It was the strangest thing, the guy said ‘I know you, you work for Thames Valley Police’ and then I could only think, ‘…am I a policeman?’ Then denying it made me sound even more suspicious.
I then went to the toilet later on, four guys came in, looked at me and then walked straight back out
Ah yeh i was going to start the list of dodgy as arseholes pubs on and around the Oxford road with Godpoda, Rose and Thistle, Wishing Well, White Eagle, Spread Eagle, Pond House, and then all the way up to the old beefeater which I think used to be called Banter or something horrendous before it was mercifully razed to the ground and an old people’s home jammed on top of it. Jesus that place was the pits, unless you wanted a fight and a cheap bag, then you were sorted every night.
I mean this was years ago so maybe it turned a corner, so I looked it up. Doesn’t sound like it - https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-pub-announces-temporary-closure-27780908.amp
Rose and Thistle used to do a brilliant Sunday roast a few years ago, when an Irish woman ran it. Then it got taken over by the 2 lesbians who let it go to shit for a bit….Spread Eagle was always good, both of these being decent Greene King pubs.
Which of those aren't dodgy? I know one has been closed recently due to recent assaults and violence on the premises and ive told my dad to avoid them all as I dont know any positives. He'd like to have a pint in a pub when he visits, though, so I'd like to be mistaken.
The Rose & Thistle, Spread Eagle and the White Eagle are all fine. I go in the Wishing Well every now and then for a pint and it's alright but the previous 3 are all nicer. Haven't been in the Pond House for years so no comment either way. Gospoda is closed.
When I first moved to Katesgrove a while back, the Red Cow was going strong. I was walking past the curved window, which had net curtains on the pub side of the windowsill, and on the windowsill was one of those big ceramic pub ashtrays. Someone’s arm was through the net curtains, and their hand was resting on the ashtray rim. It was skeletally thin, with really long yellow nails and almost transparent white wrinkly skin. It was holding a lit cigarette which had burned all the way down to the filter, leaving a rod of un-tipped ash a good few centimeters long.
The Moderation used to be as rough as a Sunday morning shag, but is now one of the better places in Reading to eat and drink. Andy really turned that pub around.
I used to work at the Abbott Cook and was told that the Jack of Both Sides was the place to go if you needed to buy a gun. Was it one pub which spanned both sides, or were there two?
The one down Great Knollys Street used to be absolutely abysmal and horrible - talking about 5/10 years ago. May have been the same before that but not sure.
The engineers arms was the roughest until it closed back in 2010? Now I would say it’s a close tie between the pheasant, the wishing well, and the queens arms.
In twenty years I literally never knew anyone who had been to the Whitley Arms on Waldeck Street. Gone now, but it always used to give me a bit of a bad vibe.
The Prince in Tilehurst is the only pub I've ever been to where the police were stationed outside searching people going in and out for most of the night
Dunno if they exist any more. The Fruitbat would give you a run for your money but it’s turned into (The Monkey Lounge) a bland, gentrified & soulless bar nowadays.
Sure was a student bar to a great extent but there was always a strong element of more local and less salubrious clientele too. Towards the very end it was rough as arseholes and stunk of weed, had sticky floors, a thoughtfully placed toilet in the cocaine room, cheap af drinks, bizarrely good quality, well cooked food and was pretty much a *festering hive of scum & villainy*. Quite good really now I think about it.
Genuinely haven’t been in a pub in reading that wasn’t an issue in any way shape or form. Stick to yourself and the people you drink with and you’ll have no issues if you don’t create them yourself!
A lot of the boozers that people are listing as dodgy are long closed now. And they aren't coming back. I know it's much cheaper to buy a case of beer in Tesco but do try and support the heros trying to run a pub amidst the shenanigans. They've put their livelyhoods into it.
Come on Reading.
Get yourself in there for a pint or two. Make your local boozer less rough.
Engineers Arms - Whitley Wood Lane was pretty rough.
I 2nd this, we had a couple of overseas engineers go in from Foster Wheeler who were beaten into a pulp. doesn't exist anymore.
The Sportsman on Shinfield Rd - scaffolder & Stella central. Only pub I’ve been in and accused of being an undercover policeman
Well...are you? I've never been there but I generally don't feel like hanging around that area too much!
It was the strangest thing, the guy said ‘I know you, you work for Thames Valley Police’ and then I could only think, ‘…am I a policeman?’ Then denying it made me sound even more suspicious. I then went to the toilet later on, four guys came in, looked at me and then walked straight back out
At least they just walked out, who knows what they could've done instead! Madness though.
The sort of thing a bizzy would say👀
I've had meals with my family there hahahaha
I had the same in the College Arms
It’s a traditional pub, as is college arms.
Pheasant probably
https://shitandnotshitpubsinreading.com/2016/01/24/the-pheasant/
Good shout.
Is that the one off Whitley street? Looks pretty rough from the outside never been in though
Suspiciously unaffected by national economic trends, the Pheasant.
I saw it on Road Wars once!
Pheasant. Prior to that, gos poda. Was the only place I’ve ever been forced out of by the locals.
