10 YEARS AGO: March 10, 2000

BBC sports presenter Steve Rider has begun training for his second London Marathon. This year, the Grandstand frontman, who lives in Hurley, will be part of a team of up to 40 runners raising money for Sargent, cancer care for children. With four Great North Runs behind him, Rider is looking forward to the challenge. He said: “There is always a great atmosphere. Don’t ask me about times, I am just looking to get round.”

Campaigners against “over- development” of the Southfields site in Greys Road, Henley, had their hopes dashed on Wednesday night. Members of South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning sub-committee were tied at six for and six against when the chairwoman Deborah Whitfield used her casting vote to approve the scheme. More than 25 residents attended the meeting.

A Henley first-aider has received one of the highest accolades of the Order of St John. Julia Yeo, of Vicarage Road, was awarded the investiture medal and admitted as a Serving Sister after being a member of St John Ambulance for 23 years. Mrs Yeo went to the Grand Priory Church in Clerkenwell to receive the honour from the Prior of the Order of St John, Lord Slynn of Hadley.





25 YEARS AGO: March 15, 1985

A WOMAN was attacked in the garden of a house in Rotherfield Greys on Tuesday morning. Although police were on the scene within five minutes and scanned the area using a helicopter, the attacker, described as a man aged between 30 and 40, disappeared. Police said the victim, who is in her thirtes, works as a domestic at the house and lives in the Nettlebed area.

The amalgamation of Henley’s King James’s College and South Oxfordshire Technical College to form a tertiary was given unanimous support by Oxfordshire County Council’s education committee yesterday. The proposal, which will now go forward to the full council as a recommendation, will involve closing both colleges and creating the new tertiary in the premises of both with effect from September 1987.

Singer Vince Hill and his wife Annie can’t have a new boathouse at their riverside home in Lower Shiplake, planners have ruled. The showbusiness star planned to demolish his summer house and boathouse and put up a new building on two storeys with an area for leisure facilities on the upper floor described as a lounge, changing/rest room and games room.



50 YEARS AGO: March 11, 1960

AN unattended lorry parked in Friday Street, Henley, on Tuesday morning started to roll forward and seemed likely to plunge into the river but was stopped by colliding with a shed on the bank. The shed, the property of Cyril Hobbs, was extensively damaged and another shed, belonging to Mr M Parrott, was shifted from its position.

The Forget-Me-Not Club for the disabled held its March meeting on Thursday at Trinity Hall. Entertainment was provided by Miss Waddell, who held everyone spellbound for an hour with a splendid variety of conjuring tricks. All present enjoyed the excellent tea kindly provided by members of Remenham Women’s Institute and there was general agreement that the afternoon had been a great success.

The scratching by her pet dog on the bedroom door probably saved the life of Mrs Humberstone, who awoke to find the kitchen of her top floor flat in Reading Road, Henley, on fire. The smoke was so thick that firemen had to don breathing apparatus to reach the seat of the fire, which was discovered at 1.45am on Wednesday. Mrs Humberstone, an expectant mother, was alone in the flat at the time as her husband was away for the night on RAF duty.



100 YEARS AGO: March 11, 1910

NOTWITHSTANDING the inclement weather on Wednesday evening, the Henley Company territorials carried out their route march. The company, about 70 strong and including the Henley Town and Trinity Bands, paraded at 7pm under the command of Capt Ovey and marched to Crazies Hill, where Capt Willis entertained them. Home was reached shortly after 10 o’clock. It rained for the whole time and everyone was soaked to the skin.

Mr J W Wallis, of Coxlease Farm, Fawley, met with his death in a very mysterious manner last Friday. The deceased came to Henley in the afternoon and on his way home something evidently went wrong with his horse and trap in the vicinity of Hanging’s Hill. One of the deceased’s labourers was passing at about 5 o’clock and he discovered the trap lying on its side and the horse on the head of the deceased, who was quite dead.

A gramophone entertainment was given by Mr Watkins at the Nuffield School in aid of the boot and shoe fund on Tuesday when a good number attended. Songs, both sentimental and comic, were rendered, as was a large number of gramophone selections, which were roundly applauded. All records have been purchased from John Hawkins, of Duke Street, Henley.