I moved from the bustling metropolis of London to Reading around 18 months ago, and was worried that I’d be leaving a centre of culture and diversity for somewhere a lot… well… quieter.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Reading has proven itself to be a real hub of fantastic events that have captured every single interest I have – from geek nights and developer conferences to music and social events – I’ve never had more people to meet and places to be than I have since I came here.

Rather than replicate the plethora of high quality (frankly better than I could write!) reviews of the events that I’ve been to recently, I thought I’d pick out some highlights, to show how diverse and rich life in Reading really is…

Developer, Developer, Developer

Having so many technology companies in the town – most notably the largest Microsoft subsidiary outside of the US – is bound to create a climate that any self-respecting geek, nerd or gadget lover would feel comfortable in. I’ve written before about how fantastic the UK tech community is – and once a year they descend upon Reading for DDD – the biggest and most oversubscribed free community event of the year. Aimed at developers, but with an agenda most IT Pros would also love, it’s a day to come and learn what’s hot, what’s not, and meet other people who are passionate about the industry.

Events like this just go to show how fantastic a place the UK tech scene is. DDD is repeated in Scotland, Ireland and in the South West, by popular demand. Take a look back on the #DDD8 hashtag for commentary from the event, and check out www.developerdeveloperdeveloper.com.

There were so many blog posts in the week that followed, posting a full review would just be repeating what other people have written. Craig Murphy’s blog has a list of the best reviews from the day, as well as a fantastic insight into the event from a community veteran.

You can also check out videos shot on the day of some of the sessions (as well as some of the presenter pranks of the day) over at Plip’s Vimeo page.

The Reading Geek Night

Following the success of the Reading Tweetups, Jim Anning had the idea of a monthly, more technically focussed event where people could come and talk on the topics they’re most passionate about.

This week marked the fourth geek night – and what a success it was. I was impressed with the turnout and response from the first one, at which I spoke, and the event has continued to grow from there into a place where you can learn more about technology, projects, best practise and even ‘how to screw up every project you ever work on’.

The Geek Nights happen once a month, and you can find out more information at www.readinggeeknight.com or by looking up the #RDGGeek hashtag on Twitter.

Battle of the School Bands

Less technology, more seeing just how much talent young people in Reading have! Pete Doyle runs Reading Rock Academy and had always dreamed of putting on a show like this. He started doing some IT work at a local school for Autistic children, and quickly the idea of a charity gig to raise money for the school was born.

The event, at Reading’s Hexagon, was a huge success – I got to see some really fantastic local bands (notably Fortune Favours the Fallen and The Quotes) and the winners (Yellow Fever) really deserved to win. All proceeds for the event went to the school – and the winning band took a £5,000 cheque back to their schools for music equipment, plus a day in the recording studio for themselves.

More to come…

There are new events popping up locally all the time. Twestival is returning to Reading – on March 25^th at a yet-to-be-confirmed venue – and will once again aim to raise as much money for charity in one night. The Reading Tweetup continues to be every other Wednesday, and is a great place to meet new people from the area.

Don’t get me wrong – I still love going into London for events like the Gay Geek Dinner – but I don’t feel like I’m missing out living in Reading. Quite the opposite in fact – discovering Reading has been like discovering a secret goldmine of inspiration and ideas… ones I find myself wherever I am!