Never got a good vibe from that place when I lived off Southampton Street. Nice to see my instincts weren't that far off
Ah yeh i was going to start the list of dodgy as arseholes pubs on and around the Oxford road with Godpoda, Rose and Thistle, Wishing Well, White Eagle, Spread Eagle, Pond House, and then all the way up to the old beefeater which I think used to be called Banter or something horrendous before it was mercifully razed to the ground and an old people’s home jammed on top of it. Jesus that place was the pits, unless you wanted a fight and a cheap bag, then you were sorted every night.
White Eagle is absolutely fine and their food is really decent
I mean this was years ago so maybe it turned a corner, so I looked it up. Doesn’t sound like it - https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-pub-announces-temporary-closure-27780908.amp
It’s entirely possible that the times I’ve been there I’ve just been lucky I guess, but a couple of incidents don’t make a pub a rough pub.
Half of those aren't dodgy at all. Please stop chatting absolute shit m8.
Rose and Thistle used to do a brilliant Sunday roast a few years ago, when an Irish woman ran it. Then it got taken over by the 2 lesbians who let it go to shit for a bit….Spread Eagle was always good, both of these being decent Greene King pubs.
Which of those aren't dodgy? I know one has been closed recently due to recent assaults and violence on the premises and ive told my dad to avoid them all as I dont know any positives. He'd like to have a pint in a pub when he visits, though, so I'd like to be mistaken.
The Rose & Thistle, Spread Eagle and the White Eagle are all fine. I go in the Wishing Well every now and then for a pint and it's alright but the previous 3 are all nicer. Haven't been in the Pond House for years so no comment either way. Gospoda is closed.
I always thought the Red Cow was pretty rough, but it's flats now.
On the corner of crown street and Southampton street? The bottom floor is a solicitors, I know that much
Always had that reputation when I was younger!
I remember going in there about 10 years ago and the landlady had a black eye.
When I first moved to Katesgrove a while back, the Red Cow was going strong. I was walking past the curved window, which had net curtains on the pub side of the windowsill, and on the windowsill was one of those big ceramic pub ashtrays. Someone’s arm was through the net curtains, and their hand was resting on the ashtray rim. It was skeletally thin, with really long yellow nails and almost transparent white wrinkly skin. It was holding a lit cigarette which had burned all the way down to the filter, leaving a rod of un-tipped ash a good few centimeters long.
Jesus christ
I got headbutted last time I was in the Purple Turtle. Not that I'm complaining, that's always been par the course.
The Moderation used to be as rough as a Sunday morning shag, but is now one of the better places in Reading to eat and drink. Andy really turned that pub around.
Great boozer. Beer recommended. Sunday lunch recommended. Thai food recommended.
Jack both sides, 1995
Ah yes. It had a big sign above the door which read "Courage".
That's the name of a brewery.
i came here to say this. went in as a first year uni student in '95. glanced round. walked right out and hoped i didn't get shot
I used to work at the Abbott Cook and was told that the Jack of Both Sides was the place to go if you needed to buy a gun. Was it one pub which spanned both sides, or were there two?
Wishing Well is rough as fuck.
Tell us about the last time you were in.
Celtic and Rangers game. One guy was kicking the fruit machine and stamping on the floor in frustration.
The Bugle
Closed.
The one down Great Knollys Street used to be absolutely abysmal and horrible - talking about 5/10 years ago. May have been the same before that but not sure.
The Queens arms I think
Closed.
I lived next to it in 2009 and it had already been closed a while at that point.
The engineers arms was the roughest until it closed back in 2010? Now I would say it’s a close tie between the pheasant, the wishing well, and the queens arms.
The carousel, the Queen Elizabeth, Whitley Tavern, were all awful apparently.
The Happy Prospect in Southcote (although long gone now).
In twenty years I literally never knew anyone who had been to the Whitley Arms on Waldeck Street. Gone now, but it always used to give me a bit of a bad vibe.
The Prince in Tilehurst is the only pub I've ever been to where the police were stationed outside searching people going in and out for most of the night
Dunno if they exist any more. The Fruitbat would give you a run for your money but it’s turned into (The Monkey Lounge) a bland, gentrified & soulless bar nowadays.
Really?! Always considered it a bar for uni and college students and chancers from Reading School - this was 20 years ago mind.
Sure was a student bar to a great extent but there was always a strong element of more local and less salubrious clientele too. Towards the very end it was rough as arseholes and stunk of weed, had sticky floors, a thoughtfully placed toilet in the cocaine room, cheap af drinks, bizarrely good quality, well cooked food and was pretty much a *festering hive of scum & villainy*. Quite good really now I think about it.
Fair enough, i was never a regular but never considered it to be particularly “rough” but then maybe I just fit right in there 🤔
Remember plastic faced Tony behind the bar?
£1 pints on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
I had friends who worked at The Watertower. I heard nothing good
Don’t think there are any these days!
The Boar’s Head was pretty bad. It is now underneath the Ibis/Pentahotel
O'Neil
Genuinely haven’t been in a pub in reading that wasn’t an issue in any way shape or form. Stick to yourself and the people you drink with and you’ll have no issues if you don’t create them yourself!
A lot of the boozers that people are listing as dodgy are long closed now. And they aren't coming back. I know it's much cheaper to buy a case of beer in Tesco but do try and support the heros trying to run a pub amidst the shenanigans. They've put their livelyhoods into it. Come on Reading. Get yourself in there for a pint or two. Make your local boozer less rough.