Thanks to a donation from the Rotary Club of Reading, there is now a new public piano on the main concourse at Reading station.

The musical instalment was unveiled last week at the station.

The piano was initially donated to the Reading Library of Things by Highwood School in Woodley, but was offered to The Rotary Club of Reading as they don’t take musical instruments.

They then worked to restore the instrument to allow for a free, accessible way to play.

The piano has a new mural design called ‘The Musical Forest’ by Commando Jugendstil. They also designed the mural for the Reading Hydro turbine house.

Music is playing through the station daily, which is celebrating 185 years since it first opened as a terminal for Brunel’s Great Western Railway in 1840.

“We’d like to give a huge thanks to The Rotary Club of Reading for the donation of this beautiful piano, which we are delighted to have on the concourse at Reading station.

“We’ve seen from our former piano how appreciated they are by passengers and staff alike, and we hope this will help brighten people’s journeys at Reading for years to come.”

Bernadette Sachse, Network Rail station manager for Reading