Favoured by commuters for its quick and easy connections to the capital, Reading sits just one hour and 22 minutes outside of London by car and can get commuters into the big smoke in under an hour by train.
However, according to research by experts at Adobe Express, an all-in-one design, photo, and video tool, the city is great for snapping bright and bold photographs.
Using Google search volume, the number of Instagram hashtags, the number of social media mentions, and the number of user-generated content images, the experts claim to have found the top 10 most popular and “most colourful” cities in the UK.
While your mind may first spring to the urban sprawl of the capital or to the pastel-hued tones of Brighton, the analysis suggests that Reading is the most colourful city of the bunch. According to the experts, this is due to an array of street art across Reading.
“Reading takes the first spot for the most colourful city in the UK with a total score of 32,127,” they said. “With the highest number of social media mentions and content images generated by users images, it’s no wonder it takes the top spot.”
The experts believe that the work of Banksy may have inspired creatives from around Reading.
In February 2021, a new artwork by the anonymous artist mysteriously appeared on the wall of Reading Prison overnight.
The image of a prisoner escaping on a rope made of bedsheets, with a typewriter attached to it, appeared outside of the derelict prison. Many people have speculated that it depicts Oscar Wilde.
Banksy claimed the artwork as his own, confirming suspicions, when he uploaded a video of the piece entitled “Create Escape” to Facebook on March 5.
“After a Banksy mural appeared in 2021, it has inspired creative from around Reading to decorate the streets,” said Adobe.
“With many artists and creatives heading to Reading to bring the walls of the city to life through colourful paintings and artworks. Proving as a perfect location for creatives to visit to be inspired.”
Other cities to be named in the Adobe list include Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh.