While Reading is rightly renowned for its baking, brewing and seed businesses, the town had many lesser-known industries that brought with them prosperity and, just as importantly, jobs for the wider population. In a time when most companies were privately owned, we will explore four of these companies and the people who owned them – Huntley, Boorne & Stevens (iron and tinsmiths), The Reading Ironworks, Poulton (brickworks) and Serpells (biscuit manufacturers).

Jo Alexander-Jones has a passion for local history and especially our industrial heritage. She is active with the Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group, The History of Reading Society, Berkshire Local History Association and Reading Civic Society.