WHAT a fantastic day it was on the Saturday when Henley turned out in force to salute the achievements of the Olympic rowers. The streets were packed with well-wishers, the bells of St Mary’s rang out and the sun shone. There are many people who should be congratulated for their efforts, not least the organising committees.
Now I believe that the best committee is made up of two people when one is off sick, so I was stunned to discover that no less than three committees worked to arrange the day.
So I doff my cap to Paul Mainds and his team at the River & Rowing Museum, Paul Budd and Robert Treharne Jones at Leander Club and the Mayor, Gill Zakss, and her volunteers who sat on the town council committee.
Other thanks should go to Martin Unsworth for keeping order in the town hall, Enotria for sponsoring wine, De Boers, the tent people and Lovibonds Brewery for their generosity when it came to the drinks and Waitrose which so generously sponsored the food.
The Leander members who didn’t make the UK team took time off from training to hand around the drinks and nibbles.
The bell-ringers must have found it extremely hot and tiring work spending so long on the ropes in the tower of the church, but I know the athletes were most grateful for their work.
If I have missed anyone out, and I am sure I must have, please accept my apologies. Finally, the biggest stars of the day were, undoubtedly, the rowers themselves. What a splendid bunch they were. A true inspiration to the hundreds of children that met them.
Nothing was too much trouble. They spent so much time in the town hall on their hands and knees just so they could sign the union flags and postcards and showed a genuine interest in the youngsters.
They were a credit to their sports and their club. Immaculately turned out and incredibly polite. Premiership footballers, eat your hearts out. Here’s to 2012.
ends
Published on 27 October 2008
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