Newbury Carnival & Fete 2015

The Carnival is back! Come along to Newbury town centre on Sunday 5th July and join thousands upon thousands of people who will be lining the streets to enjoy the amazing spectacle that is the Carnival Parade.

This year there are over 60 entries so there will be plenty of floats, walkers and dancers to see. As the Carnival is set to be one of the biggest ever, the competition for best entries in a range of categories will be hotly contested! There will be lots of music to accompany the Parade, from the traditional – such as the Reading Scottish Pipe Band – to the more exotic, such as the Rampage Mas Band with its Caribbean influence.

The Parade starts at 2pm, wending its way via Bartholomew Street, Northbrook Street and the Clock Tower (with certain roads closed 1.45–4pm so that everyone can travel safely), and culminating in Parkway. 

From there, hop over to Victoria Park where the fabulous Carnival Fete takes place from 12noon to 6pm, with stalls, entertainment, small rides, giant inflatable slide and loads of other fun for all the family. 

As always, music and dance at the Carnival Fete will be a highlight. As well as further performances from the Reading Scottish Pipe Band and the Rampage Mas Band, look out for Newbury & Thatcham Rock Choir from 12 noon, and Hungerford Town Band playing in the bandstand 3–5pm. Throughout the afternoon, all sorts of other genres will be performing in the Fete Arena, such as the acclaimed Mini Band, the brilliant Sticky Fingers with their ukuleles, Interakt Community Theatre and Arts, West Berkshire Sway Dance, Steps Ahead Dance School, and not forgetting the wonderful Bruce Hogg on his guitar.

Further details on the website

New Chapter for Waterstones bookshop in Newbury

Waterstones, the leading high street bookseller, is to relocate its bookshop on Northbrook Street in May, to stunning new premises just a couple of minutes walk away at Parkway.

Waterstones Northbrook Street will cease to trade on 8th May, with all booksellers transferring to the new bookshop at Parkway, which will open to the public on Saturday 6th June. Waterstones Parkway bookshop will trade over 2800 sq ft over one floor and will feature a beautiful new light oak bookcase and slat wall design, and a scrumptious new Waterstones Café with indoor and outdoor seating for 32.

Alongside triple certified coffee from Matthew Algie - approved by the Fairtrade Foundation, Rainforest Alliance and Organic Food Federation – the café will offer a unique and delicious range of handmade cakes and pastries sourced from local artisan bakers and specialist producers who champion natural ingredients. Locally sourced delicacies will include pastries and sandwiches sourced daily from Newbury’s Hethertons Bakery and mouthwatering cakes from Kintbury’s Cakes by Cocochoux.

Whilst brimming with many wonderful books as you would expect, the bookshop will also be home to a specially selected range of stunning stationery and gifts. And with free wi-fi and a well-stocked children’s department that the kids will love, Waterstones at Parkway will be a great place for the whole family to enjoy.

Waterstones Bookshop Manager Annie Gibb-Cohen says:

“We’re thrilled to be opening a brand new bookshop in Newbury. With its gorgeous new design, and delicious café, our bookshop will be a real pleasure to browse, to enjoy with the family and to visit with friends and catch up over a coffee. We are really looking forward to sharing our stunning shop with our customers.”

Waterstones will launch the new bookshop at Parkway with a special family fun day on Saturday 6th June.

Biddy at Côte

Late morning, between meetings, I needed a refuel so it was a perfect opportunity to stop by and see what’s what at the newest restaurant in town: Côte Brasserie.   

Côte, just by the bridge on Northbrook Street, looks incredibly smart on the outside, the windows mysteriously dark, and inside the cool, contemporary, sophisticated decor follows through. I was welcomed with a big, warm ‘Good morning’ and was just in time to be offered either the breakfast or lunch menu. At 11.45am, my body clock was undecided, so I took both. 

I was shown to a table by the window – a fabulous people-watching spot, and as this part of the restaurant is a little below pavement level you get an interesting knee-level view of those going by. There is loads of space; the restaurant goes back a fair way with lots of tables, nicely spaced, just as I like. There were half a dozen or so other tables occupied but in no time at all it was starting to fill up with customers attracted by the lunchtime offers. (Their set menu is fabulously priced at £9.95 for two courses and £11.90 for three.)

I ordered coffee while I browsed the menus, and was also brought water in a pretty ceramic bottle, a lovely touch and much appreciated by me. But down to business … breakfast or lunch, breakfast or lunch? Oh, decisions, decisions… 

Côte’s style is based on the brasseries of Paris and I almost fell for the Crêpe Complète, which comes with bacon and gruyère, from the breakfast menu, but at the last moment put on my sensible head and plumped for chargrilled chicken and walnut salad from the lunch menu … and another coffee because I had already polished off the first one and it was sooooo good. (I made the second one a decaff though, as didn’t want to be climbing the walls, and it was just as good as the ‘caff’ variety.)

Salad? A bit of an un-Biddy like choice? Not one bit of it. Although listed under the lighter meals on the menu, even I could not quite work my way through the delicious bowlful (and I mean full!) of crunchy green beans, avocado, walnuts, croutons, fresh lettuce and hot chicken in a mustard dressing. It was a more than adequate lunch, and good value.

The staff were discreetly attentive, quick and efficient – I was all done in 45 minutes which suited me very well and by which time the place was really buzzing. And the staff all look great dressed in floor length black aprons and crisp blue shirts, very chic, very French.

In fact, with a glimpse of the canal from my vantage point at the window, I could almost have believed it was the Seine and that I was in gay Paree! 

Biddy x