Henley residents will be able to see in the new Millennium with a two-day extravaganza to be held in the town centre, it was announced this week. Henley Town Council is linking with Henley Royal Regatta, the Chamber of Trade and the Henley Festival, along with other organisations, to arrange Party 2000! — Henley Celebrates. The streets will be closed to traffic and filled with colourful spectacle, including dancers, musicians, mime artists and fireworks.

The battle against drug abuse was high on the agenda of Oxfordshire Rotary clubs this week at the launch of its high-profile project to educate youngsters on the subject. The first Life Education Centre mobile classroom (LEC) arrived in the county and it is intended that it should travel around all schools, complementing and reinforcing aspects of health education in the national curriculum.

People walking in Henley on Wednesday were surprised to see a fallow deer running along Reading Road — but amusement soon turned to concern when the creature was injured by a car. Mr. Richard Carr, co-owner of Jackdaw Antique Centres, said he heard a bang and a scream, and, when he looked out of the shop, he saw the deer.

Conservatives won 13 of the 16 seats on Henley Town Council — and all eight North Ward councillors are members of the majority group. Former mayor Albert Spiers, an independent who has been a councillor for 19 years, lost his seat, and another independent candidate Jack Carson-Bury, who lost his seat on the district council, comfortably won his place on the town council. Mayor Noel Snell was left as the only Liberal remaining on the council.

Residents of Greys Hill have set up a petition to oppose the proposal to turn the road into a one-way system. Some 56 people living in Greys Hill and Church Street have strongly objected to the scheme, which will make traffic flow up the hill, and residents feel that it is ‘unnecessary and inappropriate. .

The decision not to award Henley Choral Society a grant was criticised by town councillors on Tuesday. The council has given the society money towards running costs almost every year, but the finance committee agreed recently not to award a grant because it appeared from its balance sheet it was making a healthy profit.

Working in water 14 feet deep in places, diver Norman Rowles, from the firm of Messrs. Aubrey Watson Ltd, on Tuesday located and recovered most of the stonework which fell from Henley bridge when a car ran into the balustrading on the downstream side on the evening of April 23rd.

Henley’s avenue of turkey oaks along the Fair Mile are all alive. This news was given to members of the town council at Tuesday’s meeting by Alderman C. Luker, chairman of the committee responsible for the planting of the trees, who stated that after replantings, through young trees dying, and considerable care, all the trees were showing buds this spring, and he hoped that in 50 years’ time they would have grown to a fair size and in due time form a handsome avenue.

Rainfall during April as measured by Mr. J. E. Chalcraft at Longlands, Hart Street, amounted to only 0.93in. and included 0.34in. falling as snow on April 4th. The total compares with an average over the last 43 years of 1.89in. but the total for the year to the end of April, 8.95in., was a little above the average of 8.07in. for the period.

While riding his cycle over the crossing near the Henley Parish Church yesterday, Mr. Harold Mead, son of Mr. Stanley Mead, of Duke Street, met with a nasty accident, which has necessitated medical attention and laying up for a week or so. It appears that shortly after noon Mr.Mead was riding in the direction of Henley Bridge. When in the act of riding over the crossing he was thrown violently forward, alighting on his face. It is hoped he will soon be completely restored.

The annual rummage sale for the Henley Parochial Fund was held at Kenton Hall. A fair amount of articles for sale were contributed, but owing to general poverty and depression the prices obtainable were much lower than in former years and the amount cleared was only £8. The managers beg to thank heartily all those who so kindly contributed to the sale and also all the ladies who helped at the various stalls during the evening.

At Reading Borough bench on Tuesday, Henry Mills, of Chiltern End, Henley, was summoned for driving a motor car at an excessive speed in the Bath Road, Reading, on April 3rd. Mr. Mills, who was stated to have driven at a speed of 28 miles an hour, was fined £3 and costs.