My Great West Way: Alex Brannen

Discover the Great West Way through the eyes of a local, the Communications Manager in charge of the UK's largest town.

So, we hear it is an exciting year for Reading with plans for a potential new cultural hub and an anniversary to celebrate – tell us more?

Alex: Yes, Reading’s disused Victorian prison, where Oscar Wilde was convicted after his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas was exposed, is hopefully going to be given approval for an exciting redevelopment plan of the area into a new diverse cultural and arts hub.

The prison is also part of the Abbey Quarter area, which celebrates 900 years this year and it is possible that King Henry I of England is buried under what is the car park of the Prison. The Abbey Ruins are separated from the Prison by one high wall, so this is part of a huge cultural area's potential regeneration.

You must be busy then?!

Alex: Always! However, there has been plenty of support from passionate locals and artists too. The prison has been used for cultural events for a number of years now, → with many celebrities performing in 2016 including Ralph Fiennes and Patti Smith, as well as our ArtAngel exhibition which features the work of people such as Steve McQueen. Professional theatre company Rabble have some exciting ideas to bring to the redevelopment – Banksy has recently claimed a new piece of wall art on the side of the Prison wall and Kate Winslet has already promised to perform on opening night if the plans became a reality. →

Reading's Abbey Quarter

Maiwand Lion - - one of the biggest cast iron statues in the world

The Oracle Shopping Centre

What’s a typical day like for you?

Alex: I work with hotels, museums, river boat companies, shops and other tourism businesses to make sure Reading puts on its best face for visitors. Reading is a bit of an undiscovered gem, but through the Great West Way, visitors are beginning to see the breadth of what we have to offer. We are blessed with the rivers Thames and Kennet and surrounding lakes used for boating, swimming, SUP, jet ski-ing and inflatable fun. Reading is a great outdoor destination as well as a historic urban stopover.

What do you love most about your job?

Alex: I love taking people around Reading and telling them the story of this fascinating place. Many people don’t know that Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen have strong links with Reading or that England’s last undiscovered King, Henry I, was buried here. The UK’s most famous biscuit manufacturer, Huntley and Palmers, owned half the town in Victorian times and we have glorious stretches of the River Thames and Kennet flowing through the heart of the town. And there’s loads more…not least a vibrant cultural scene.

How did you get started?

Alex: I started off my working life in tourism in London in the 1990s, which was such an exciting time for the Capital. After doing a variety of other jobs, I am really enjoying sharing my enthusiasm again for the place in which I live. Living and working in one place means you really get the measure of what makes it tick.

What achievements are you most proud of?

Alex: I trained for the 2018 Reading Half Marathon, a race that attracts 14,000 people to run through the streets of the town every spring. I had never been a runner but the whole of Reading turns out to support the runners on Marathon Day – there’s a great atmosphere - and you get the chance to run round many of Reading’s main streets closed to traffic and finish in the Madejski Stadium, home of the Royals, Reading Football Club. Sadly, freak snow led to the cancellation of the race and I had to use my training to run the 22 km elsewhere, but I managed it!

What do you find inspiring day-to-day? What keeps the enthusiasm going?

Alex: There is a real sense of pride in Reading about our town – our heritage - both the buildings and the people, our cultural scene, dynamic business environment and neighbourliness. We are a welcoming place that wants to share what we have with people more widely. We think visitors will agree.

Any interesting or funny anecdotes related to your role or your experiences with visitors that you can share?

Alex: Not funny but maybe useful when you get here. The pronunciation of Reading is like the colour Red in ‘Redding’ not like ‘reading’ a book. Locals sometimes refer to the town as ‘the Ding’ and if you are looking for Reading on twitter, search #rdguk.

Reading's Riverside

Reading Prison

The restored Edwardian Thames Lido

What does slow travel mean to you?

Alex: I cycle to work in Reading town centre every day – Reading is a good scale for cycling. We also have lovely footpaths along the Thames and Kennet, river boat companies, the UK’s best bus company and a £900 million train station in the heart of the town. For me, slow travel is any journey where you don’t have to take the car. Any of those would be THE BEST way to visit Reading.

What do you think makes the Great West Way special?

