10 years ago

AN appeal to equip 10 schools in the Henley area with life-saving equipment is more than a third of the way to its £15,000 target after just two weeks. The Millie’s Dream charity has secured two semi-automatic defibrillators and been promised money to cover the cost of three more machines. Two fathers whose children have connections to the schools have each donated the full cost of a device, while the appeal has raised £2,000 in donations and been pledged another £1,500.

A touch of class was brought to Henley when the annual literary festival began this week. The Countess of Carnarvon, who lives at Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed, gave a lesson on how to set a dinner table. The stunt was staged at Bix Manor, where the Countess was speaking about her book, Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey.

The organisers of Challenge Henley have been given a vote of no confidence. Representatives of Henley Town Council, Oxfordshire County Council and parish councils met on Wednesday last week and a show of hands showed the vast majority were in favour of the event moving elsewhere.