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READING DIRECTORY— 1 9 1 7 .

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street, in the sam e m onth as th e sessions fo r th e c o u n ty . T h e C ou n ty
C ouncil h old s all its fu ll m eetin gs at th e A ssize courts, and the various
com m ittees m e o t at the C ou n ty offices.
T h e C orn E x ch a n ge , b u ilt in 1854, is ab ou t 100 feet lon g and 50 feet
w ide, and has a glass r o o f ; it is ap p roa ch ed b y a n a rrow cov ered w ay
from the M ark et place, and o v er the entrance is a sm all to w e r w ith
c lo c k ; the same co v e re d w ay g iv e s access to the C ov ered M a rk e t, a
narrow confined structure in B road street, erected in 1854. Stalls have
been e rected in the C ov ered M a rk e t, and in continuation o f this bu ildin g
a fine arcade has been b u ilt th rou g h in to E riar street. T h e m arket daws
¡ire— S aturd ay fo r corn and sto ck cattle and M o n d a y fo r fa t cattle. F airs
are held on F eb ru a ry 2, M a y 1 fo r ca ttle , J u ly 25 fo r ca ttle, S ept. 21 fo r
cheese and cattle.
T h e C attle m arket and a b a tto irs, the p ro p e rty o f the C orp ora tion of
R ea d in g , are on the w e st sid e o f th e C aversham road and close t o the
stations o f the G reat W e ste r n , tho S outh E astern and C hatham and the
South W estern railw ays.
T h ere are nine banks— L lo y d s B a n k L im ited , M arket p l a c e ; sub­
bran ch , O x fo rd road ■ B a rcla y and C om p an y L im ited , w ith w h ich
is in co rp o ra te d J . and C. S im on ds an d Co. (R ea d in g B an k ), K in g
street and O xford road and B r id g e street, Caversham ; a bran ch o f the
L on d on C ou n ty and W estm in ste r B an k L im ite d , in M a rk et p la c e ; the
C apital and C ounties B an k L im ite d , in B road street, w ith sub-branches
in W o k in g h a m road and 20 B r id g e street, C aversham ; the L o n d o n and
South W e ste rn B an k L im ite d , in K in g s t r e e t ; the L on d on C ity and
M idland B an k L im ite d , F ria r street and B road s t r e e t ; a bran ch o f the
U n ited C ounties B an k L im ite d , in B road s t r e e t ; a bran ch o f the
N ation al P ro v in cia l B an k o f E n glan d L im ite d , in Queen V ic to r ia street,
and F a rro w ’s B an k L im ite d , in B ro a d s t r e e t ; there is also a Savings
Bank, founded in 1817, in L o n d o n street, w ith branch offices in O xford
road and W o k in g h a m Toad.
H is M a je s ty ’s P ris o n , situated o n the east side o f th e ab bey ruins
in F o rb u r y road, includes w ith in its p recin cts the fou n d a tion s o f the
eastern p ortion o f the c h u r c h ; it w as erected in 1843, and is a
castellated bu ild in g o f red b rick , w ith w h ite stone dressings, arran ged
to hold 224 p riso n e r s; it was one o f the first p rison s b u ilt on the
separate system .
T h e B o ro u g h P o lice S ta tion is at T h e F o rb u ry .
T h e head qu arters o f the cou n ty con stabu lary are a t R ea d in g , the
station b e in g in A b b e y street
T he M ason ic H all, in G rev friars road, is a stru ctu re o f b rick and ston e,
relieved w ith em blem a tic d esign s, an d is used fo r the m eetin g o f the
U n ion , G reyfviars, K e n d rick , M artin and M orla n d lod ges.
T h e B aths are in K in g ’s m eadow s. T h ere is also a S w im m ing B ath
for ladies and gentlem en in th e T ilehurat road, b u ilt b y th e C orporation ,
and opened in O ctob er, 1912. T h e A rth u r H ill M em orial B ath s, in
K in g ’ s road, w ere erected in 1911 b y th e ch ild ren o f th e late A lderm an
H ill in m em ory o f th e ir father.
. T he R o y a l C oun ty T heatre,^ in F ria r street, near the railw ay station s,
is a v ery sp aciou s and elegantly d ecorated b u ildin g, and is li g h t e d .