Legal Recruitment in Reading

Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a very pleasant, medium sized town nestling in the centre of the delightful county of Berkshire. Voted the worst town in the country at one point with the feedback “it smells of wee”, this is a little harsh as the town is not that bad at all. I have been there 11 times in my life, and have always be very impressed by the width of its high street and the facilities available in the town centre. It is world famous for a range of cultural and leisure activities including Reading Festival and Reading Football Club. It is also seamlessly accessible to beautiful country side and only seventy miles away from Glastonbury- that also hosts a well famous music festival, which to be frank, is also much better. It’s also only about a half hour train journey from London, which is convenient if you’re visiting from London, but somewhat irksome if you’re travelling from Carlisle. Or Derby.

Reading is historically known for 3 industries – the three Bs (not to be confused with the three Degrees). Biscuits, Beer & Bulbs (plants not light-bulbs). More interesting than Northampton and shoes I guess…. Simonds’ Brewery, Sutton Seeds and Huntley & Palmers biscuits (largest manufacturer of biscuits in the world at one point) were all established here. Reading was also famous for Reading Sauce. Apparently very like Worcester Sauce, but no longer in existence, so it couldn’t have been that nice.. unlike Worcester Sauce.

What to do:

Reading boasts an impressive collection of museums, including the curiously named, “The Museum of Reading”, which contains a full size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. The Museum of English Rural Life is also well known in the area and is dedicated to documenting the changes and developments in British agriculture over the centuries. As the town was previously the location of a thriving aeronautical industry, the Museum of Aviation offers an extensive range of aircrafts and related machinery that was manufactured in the area. As well as The Reading Festival, held every year over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, the town also hosts the annual Reading Beer Festival which is held in King’s Meadow in the five days prior to the May Day bank holiday weekend, and has now become one of the largest and most prestigious in the UK.

Shopping:

Reading has several attractive shopping areas, including: Broad Street, Broad Street Mall, Harris Arcade, The Oracle and The Walk. The shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes, boutiques and markets in the area are as impressive as anything else in the UK, and The Oracle enjoys a well- deserved reputation for shoppers as it is situated alongside a picturesque river. All shopping centres and areas are situated within a ten-minute walk of Reading Train Station.

Where to live?

Although Reading may not be considered as one of the most desirable locations in the UK to live, it does offer many positives, including the immaculate abbey grounds, the attractive and tranquil riverside area, and easy access to both the Chilterns and Berkshire Downs. The most expensive area is Caversham, just north of the river, which also boasts some of the best schools in the area. The South East area of the town which is close to Reading University also features a generous abundance of decent sized Victorian homes and houses suitable for families. If you’re attracted to period homes, the Castle Park Conversation area is the place to be, and the most affordable flats and terraces are found in New Town. Prices range from £1m for a posh suburban detached house to £100,000 for a one-bedroom flat.

Sports

Reading is of course home to Reading Football Club which was established in 1871. Although it has enjoyed mixed fortunes over the years, it continues to attract a loyal and devotional fan base. Reading also hosts the rugby union team, London Irish at the Madejski stadium who have consistently performed well in the Aviva Premiership in recent years. The town is also the home of the Australian Rules team, the Reading Kangaroos, and American football team, the Berkshire Renegades.

Rowing also features within the sporting options in the town, with the Reading Rowing Club serving as a training facility for the GB national squad. Nearly all of the rowing takes places in the Thames which runs through the town, and the annual Reading Town Regatta is considered to be one of the finest in the UK.

Solicitors Firms and In House Opportunities

For some reason we seem to attract in house solicitor roles for the area around Reading. There seem to be a good number of in house posts that crop up for senior counsel in relatively well paid roles. However the difficulty a lot of companies have is attracting good quality candidates to the area at the salary they are looking to pay.

Solicitors firms consist of the usual mix – quite a lot of high street practices in Reading town centre, coupled with branch offices of larger regional multi-office practices and outposts of some of the larger commercial firms. We regularly undertake recruitment in the town for a range of solicitors firms, but most recruitment for us is focussed around the in house corporate commercial roles and the high street non-contentious work – conveyancing, commercial property and wills & probate.

Salaries tend to be slightly lower than London, but a number of firms pay well. Unfortunately a number of firms similarly pay spectacularly badly, particularly for an area with average house prices not far off being unbelievably high. To find out how Ten Percent Legal Recruitment can help you find a legal job in Reading please email a CV to cv@ten-percent.co.uk.