Category Archives: History of Reading

The Divine Riches of the Latin Language

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Peter Kruschwitz

My son’s interest in the Latin language, fuelled by his engaging Latin teacher, remains unbroken. Recently, for example, he wished to discuss the authenticity of some volumes of John Maddox Roberts‘s beautifully entertaining SPQR series with me (to a depth … Continue reading →

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False Worship and Filthy Lucre

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Thomas Bonney of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1728, performed a Latin poem at Reading School. The poem, like several others from similar occasions, is reported in the addenda et corrigenda of Charles Coates’s marvellous 1802 The History and Antiquities of … Continue reading →

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Rest and Peace: Terence on a Reading Cemetery

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Towards the South-Eastern corner of Reading’s Old Cemetery at Cemetery Junction, there is an obelisk. It is the funerary monument of John Cecil Grainger, once vicar of the parish of Saint Giles. The obelisk rests on a pedestal, which is … Continue reading →

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Sea Shells, Or: How the Deluge Reached Reading

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Charles Coates’s monumental 1802 work ‘The History and Antiquities of Reading’ is a treasure house for discoveries surrounding the history of the county town of Royal Berkshire. In its discussion of the specifics of the area of Katesgrove,  the book … Continue reading →

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A Readingite’s Prayer for Peace

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Charles Coates, in the appendices to his monumental 1802 work ‘The History and Antiquities of Reading’, records numerous Latin and English pieces that were performed or recited at Reading School. Among these, there is a Latin ode of eighty lines, … Continue reading →

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The (Corrupting) Appeal of Latin

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the Classics at Reading blog: Reading’s Phoenix College, situated on Christchurch Road, recently put up a new sign at their entrance which drew my attention to their Latin motto: Motto of Phoenix College, Reading. Photo: Peter Kruschwitz. … Continue reading →

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‘Experiencing’ university: A Polemic

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the University of Reading’s Engage in Teaching and Learning blog: Avant-Propos The University of Reading, like any other Higher Education Institution, is a diverse place, with many stakeholders, but – at least in theory – one mutual … Continue reading →

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The fading voices from Reading’s past

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the University of Reading’s The Forum blog: The Latin term monumentum, from which the English ‘monument’ is derived, is related to the verb monere, ‘to remind’. Monuments are thus tangible, visible manifestations of human memory. Often monuments … Continue reading →

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