On Good Friday (10th April 2020) I was listening to Bach's St. John Passion on Radio 3. He first performed it in 1724, the year that the Wallingford Meeting House was built (in normal times I play my recorders there on Thursday morning).
A few years ago I kept coming across things that happened in 1723:
i. Bach moved to Leipzig, where he stayed for the rest of his life.
ii. Handel moved to a new house in Brook St. London, where he also stayed for the rest of his life - it is now a museum:
iii. Telemann wrote a famous nautical piece:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Music_(Telemann)
iv. The Kennet Navigation (as they called it) was opened from READING to Newbury. Now we call it the Kennet and Avon Canal, but there was no intention at the time to go any further than Newbury. It didn't reach to Bath and Bristol until 1810.
v. The first newspaper was printed in READING. I have a facsimile of the first edition - which they used to sell somewhere - perhaps the museum.
The language of the editorial is rather nice (I follow exactly the punctation and capitals, but I have put "s" instead the "f"-like letter they use in the middle of words):
THE ART of PRINTING having been found out near 400 Years, is now so much improv'd, and become so generally Useful to all Mankind of what Station soever, that to give You a tedious Account of the Advantages IT conveys to the World would be needless : We shall only acquaint You (as to ITS Progress and Success) that PRINTING for about 200 years has found a kind Reception in the City of London ; and for many Years in the Cities of York, Bristol, Norwich, Worcester, &c where the Printers finding Success, others have been encourag'd to set up at smaller Places, as Cirencester in Gloucestershire, St. Ives in Huntingdonshire, Gosport in Hampshire, and several other places ; which makes it to us a Wonder, that READING, (a Place of far greater Note than any of the last-nam'd) should be so long slighted by our Brother-Types. ------- We have, however, pitch'd our Tent Here, induc'd by the good character this country bears, for Pleasure and Plenty, and intend, with Your Leave, to publish a Weekly News Paper, under the Title of The READING Mercury, or Weekly Entertainer : Containing Historical and Political Observations on the most remarkable Transactions in Europe ; Collected from the best and most authentic Accounts, written and printed : with the Imports and Exports of Merchandises to and from LONDON, and other Remarks on Trade ; also the best Account of the Price of Corn in the most noted Market Towns 20 or 30 miles circular And when a Scarcity of News Happens, we shall divert You with something Merry. In a few Words, we shall spare no Charge or Pains to make this Paper generally Useful and Entertaining, since we find ourselves settled in a Place, which gives all the encouraging Prospects of Success; a Description of which, we think ourselves oblig'd to give, in Justice and Respect to the Country, and for the better Information of Persons who live remote from hence. .. [ there follow two paragraphs headed BERKSHIRE and READING ]
This being all we have Room at present to say, we beg Leave to subscribe our selves
Your most Obedient Servants, W. PARKS, D. KINNIER.