50 years ago

FOR the first time in its history, Henley has been officially twinned with a foreign town. On Saturday, the public filled every inch of the town hall to watch the Mayor and town clerk sign a charter of friendship and present it to the Mayor of Falaise, Normandy. As Falaisian dancers in colourful costumes high-kicked their way into the hearts of their English hosts, plans were already being made for a return visit in May.

One of Henley’s oldest buildings is being used as an antiques shop without permission. The Old Cottage in New Street was bought by Mr David Mortimer in July. A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council told the Standard that no application for change of use to a shop had been submitted to the area planning sub-committee in respect of the building.

A £500,000 sewerage scheme covering villages near Sonning Common may be delayed for years because the owners of a strip of land next to the sewage works will not sell it to Henley Rural District Council. Councillors heard at their meeting on Tuesday that the scheme cannot go ahead without an extension of the Sonning Common sewage works.