Abbey (Reading ward)

Abbey is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. The ward covers the centre of the town, south of the River Thames, and is bordered by Battle, Park, Redlands, Katesgrove and Minster wards. Across the river it is bordered by Thames and Caversham wards. The ruins of Reading Abbey lie within the boundaries of the ward, a fact from which it derives its name.

As with all wards, apart from smaller Mapledurham, it elects three councillors to Reading Borough Council. Elections since 2004 are held by thirds, with elections in three years out of four.

In the 2011, 2012 and 2014 a Labour Party candidate won each election. These councillors are currently, in order of election: Mohammed Ayub, Tony Page and Bet Tickner.

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Ward (electoral subdivision)

A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to the area. It is common in the United States for wards to simply be numbered.

In Australia, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and they are an electoral district within a district or municipality, used in local government elections. In the United States, wards are usually subdivided into precincts for polling purposes.

In the Republic of Ireland, urban Wards and rural District Electoral Divisions were renamed Electoral Divisions in 1994. The electoral districts for local authorities are often popularly called "wards". These consist of multiple electoral divisions, and are officially called "local electoral areas".

In the case of a municipal amalgamation, the former cities and towns that make up the new metropolis may be referred to as wards.

Ward (fencing)

A ward or guard (translating German Hut "protection") is a defensive position in the German school of swordsmanship. In Royal Armouries Ms. I.33 the concept is rendered as custodia "guard".

Ward (surname)

Ward is a popular Old English origin and Old Gaelic origin surname dating to before the Norman conquest of 1066.

The Old English name derives from an occupational surname for a civil guard/keeper of the watch, or alternately as a topographical surname from the word "werd" ("marsh").

The Old Gaelic surname derives from "Mac an Bhaird" ("son of the Bard"). A bard being a story teller or poet.

The two names are completely unrelated ethnically one being Germanic and the other Celtic. The oldest public record of the surname dates to 1176. People with the surname include:

People with surname Ward

Disambiguation of common given names with this surname

Reading (MBTA station)

Reading is a commuter rail station in Reading, Massachusetts, United States, on the Haverhill/Reading Line of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, a branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It is located at Lincoln and High Streets on the western fringe of the town's central business district.

The station's historic depot building was built in 1870 to service the Boston and Maine Railroad and was the former terminus of the line before its extension to Haverhill. The MBTA purchased the Haverhill Line in 1973, intending to replace commuter rail service with extended Orange Line subway service between Oak Grove and Reading. This plan was rejected by riders who desired to retain commuter rail service. The second track was not rebuilt through the station when the outbound platform was built, so the inbound platform serves trains in both directions. Despite this limited capacity, Reading is the terminus for some local trains on the line.

Architecture and building history

Reading (legislature)

A reading of a bill is a debate on the bill held before the general body of a legislature, as opposed to before a committee or other group. In the Westminster system, there are usually several readings of a bill among the stages it passes through before becoming law as an Act of Parliament. Some of these readings are usually formalities rather than substantive debates.

First reading

A first reading is when a bill is introduced to a legislature. Typically, in the United States, the title of the bill is read and immediately assigned to a committee. The bill is then considered by committee between the first and second readings. In the United States Senate and most British-influenced legislatures, the committee consideration occurs between second and third readings.

In Ireland, the first reading is referred to as "First Stage" and is leave to introduce a bill into a House of the Oireachtas. It may be taken in either house, but it does not need to be taken in both.

In New Zealand, once a bill passes first reading it is normally referred to a Select Committee. However, a Government can have a bill skip the select committee stage by a simple majority vote in Parliament.

Reading Franklin Street Terminal

The Reading Franklin Street Terminal was a former train station that was converted into the BARTA Transportation Center. It reopened to bus service on September 9, 2013. The station formerly served as a stop on the SEPTA diesel service line extending from the Norristown section of the Manayunk/Norristown Line in Pennsylvania. According to some sources, the transit agency BARTA plans to use the station as a bus terminal. The station was originally built by the Reading Railroad, and was taken out of service in 1981, when SEPTA cancelled diesel service to Pottsville. The train services used to extend to the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia.

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