Reading’s museums hold a vast array of objects that represent the lives and of many different people. Like the diverse population of the town, these artefacts carry with them a diaspora of experiences.

Items at Reading Museum convey the histories of local and global connections alike. Those in the Museum of English Rural Life welcome countryside narratives into an urban setting.

Both collections provide routes into understanding and becoming part of the story of Reading itself. Whether familiar or unfamiliar, active now or outmoded, to many visitors these objects and stories seem as pertinent to today’s conversations as they have ever been.

Rank & File’s participants have kindly shared their personal connections with a handful of these numerous artefacts. This reveals how the town’s museums can provide a safe space for their stories, just as the place itself serves as a welcoming city of sanctuary.

Ganna - WWI Pocket Watch

Welcome to Reading Museum's Soundcloud page. We tell the stories of Reading's history and the lives of its people.