A miracle, an £84million tower and a hidden party in the woods: June in Reading

What really happened in Reading in June 2026

Looking for the best Reading news and stories from June 2026? Here are the biggest investigations, interviews and features published by The Reading Reporter during the month.

Did you know about the group of ravers who danced happily in front of a sound system hidden in woodland just outside of Reading?

Or that one of Reading's most recognisable landmarks is for sale for £84million? And that it's owned by Staines?

Or that hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash has a Reading mug in his extensive collection from touring the globe?

Subscribers to The Reading Reporter have already had all this insider information – and much more besides – in June.

It was a month dominated by stories about parties and property.

The Miracle on King Street – how Reading Bike Hub has turned the desolate former Mothercare into a thriving community space – was only possible because of the generosity of a local landlord. But there's an ironic twist: the circumstances that brought the Bike Hub into being are now threatening its future.

The financial gravity at work in Reading might yet pull it apart.

The miracle on King Street – and why it's under threat

In many ways, Thames Tower represents modern Reading’s financial might in one red-clad building. It tells us about the lives of people who work here – and the future of this town.

So it might surprise you to learn that its current owner is a small market town 20-odd miles down the road in Surrey, made infamous by Ali G.

Not for much longer. You could buy it, if you've a spare £84m down the back of your sofa.

The Reading Reporter got hold of the private sales brochure produced for potential investors – and it revealed something unexpected about Reading's future

Thames Tower is for sale. And it’s owned by Staines. Here’s the answer to the £84million question…

Just next door at the Ebb & Flow buildings at Station Hill, there is another sign of change in Reading town centre.

There could also be a potential unintended political consequence of housing new communities in the sky. A source told me that there is already evidence of this change in action.

Our political landscape could change along with the skyline.

The hidden cost of Reading's town centre flats boom

It's a complicated place, Reading.

Statistics show that Reading is Britain's second most affluent "city". It has some of the highest levels of affluence in the UK and some of the lowest levels of deprivation.

Many residents might struggle to believe that, however. That's because statistics do not show what deprivation really feels like.

Reading is Britain's second most affluent "city". So why doesn't it feel that way?

The innovative Readipop charity helps disadvantaged people access music – and change their lives.

But their much-loved summer festival has become a victim of a £100,000 cost increase that has meant an indefinite pause to that party.

At least Grandmaster Flash has one of their mugs from his performance there in 2022.

But the festival's not dead yet, so Readipop told me. They have exciting plans for the future.

Why Readipop Festival went quiet – but it's not gone forever

One party that's still jumping is that one in the woods – if you know where to find it. 

People there also danced inside a mysterious, makeshift and rather wonky church.

Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull once found their way here too, among the hidden community on Reading's doorstep.

The sun, the rave, and the strange place that makes sense of the heatwave

If you want to know what’s really happening in Reading, here's the good news.

In June, I launched The Reading Insider, my new Saturday newsletter. It's your weekly guide to the hidden life of this town.

It contains exclusive stories, uncovered information – and a new way to see Reading. 

Introducing… The Reading Insider

If you enjoyed these stories, you'll find many more like them on Substack. 

The Reading Reporter publishes exclusive reporting, investigations and untold stories about this town every week. It is the only place for original, quality, independent journalism in Reading.

Join free or become a paid subscriber today so you don’t miss out. 

Find out what happened in July – as it happens!

See you there,

Chris (The Reading Reporter)