It was such an authentic bliss and 5 weeks in Wokingham was not enough. I am grateful for my husband’s ‘work’ talents; it gives me opportunities to travel with him. I do not take this for granted at all and will make the best out of every trip.

In June and July 2016 we had this ‘royal’ chance to explore the United Kingdom for the first time ever. We stayed in Wokingham and the town alone changed our preconceived ideas about England totally. I asked one of the locals to provide me with a summary of the town she had known her entire life. Here is a direct quote of what she said; “Wokingham is quaint historic market town in Berkshire, Southern England. The town has managed to hold on to its culture and history and is a beautiful place to visit at any time of the year. Formerly home to the highest number of pubs per head population, it now offers a multitude of bars for any occasion. The trade in the town is still going strong and provides an excellent foundation for a social network to flourish, allowing its residents to feel like they are part of a true community”. I could not have said any better myself.

From a South African point of view, please see what you could expect before visiting Wokingham;

  • Authentic community

The authentic English culture is still in the air. It is a typical English town which has not been commercialised as yet. It is a hidden gem because it holds to its history and culture.

  • Calmly green

It is jealously green considering how it always rains. Even in the summer you will get constant rain drops and cloudy weather three or four days a week. So the obvious green scenery will ensure a refreshing walk daily in the parks.

  • Enough pubs

A best in Wokingham was the representative English, down-to-earth pubs. What is a pub if the locals don’t ‘hang’ there? You will be an absolute fan of the local pubs. In Wokingham there are 11 pubs in the main street and all of these are small, genuine and no-nonsense pubs. Our favourite was the super special and famous Crispin. I remember visiting The Crispin for the first time. I asked the barman what my first drink in England should be (you have to understand that this was the first place my husband escorted me to when I just arrived in Wokingham). The barman said I should consider a ‘cup of tea’. That ensured a good laugh throughout the bar, but I opt out for a cold beer after hectic travelling and not seeing husband for a while.

  • Wokingham people

You will find that it is surprisingly easy to fall in love with the people of Wokingham. The English are known to be somewhat rude and arrogant at times. Apologies for the brutal honesty, but this is how people perceive the English to be.  In Wokingham we met a great bunch of nice people. I made an ‘English bestie’; she is crazy, busy, hyperactive, totally self-less and ensured that our time in Wokingham was one big blast. The English definitely know how to party and honestly it was challenging at times to play along. I call it the ‘English persistent playful spirit’ and it was a guaranteed highlight enjoying life with these guys for a while.

  • Restaurants

The restaurants in England were not that amazing except for the Brown Bag Café offering excellent customer service and a unique atmosphere. Brown Bag is perfect for a late morning snack with great coffee and a good book. We liked another restaurant with the name; Cleaver. Unfortunately Cleaver is not there anymore (last I heard). This leaves you with the Wetherspoon option. Wetherspoon pubs are the biggest pub chain in England and you will find them everywhere. Their food is normal, affordable and it is the only pub where you will find a quality beer under R80.00. There were other Thai, Indian and Pizza restaurants. Don’t expect glamorous dining out experiences when you are in England. This was our experience after 5 weeks in England.  We as South Africans are used to way better food for way less. Eating out in England was too expensive and the food (normal not glamorous) can’t be compared with the quality food we are used to. Sincerely subscribe and look out for a new post coming soon where I compare a stunning Italian restaurant in Pretoria (Caraffa), South Africa with Jamie’s Italian Restaurant in Reading (#sincerefoodie).

One of the good things about the restaurants is that the food comes immediately. I often asked the waiters to hold on to the food for a bit. I think this might be an ‘African-time’ thing. South Africans like their ‘wining and dining’. This is one thing that was prominent; the English eat and leave. When in England eat and leave as the English do… Buying groceries at their stunning shops (Waitrose and Tescos) and at their markets was way more enjoyable than dining out.  Most of the time we preferred to prepare meals at our apartment and after dinner we went and ‘played’ with the locals.

  • Centrally located

From Wokingham we travelled a lot and got to see stunning places. This is one of the best things about Wokingham; it is centrally located. It is about 50minutes to London via a train and efficiently near many places. More about London, Milford on Sea, Oxford, Bristol and Wales (an easy tour round and about London) coming soon.

I will definitely live in this town if I was ever given the chance again. I left a piece of my heart there and will now always love Wokingham and its people.

 

Thank you Wokingham!