There's more to Reading than traffic, concrete and busy people. Wildlife flourishes amidst the urban hustle and with a couple of hundred open spaces, some ancient woodlands and two great rivers, Reading rewards the appreciative naturalist. Wander from town centre to suburbs exploring the parks and meadows, following the rivers and the wooded ridges, watching the seasons change. You'll be surprised at what you find.

Over 25 years Adrian Lawson chronicled the wildlife he encountered in his days working in the parks, walking his dogs in the woods and riding his bike around the town. This book takes us through the calendar year with a selection of articles from his long-running newspaper column, Rural Reading, plus some new and previously unpublished pieces. Accompanied by perceptive and very personal illustrations from Geoff Sawers, equally devoted to the natural history of Reading, this exquisite collection will open your eyes to the wild side of town.

After an eclectic career in which he was paid for spending a lot of time in Reading’s outdoor spaces, Adrian Lawson took early retirement and since then he has worked as a bike mechanic and campaigner for cycle facilities as Director of Reading Bicycle Kitchen. Other than that he spends his days teaching refugees to speak English, walking his dogs and birdwatching. Geoff Sawers is the author of Friends of Friends (Diehard Fiction Direct, 2024), Broad Street Chapel and the Origins of Dissent in Reading (Two Rivers Press, 2008) and illustrator of Rural Reading by Adrian Lawson (Two Rivers Press, 2019).