalions of the Princess Charlotte of W a les’ s R oya l Berkshire
R egim ent.: it is also the head quarters o f the 3rd Battalion (Special
R eserve) and the 4th Battalion (Territorial). The barracks, situated on
the O xford road, w ithin the lim its of the borough, have am ple drill
grounds. In St. M ary’ s Butts are situated the head quarters o f the
4th B attalion (T erritorial) of the R oya l Berkshire Regim ent. Reading
is also the head quarters of the Berks Y eom anry, the Berkshire B attery
R oya l H orse A rtille ry and the 2nd South M idland M ounted B rigade
T ran sport and Supply Colum n, A rm y Service Corps.
T he M asonic H all, in G reyfriars road, is a structure of brick and stone,
relieved w ith em blem atic designs', and is used for the m eeting o f the
U n ion , G reyfriars, K en d rick , M artin and M orland lodges.
T he Baths are in K in g ’ s m eadows. There is also a Sw im m ing Bath
for ladies and gentlem en in the Tilehurst road, built b y the C orporation ,
and opened in O ctober, 1912. T he A rth u r H ill M em orial Baths, in
K in g 's road, w ere erected in 1912 b y the children of the late A lderm an
H ill in m em ory o f their father.
T h e R o y a l C ou nty Theatre, in F riar street, near the railw ay stations,
is a very spacious and elegan tly decorated building, and is lighted
throughout b y electricity, and ranks as one o f the m ost perfectly
equipped theatres in the provinces ; the means o f exit are w ell arranged,
and the buildin g w ill hold an audience o f 1,2 0 0 persons.
T he Athenaeum Club, established in 1842, is a terra cotta and stone
building in F riar street.
In F ria r street a buildin g w ith a fron ta ge o f 122ft. o f red and grey
bricks and terra cotta, w ith columns o f A berdeen and Cornish granite,
has been constructed for offices and shops, w ith a fine arcade in the rear,
open in g in to the C overed-in M arket and g iv in g a rig h t o f w ay from
F riar street to B road street. N ear th e entrance to th e arcade are the
county cou rt offices.
T he Y o u n g M en’ s Christian A ssociation , 30 and 31 F ria r street, is' a
social club on "a definitely Christian but in terdenom inational basis. I t
has upw ards o f 700 m em bers resident in R eadin g, and a bout 350 w ho
continue their mem bership though th ey have left th e tow n. F o r educa=
lional purposes it is affiliated to the U n iversity C ollege, R eadin g, which
p rovides even ing classes^ in a large num ber o f practical su bjects ; there
are large reading, w ritin g and recreation room s, gym nasium and hot
and cold baths always r e a d y ; boatin g, cricket, cam era, tennis, chess,
footb a ll, h ock ey and other clubs, and priva te a th letic ground w ith
pavilion in L ieb en rood road. T h e minim um annual subscription is six
shillings, or, including all club fees, 10s. 6d. T he A ssociation is
affiliated to the In tern ation al U nion o f Y . M . C. As. w hich has upwards
o f 8,000 branches all over the civilised w orld. A n introduction to any
other A ssociation can be obtain ed b y any enrolled mem ber. M em bers
have the privilege o f in trod ucin g their friends to the A ssocia tion room s,
which are opened d a ily from 8.45 a.m. to 10.30 p.m . and on Sundays
from 2 to 6.15 p.m . and from 8 to 9.45 p.m . A large num ber o f clergy
and m inisters of the tow n are h onorary members. T he secretary is in
attendance from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m . and 7 p.m . to 10 p.m . and will
be glad to g iv e any in form ation or be o f service in any possible w ay.