My motivation behind starting GatherWhere came from my experience as a meetup host. I created the Reading Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fanatics meetup group back in 2018. I’ve always loved fantasy books, games, anime, so I created a group that would bring me to my people.
One of my struggles as a meetup host was finding the right space to host my gatherings. Unlike other social gatherings, mine tended to be more lowkey and understated as my attendees were more inclined to enjoy a relaxed affair than something a little more energetic.
Over the years, I’ve used many venues. Some have come and gone and others have become a staple for our gatherings, so here are some of my favourite spaces for a chill social affair in Reading.
Purple Turtle
Basically the heart of Reading social life and my new favourite venue! Watch parties are the one social I’ve tried to find a public venue for and I struggled for years and years. Enter Purple Turtle. They have happily and easily accommodated our anime watch parties, meaning we can host large groups without having to open up our homes to the general public – which I’ve had to do in the past!
Reading Biscuit Factory
If this one isn’t obvious, let me say it now, Reading Biscuit Factory is a great space for community events. Whilst other venues I use tend to be a bit louder, Biscuit Factory really does bring the calm. I’ve hosted D&D campaigns, socials and pre-cinema drinks there and it never disappoints!
Thirsty Bear
My co-host, Steve’s go-to for his book clubs. I’ve also used Thirsty Bear many a times for my social events. They have an outdoor space, which was great for one of my summer meetups this year. Plus their pizzas are amazing!
Oakford Social Club
Oakford I’ve only used once. It’s great but for our needs, the music was quite loud. But apart from that, it had a large space to the side for us to congregate and the vibes were pretty good. Definitely one for a more lively event.
Penta Hotel Reading
I liked Penta a lot! Really good ambiance and it had some arcade games and consoles that made things a little more exciting. Back when I used Penta, I wasn’t able to reserve a space and had to hope that there was an empty area for us to use but things may have changed since then as a few Reading based meetup groups use Penta quite regularly for their events
Market House
Another favourite of mine that I tend to fall back on when I can’t figure out where else we can meet. Market House never disappoints and works well for Steve’s book clubs and my social meetups. There are many different areas that can be used depending on size and they can easily cater to very large groups, so one to always consider!
Slug & Lettuce
Maybe Slug & Lettuce isn’t typically considered for meetups but I’ve hosted a few pre-cinema drinks there before heading over to the Vue Cinema and it’s a great spot for those quick get togethers where you can also grab something easy to eat.
So, those are some of the ones I’ve had firsthand experience with. I’m still discovering other gems around Reading so stay tuned for an updated list of welcoming and accommodating spaces!