Testimonial - Fiona Brownfoot

Fiona Brownfoot, is a partner with the firm of commercial surveyors Hicks Baker – www.hicksbaker.co.uk, and loves her new apartment in Chatham Place.

As a Reading resident for over 20 years, she knows the town well and thinks the development is fabulous. She says:  “I would say that 10 years ago I would never have dreamt of living in the centre of Reading - I viewed it to be inhospitable and not safe."

“However, the town has changed dramatically over the past decade. The opening of the Oracle in 1999 was the catalyst, and since then there has been a lot more residential developments in the town centre which means that it is no longer devoid of people, once the shops and offices have closed." 

“As a result, there are many more restaurants and the shops have much longer opening hours.  There have been some really good quality operations open in the town such as Forbury’s Restaurant, The Forbury Hotel, Carluccio's and LomBok, which compliment those that have been here for a while like Beadle Crome, Basilica and of course a large John Lewis!"

“All these changes, together with work by the police and the local authority, have transformed Reading into a completely different town.  I can now walk to work, walk to the shops, restaurants, theatres and yet still be within walking distance of the river - why doesn't everyone live here?”

Talking about what attracted her to the scheme, she says: “Chatham Place has all the attributes of a London scheme, in terms of its scale and quality of development, except it’s in Reading! And I really value the concierge service, which I think is unique to a Reading residential scheme.”

Fiona describes Reading as ‘a compact town which offers everything one needs - great shopping, good restaurants and some (hopefully) iconic developments to come’.

She also talks about its excellent geographic positioning. “You’ve got really easy access to London and Oxford in particular by train, but you’re also really close to Marlow, Henley and Windsor with their premier social events such as the Henley Regatta and Festival, Ascot and the Reading Real Ale and Jazz Festival.”

Fiona Brownfoot, Hicks Baker