Gregory's reviews
Review of Jones Bootmakers
26 May 08, 15:36
Great service 
Just on the way out of (or into) the Oracle near to John Lewis and the Pier, this is a really good shoe shop with great service, better than you'd expect. Can't recommend highly enough.
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Review of Schuh
03 May 08, 13:50
Reasonable prices 
Prices here are fairly reasonable. I was in here on a Saturday and I was served quite quickly (although another man in the shop was getting very grumpy with the lack of attention). Got a decent pair of boots, job done.
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Review of Morrisons Petrol Station
20 Apr 08, 10:34
Used to be Safeway
This petrol station off the old Basingstoke Road is pretty cheap and normally easy to get into, I'm not a fan of Morrisons the supermarket but the petrol station's fine.
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Review of Currys
19 Apr 08, 14:04
Not so good 
I could never work out why the Dixons people got rid of the Dixons name and converted them all over to Currys, because I always thought Currys were a bit shabby. This is an example of one that's been around for ages - it feels too big (i.e. it's not that well laid out) and the prices don't seem to be that competitive. If I was shopping for electrical goods round here, I'd go to Comet.
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Review of Dreams
19 Apr 08, 14:03
Great value 
I needed to get a bunk bed for the children in a hurry after the previous one broke, and the people in this branch of Dreams really bent over backwards to help. They managed to track down the bed I wanted, and although I had to pay extra for immediate delivery, it was worth it. Their prices and range are excellent.
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Review of Toys 'R' Us
19 Apr 08, 12:16
It's OK
You won't get a great deal of help here if you're looking for something specific, but it never gets too busy, and the huge range of toys makes up for the lack of brilliant service.
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Review of Vue
19 Apr 08, 12:11
Not as good as expected
This review comes from my ten-year-old son, who says that the staff got confused about what screen to send him to, and the cinema wasn't that clean. Apart from that, he says the quality of the actual film was pretty good. (I'm not sure we can actually thank the cinema for that though.) Oh, and apparently there was a big range of sweets to choose from.
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Review of Pizza Hut
19 Apr 08, 12:09
Slow
It can take a long time to get a table here, and when you do it can take even longer for the food to arrive. Pizza Hut is popular with the whole family, but this one gets too busy (or maybe it's too understaffed) for it to be the best choice in Reading.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Boots The Chemists
19 Apr 08, 09:57
Big
This place is as big as you'd ever want a Boots to be. Bigger, probably. They've got everything you need - I got a hair dryer from here, from the top floor, and I thought it would be a nice simple purchase, but there were SO many to choose from. Good store.
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Review of Lush
19 Apr 08, 09:56
Great, even for blokes
This was the first Lush I ever went in, so I was a bit surprised by the slightly hippy style of layout, labelling and products, but it's all good stuff and if you're looking for a present to buy girlfriend/wife/mother, it's a great easy stopping-off place.
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Review of The Disney Store
19 Apr 08, 09:55
Pricey
I'd give this more stars, if it wasn't all so expensive. You've got to hand it to Disney, the store is beautifully laid out, it really is a fun place to go, but you can't head into it with children unless you're going to be prepared to spend money - and boy once you start, the money goes so quickly. Still, I guess people are prepared to pay those prices, so it must be worth it.
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Review of Bear Factory
19 Apr 08, 09:53
Fun for the children
You wouldn't have thought there was enough of a market for teddy bears in Reading to suppot a shop this big in such a prime location, but there obviously is. The children love this place and you have to admit it, it's cute.
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Review of The Orange Shop
19 Apr 08, 09:52
Good service
I've been in this place, buying phones for me or for my children, more times than I like to admit. They won't rip you off, they've got the latest range and you'll be sorted pretty quickly, so long as the stores not packed out. Probably the best place to come for Orange in Reading.
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Review of Sports World
19 Apr 08, 09:51
Good enough
This place is a bit cavernous and the staff are not always that polite, but all you need from a shop like this really is good prices and a decent range, and Sports World has definitely got those. You can't miss it in the Oracle.
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Review of HMV
19 Apr 08, 09:49
Massive
The thing you notice most about this HMV is that it's absolutely huge - it must be one of the biggest in the country, I'd have thought. It's got everything you need and obviously the prices are sometimes not as cheap as you can get on the internet, but you'll walk out with it there and then.
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Review of Currys.digital
19 Apr 08, 09:48
Easy electrical shopping
Used to be Dixons when the Oracle first opened. If you want to buy electrical goods in a shop rather than on the internet, this is about as good a place as you can find. It's quick and easy, and they've probably got what you want.
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Review of Thorntons
19 Apr 08, 09:46
Great at what they do best
The thing I like about this Thorntons is that it seems to be imaginatively run - there are often special promotions, displays or new products worth trying. It gets very busy in here at the weekends (it's not a big place) but the staff seem to be well trained and happy enough, and it never seems a chore to queue.
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Review of Game
19 Apr 08, 09:44
A good store
I normally tend to avoid the high street shops for games and DVDs, and buy online instead, but Game is well worth a visit if you want it now. It's reasonaby priced and there's an excellent range squeezed into quite a tight space.
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Review of House Of Fraser
19 Apr 08, 09:42
Good on the ground floor
The sections for kitchen things, and towels etc for the home, are both good, well laid-out and spacious with a good range, but the rest of the store isn't as impressive. Worth popping into if you're looking for something specific.
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Review of Debenhams
19 Apr 08, 09:41
Pretty good
Debenhams has to compete with John Lewis (and doesn't quite beat them, in my view) and House of Fraser (Debenhams is better) - it's a very big store, one of the best in the main Oracle centre, and well worth a visit.
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Review of Beaverbrooks The Jewellers
19 Apr 08, 09:40
Best jewellers in town
This place looks too expensive from the outside, but don't be scared off, it's good value for most things, and the staff inside are always really helpful. They'll do repairs (watches etc) as well. Gets busy at peak times but there are normally enough staff around.
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Review of John Lewis
19 Apr 08, 09:39
As good as can be
John Lewis is just the best all-round store in Reading for just about everything. I remember when it was still called Heelas - I did my Christmas shopping there in 1989! - but it's got better and better, has excellent staff, and the prices are normally fairly reasonable for the high street.
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Review of The Oracle Shopping Centre
14 Apr 08, 11:04
Best shopping centre for a long way
The Oracle is the best place to come for shopping and food - Reading was waiting a long time for a centre like this, and it's great. The bars and restaurants down by waterside also have a great range.
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Review of Eyesite
12 Apr 08, 10:54
Completely reliable
What you need from an opticians is complete piece of mind that they really know what they're doing, good service and proper attention to detail. Eyesite has been in Reading for years and years, and they're excellent for eye tests, contact lenses and glasses.
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Review of Waterstone's
12 Apr 08, 10:53
Great range
There are two Waterstones in Reading, there's one in the Oracle and this on in Broad Street, which is probably bigger and with a more extensive range. It's on several floors and stretches back a long way. If you're just not sure what to read next, or you're looking for a present for someone, you'll find something here.
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Review of Waterstone's
12 Apr 08, 10:51
Big and well-stocked
This Waterstones in the Oracle centre has got a cafe attached to it at the back, it's well stocked and well laid-out with a particularly good children's section.
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Review of The Hobgoblin
11 Apr 08, 12:18
A bit gloomy
This one gets a good review in things like The Good Pub Guide - it's old and has lots of history, and I've drunk there a couple of times but haven't really liked it.
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