Niki Schafer: New Year Message

IT has been another testing year for many businesses and we must congratulate the tenacity and creativity it has taken for many in the travel, entertainment and hospitality businesses particularly, to stay afloat and, better still, put on a smile and serve others.

As a business partnership and networking group, we have been able to meet only a handful of times this year face-to-face but we have joined on Zoom and shared news and updates and there have been some remarkable accomplishments.

Businesses have been expanded, shops opened and new ventures launched, showing us that uncertain times can also mean times of opportunity.

The opening of The Relais (formerly the Red Lion Hotel) for this year’s Henley Royal Regatta was a remarkable feat and we welcome the fabulous upgrades to the building and wonderful food and wine on offer there.

On the other side of town, which they’ve taken to calling “Southside”, Eva and Graham Rickett opened Henley Scan, a place to have old photos and films renewed and packaged as gifts for loved ones, a particularly wonderful present during lockdown birthdays.

David Rodger Sharp expanded from jewellery to baking to gin, which has made us all happy, and Wild and Rust opened its boutique of interior and floral displays.

Celia Quinn also upgraded to a larger venue to show off more fabulous footwear.

Gardiner Place revealed a children’s clothing shop which, along with Tigers and Tiaras, makes Henley’s children the best dressed in the country.

Tucked in the middle is F45, a fantastic gym run by Jack and Gems Shaylor, which is keeping us fit and hopefully encourages passers-by to get healthy.

The H Café closed its doors and we also, sadly, said goodbye to Liz Felix Millinery, Estilo, Bloc Café, Patisserie Valerie, Lloyds Bank, and Accessorize/Monsoon.

In their spots new gourmet businesses have been welcomed — the Cheesy Grape, Bijan’s and Pavilion, a deli and cookery school. Let us support them as best we can by indulging in their delicacies.

Charities have been hard hit this year as fundraising activities have been very limited and our wonderful Living Advent Calendar wasn’t able to go ahead.

However, the Mayor Sarah Miller has done sterling work to raise funds for her charities with unusual events and even a pop song.

Gillotts School collected and donated a huge amount of food to Nomad, our food bank and excellent support centre for local families.

Harriet Barcella and some intrepid trekkers managed to get abroad to walk to Jordan in aid of the Chiltern Centre, a local respite centre, and her husband, Marco, swam in the Thames every day in January in order to raise funds.

Well done to them both for bearing such extremes in temperatures.

Well done also to the festivals and events that were able to go ahead. It has not been easy.

Henley Festival was particularly brilliant this year — it was such a joy to see people in their finery enjoying themselves.

I also take my hat off to Jayson Jaurigue and his team at Eight Ray Music for launching Glow Henley this winter at Leander Club. Surely Graham Bell’s après-ski party must become a regular event to add to our impressive Henley social calendar?

Perseverance and tenacity have shown themselves to be much- needed business traits and, as we enter another period of uncertainty, there is no way we can rest on our laurels.

Please support your local businesses in any way you can by popping in if they have a high street presence and perhaps also promoting them online or sharing their social media.

These small ways of acknowledging their work are much appreciated and, in doing so, you are supporting someone’s livelihood. Thank you.

Wishing you all a very happy New Year.