Union Street, also known locally as Smelly Alley, is a
pedestrian alley in the centre of the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
town of
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
. It is lined with small shops and other retail outlets, and connects
Broad Street and
Friar Street.
The name Smelly Alley came about in the 1940s, as there were many butchers and greengrocers, as well as two wet fish shops. In the 1970s there were four butchers, two greengrocers and two wet fish shops; also a baker's shop, two record shops, a hi-fi shop, a shop selling jeans, a cafe, a roast chicken shop, a chocolate shop and a hardware shop.
The name Smelly Alley comes from the presence of the long-established Frosts, a
fishmonger
A fishmonger (historically fishwife for female practitioners) is someone who sells raw fish and seafood. Fishmongers can be wholesalers or retailers and are trained at selecting and purchasing, handling, gutting, boning, filleting, displaying, me ...
s. 2019 saw the closure of Frosts, considered the last of the ‘smelly’ shops.
The Grumpy Goat a cheese and beer shop, opened on the street in 2020. The owners were quoted in local media as looking to make ‘Smelly Alley smelly again’
References
External links
Tourist attractions in Reading, Berkshire
Shopping streets in Reading, Berkshire
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