Comment by Chronicle Audience and Content Editor Naomi Herring

READING: A diverse town known to most around the world for being the backdrop to a long weekend where thousands flock to enjoy Reading Festival.

The Purple Turtle, Sweeney Todd’s, Huntley & Palmers, and Reading Gaol are but a few others that also play a part in the town’s iconic make-up.

But the past 12 months have been – in the words of Her Majesty – an ‘Annus Horribilis’ for our hometown, with Reading’s historic tapestry tainted by the death of PC Andrew Harper in the line of duty, as well as being home to the first UK death related to Covid-19 at our very own Royal Berkshire Hospital.

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And now, here we stand little more than a week on from the horrific events that unfolded on Saturday, June 20, in which three local men so cruelly lost their lives in the Forbury Gardens stabbings. A moment that will forever be laid bare in the history books of Reading.

Yes, these atrocities will be remembered, and so they should, to ensure – where applicable – lessons can be learnt but importantly to remember those involved and the innocent lives lost.

On Saturday, Joe Ritchie-Bennett, David Wails, and James Furlong were simply enjoying a summer evening in Forbury Gardens – something almost all Reading residents will relate to.

The much-loved park sits at the heart of the town and for many holds memories of evening concerts, pop-up markets, ice-skating at Christmas, first dates, family picnics, and having a drink with friends.

It is not a place known for hate nor terror, and neither is Reading.

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There is more to be taken from the atrocities of the past 12 months in our not-so-small hometown, and that is the spirit, compassion, and unity that has brought Reading together in its response.

Hundreds of tributes have flooded social media, a stream of flowers and messages of love and condolence lay outside the park, and petitions, fundraisers, and mourners all defying those who seek to divide us.

At the heart of them all stands the affectionately-known Forbury Lion. A symbol of commemoration and bravery for the 328 men who lost their lives almost 140 years ago to the day.

And now, in its shadow, three more lives have been snatched too soon and our thoughts will remain with the family and friends whose lives will never be the same.

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So where next, and how does Reading recover?

The short answer is it will. The world will continue turning as we look ahead to brighter times.

The past 12 months has brought sadness and upheaval to our town, and to quote Her Majesty again ‘is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure’.

But in the words of a poignant tribute following the horrific attack, we must remember ‘Reading weeps, but it also roars. Roars with diversity, culture, and community like the lion at the heart of this beautiful park’.

No longer a monument for the town, but an emblem that signifies a defiance against division, the bravery of its community, and a symbol of unity during hardship.