... read on
"The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men Gang aft agley" as old Rab would have it. Enter the good old George Inn to save the day, photographically speaking.
The above is the oldest known building in Reading, dating back to 1423, it was one of the busiest hostelries in Reading in the late 16th century and become one of the major coaching inns between London and the West Country in the 18th century. Now it is an hotel owned by a major international group.
So why the title "Improv"? Well many moons ago I had originally gone off to make a photo walkabout along the Thames Path from Reading Bridge to find access to it unexpectedly closed. Time to improvise. I decided go into Reading town instead and see see what I might see.
One of the things I came across was the yard of said George Inn off King Street which retains many of its old beams and much of its 18th Century frontage.
Entrance to the hotel itself is inside the yard with this lovely old glass and timber structure and striking coaching style lamps. It's all very picturesque and may even be period but I doubt it.
The forepart of the building fronts onto King Street with the yard being behind where the coaches would have pulled in. The whole thing was a challenge to photograph as I only had my 35mm lens with me that day and space in the yard was tight. But does go to show what a bit of improv can yield. I spent the rest of the day doing a bit of street photography round Reading but that's for another time.