Reading is not a city. It's a town - and if anything I'd say it should be recognised as the fastest growing suburb of London.

I don't wish to be overly pedantic, but Reading is a town.

Neither is Middlesbrough and really, Sunderland shouldn't be...

How can you use google trends to decide what a city is like? Wouldn't people who don't have a ferrari be the most likely to be searching on ferrari.

And if you had searched on porsche you would of found Reading at 10th. On thames valley business park I swear there are more porsches than fiestas. Which kinda blows my argument out the water but any hoo it's nice to see my TOWN come top of a city poll especially as it has come last in every other poll.

The UK's top performing city? The report is entirely based on England's "cities" yet both that and the article happily use the phrase "UK's cities" quite liberally.

There'll be one or two Scots and Welsh who'll take issue with this faster than you can say "flaming jeep".

So if Reading is the epicentre. where is the actual focus ?

Fastest growing (non-)city in one poll, worst place to raise a family in another.

We're "Number 1" in both! Wooooo!

"So if Reading is the epicentre. where is the actual focus ?"

Basement of the Fez, probably.

I reckon that the epicentre is probably Jackson's, the spooky department store that somehow manages to keep going, dispite noone ever being in there. That would at least account for its presence.

End of August and the beginning of September is when they do their annual business. They have somehow managed to retain the rights to sell pretty much every school uniform in the county.

Still, if you want to get one of those cardigans that come with a packet of werthers originals then there is nowhere better.

You forgot - if you want Dylon, it's the place to be. Hippies and Old School goths (Think The Mission/The Sisters of Mercy NOT Marylin Manson) must love it!

I get nightmares about the scary manquins they have in the window.

A Reading success story at last! Reading residents have much to be proud of. And no, the town (for it is indeed a town) is not a London suburb. London is London, Reading is Reading. Pure and simple. Now all we need is a Premiership title win for Reading FC!

I find it amazing that none of the commenters have jumped on the fact that Reading is NOT a city. It's a TOWN, no matter what it looks like. If anyone agrees with me, please follow up by saying so.