We are delighted to offer a really special evening of celebration and commemoration – in Aldershot, where Reading Force began. At the Prince Consort’s Library, Knollys Road, Aldershot from 6-7.30pm on Tuesday 11th November, we will join Dame Penelope Keith, Janet Ellis and Ben Tugendhat (trumpeter) for a special evening.
Tickets can be obtained here: A really special evening of celebration and commemoration Tickets, Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
The event is in aid of the charity and there will be a retiring collection.
Dame Penelope Keith and Janet Ellis will read from a selection of poetry and prose curated by Professor Jane Potter, Chair of the Wilfred Owen Association and trustee of the Wilfred Owen Estate, and the founder and director of Reading Force Professor Alison Baverstock. There will be musical interludes from the talented young trumpeter Ben Tugendhat.
The event is offered to you by the charity Reading Force, which connects military families (at all life-stages) through shared-reading, in the process boosting their confidence and wellbeing – and keeping everyone in touch. Reading Force began in Aldershot in 2011 and is thrilled to return to the Prince Consort’s Library for this special event. The Prince Consort’s Library is an architectural gem, the brainchild of Prince Albert who wanted to encourage wider reading among the military.
Tickets to this unique event are available free, but a retiring collection will be held. As a guideline, and to mark the work of the charity and the special nature of the performance, we would hope for a donation of £25 per person. Dame Penelope Keith and Janet Ellis are both patrons of www.readingforce.org.uk – you can find out more about what the charity does at this site.