Alex: I know when I travel on holiday that a trail type itinerary that brings together a diverse experience and range of places really helps me explore under my own steam. I think the Great West Way will provide great ideas for exploring a special part of England and allow visitors to see a number of different sides of our country, from charming countryside and villages to gritty multicultural urban landscapes – all within really easy travelling distance of each other.

Do you have any insider tips or advice for travellers who want to experience the touring route ‘like a local’?

Alex: Chat to people when you are visiting/travelling. Diffident British people probably won’t make the first move to talk to you but if you ask their opinion or start the ball rolling they’ll be delighted to share their knowledge and experience with you. My best holiday memories have always involved local people so treat every pub, train journey or shopping trip as a chance to make a new friend.

Describe your perfect adventure on the Great West Way:

Alex: I think it is the diversity of any one day on the Great West Way that makes it special. If you were in Reading, that could involve a guided tour of the Abbey Ruins, open air swimming at the restored Edwardian Thames Lido, watching Reading FC in action at the ‘Mad Stad’, afternoon tea at The Roseate or a great live band at one of Reading’s many live music venues.

What’s your favourite thing to eat or drink along the touring route, a meal, a local delicacy or a favourite tipple perhaps? And any cafes, restaurants or pubs you can recommend?

Alex: Many first time visitors to the UK are surprised by how multicultural our country is. 150 languages are spoken in Reading schools, for example. For food and drink fans, one of the benefits of our multicultural society is the amazing choice of food on offer. In Reading, you could try the Spanish/North African influence at Thames Lido, the new Ethiopean café in Palmer Park, Modern Indian at Clays Hyderabadi or the non-licensed Lebanese Bakery House or take your pick on the Wednesday/Friday street food markets. Fans of ‘bitter’ (British ale/beer) should head for one of the best pubs in the south of England, the Nags Head or one of the new taprooms springing up around Reading. →

The joy of the Great West Way is that every traveller’s experience is different. Every journey is exceptional in its own way.

Are you a city, town or country person?

Alex: Definitely a city person. Having said that, as a family we walk in the nearby lovely Chiltern Hills just north of Reading whenever we can, and we enjoy a ramble round the walls of the abandoned Roman city of Silchester, south of Reading. But I never tire of the buzz of people so it’s a city life for me.

Can you pick a place along the Great West Way that best represents you and what you do?

Alex: I have lived and worked in London, Wiltshire and Reading along the Great West Way so I know the territory well. I’ve travelled much further afield too but London remains for me the greatest city I have ever explored. If the scale of London might be a bit overwhelming, Reading offers many of the advantages of big city life without the drawbacks. If I were to choose a weekend away on the trail, I’d head to Bristol. A great maritime history, University city and urban grit, Bristol wears its green credentials proudly and is a great cultural destination as well.

Are there any English stereotypes or traditions you’d like to set straight?

Alex: I think visitors sometime have an outdated concept of what England and the English are like. Like every country, our history and culture has evolved in recent decades, but we have done a good job in protecting the best of our countryside and built heritage. On the Great West Way, you’ll be able to find a traditional view of England often depicted in films, but you will also find a vibrant, cosmopolitan place that celebrates the best of the world in a harmonious co-existence.

If you could choose one must-visit attraction along the Great West Way, what would it be and why?

Alex: Perhaps not strictly an attraction, but the River Thames from London to Reading is a majestic waterway and its many twists and turns tell the story of this part of the world. Take some time to walk, cycle, take a cruise, hire a boat, row or even swim!

What do you think will surprise first-time visitors about the Great West Way?

Alex: The Great West Way is dense with things to do and places to visit. You might think you are going to ‘skate’ through it in no time, but you could easily spend several weeks! The route is particularly rich in great specialist museums. In Reading, try the museum of food and the countryside - the Museum of English Rural Life, or seek out the Huntley Palmer biscuit tin collection at the Reading Museum.

What’s your preferred mode of transport: train, car, bus or boat? Why?

Alex: I would choose bike – you can set your own pace, stop where you like, get off the beaten track and you just see so much more than you do through a window. Oh, and it’s good for you!

Read more interviews with the people who make the Great West Way so special - chefs, gardeners, tour guides and more.