Women on top

THIS year’s Christmas Festival in Henley will have a distinctly feminine touch.

All but two of the nine members of the organising committee are female — town councillors Lorraine Hillier, Helen Chandler-Wilde, Sam Evans, Sarah Miller and Kellie Hinton, Henley Partnership director Gillian Nahum and Marisa Francini, of Henley in Bloom.

The only male members are Rod Simmons, of Henley Lions Club, and Ian McGaw, of the Rotary Club of Henley Bridge.

The nine were chosen by the town and community committee, which is chaired by new councillor Dylan Thomas.

Recognising the female bias, town clerk Mike Kennedy turned to Cllr Thomas and remarked: “Girl power, chairman.”