For the past few years, since lockdown, Reading's Christmas Winter Wonderland has moved from Forbury Gardens to Hills Meadow over the bridge in Caversham. It's a good, if not ideal, location. There's plenty of room and a large car park, which was totally full with tens of cars looking for spaces to park when we arrived mid Saturday afternoon on foot. I suspect it may be more accessible during the week, but be ready to park in the station multistorey or on Napier Road if not.

Public transport would seem to be the best bet. The setup is your usual fairground, with an ice rink thrown in for good measure. You buy tokens and spend one or two or three per ride, or you can buy a pass that costs £22 for rides or £27 for rides and the ice rink, but not everything is included. 

Passes are valid for four hours and accessed with a wristband. Prices are slightly lower for kids, but not by much. Perhaps the most important thing to note is that everyone had a thoroughly, smile inducing time.

Amongst the rides the kids and their adults went on were:

The Airswing accommodates two people in a seat going around the maypole higher and higher for great views of the whole park and well beyond. Thoroughly enjoyed and visited three times.

New York is a caterpillar goes up and down slowly at first and then speeds up, then lights go off and it speeds up tremendously. It was hugely enjoyed by our crew. 

Rudolph the Reindeer is s rather more sedate train ride suitable for younger people.

There are bumper cars that our group didn't try and a rather cynical additional charge for the big wheel, so we didn't go on that either. There is a balloon ride goes up and around and the least favourite of the rides for our group was the Small Spaceships - where security was a concern and one of our group felt s bit queasy.

There are lots of food vendors with churrios at around £7 for five. Hot dogs, chips and the usual fare are available for around double what you'd pay in the nearby McDonalds.

The booze is also expensive at £8 per 'cocktail', with mulled wine at £6 plus £1.50 for a shot on top. A bottle of £8 supermarket wine in £36. Ouch. And they were out of cider. The bar played disco classics but not a single Christmas song all afternoon/evening.

We'd suggest BYO as s strategy to save money.

The reality is that a family of four wanting some Christmas spirit and buying some food and treats for the kids will spend £200 for four hours of entertainment. If you compare this to local attractions then it isn't excessive. And it is Christmas after all...

Entry is free and you can wander around and soak up the atmosphere for nothing.

On the last Saturday before one before Christmas it was busy but not heaving, with teenage groups and young parents being the main attendees.

According to our national newspapers somewhere there is a land of people living off food banks and where homelessness is rife. Winter Wonderland shows a very different reality in Reading, although both may exist in two different versions of reality in our town and we simply don't know it.