Top of Whitley Revisited

Following the success of her first book – The Top of Whitley – in 2002, Daphne Barnes-Phillips was contacted by many people with their own memories and photographs of the Spring Gardens area of Reading, Berkshire, England so, when the original print-run had sold out, she decided that an updated version was a better option than a straightforward reprint, especially since no-one else had published anything further about the area in the meantime. As well as inserting those extra items into The Top of Whitley revisited, she has utilised online sources that have materialised in the intervening decade to make this book as up-to-date as possible.

While keeping the basic format of the original so that comparisons and contrasts might easily be established if required, she has incorporated twice as many illustrations and much more information in The Top of Whitley revisited – both about the original 1840 to 2000 era as well as about its more recent past.

For those who have lived, played, been educated or worshipped in the Spring Gardens area, this book will rekindle many reminiscences as it will too for those who lived further afield in Reading and possibly used the expression “I’m just going to the top of Whitley” when referring to going shopping in Whitley Street or visiting the pubs, school, churches or other sites in Spring Gardens.