Your letters

Geese add to river problem

Sir, — Your front page featured an article about water test results during Henley Royal Regatta (Standard, August 8).

As locals will know, we had very little rain leading up to the regatta. I can’t help but think that the E. coli levels are clearly exacerbated by the vast numbers of Canada geese.

One only has to look at the pontoons outside Leander Club to see how much geese droppings a small number of geese cause. When one considers the geese population in just the Henley beat the geese droppings must be contributing to the E. coli levels.

Canada geese are classified as a non-native invasive species.

I call for a cull, either culling the adult birds or for those against that egg collection or oiling. We probably have fewer than 20 swans on the Henley beat and my guess in excess of 1,000 geese. Time to rebalance to the more natural numbers. — Yours faithfully,

Bryan Wrighton

Gravel Hill, Henley

Travesty to lose pubs

Sir, — I noticed that Brakspear is selling another pub in the Henley area and that, following on from the Rainbow in Assendon, the Prince Albert in Frieth is now up for sale as a residential house. The Five Horseshoes in Maidensgrove is also looking to be repurposed as a house.

In the last few years, the Dog and Duck in Highmoor has been knocked down, the Rose and Crown in Henley has become a house, while the Four Horseshoes in Checkendon has been empty for at least 10 years and is falling into disrepair.

The Bottle and Glass in Binfield Heath (a previous Brakspear country pub) has been bought by a private company and flourishes.

The Horns in Crazies Hill has also been bought and will re-open. Why doesn’t Brakspear offer these pubs to other pub companies or people who want to make a go of running a free house?

I know that Brakspear is primarily a property company but surely with a nod to the history of heralding from Henley they could spend more time and effort looking after these country pubs. It’s a travesty that we are losing these local institutions and Brakspear doesn’t need the money. — Yours faithfully,

James Lambert

Hambleden

Rewilding is unattractive

Sir, — During the period leading up to and including Henley Royal Regatta, the left side of the Fair Mile (leaving Henley) was mowed and tended while the right side was left completely untended with grass almost waist-high.

Presumably “rewilding” was part of the intention but as residents of the Fair Mile we had no knowledge of this.

However, the contrast between the two sides has led to much negative comment from residents and visitors alike for being “neither one thing nor the other” and “spoiling the attractive approach to Henley” for which it is noted. — Yours faithfully,

Name and address supplied

At least Mayor turned up...

Sir, — In regard to Mayor Tom Buckley’s unseemly attire at the Marine cadets presentation (Standard, August 1) — at least he turned up!

A few weeks ago he was scheduled to attend the Henley Army cadets drill hall to present certificates to the two young people chosen to be the Mayor’s Army and Airforce cadets for the coming year. A great honour you might think.

The Henley Army detachment and the Airforce attachment were lined up on parade from 7.30pm awaiting the arrival of the Mayor. Members of their families were also present.

The Mayor was supposed to arrive at 7.45pm. He did not. After waiting on parade until 8.30pm and with no word forthcoming from the Mayor, the disappointed cadets finally disbanded.

There was no explanation given at the time for his absence. What an example for the Mayor to set! — Yours faithfully,

K P Hiscox

Park Road, Henley

Sartorial standards

Sir, — It is hard to imagine a worsening of the situation regarding Councillor Tom Buckley’s appearance as Mayor at his inspection of the Royal Marine and Sea Cadets (Standard letters, August 8).

However, he has achieved this. Instead of replying himself to your invitation for comment, either justifying his attire or apologising for his gross misjudgement, he permits Daisy Smith, the town council’s communications manager, to respond on his behalf, landing her with an unenviable task.

Her explanation that every mayor brings their own style and personality to the role, adding to “the character and colour of Henley’s civic life”, is clearly a desperate one in the present context.

There are long-understood sartorial standards for the role of mayor, out of respect for the office and others, and these have been kept, until now.

Ms Smith goes on to say that Councillor Buckley is “looking forward to supporting” the three Mayor’s cadets. Perhaps a more salient point is whether the three cadets, indeed the whole unit, now want to have anything more to do with the Mayor. — Yours faithfully,

Douglas Kedge

Lea Road, Sonning Common

Have a word with Mayor

Sir, — I deduce from the comments by the town council’s communications manager, Daisy Smith, that he is unrepentant for his unsuitable dress during his inspection of smartly turned-out Royal Marine and Sea Cadets.

I particularly like “dress codes vary from mayor to mayor” — a sophistry of “we know he hasn’t a clue but what can we do?”

Nevertheless, would the Mayor dress like that to go to Stewards at the royal regatta? I doubt it. Someone would tell him it is inappropriate.

Would the Mayor dress like that to go to Henley Festival? I doubt it. Someone would tell him it is inappropriate.

Should the Mayor dress like he does on civic occasions? Of course not. Someone should tell him it is inappropriate.

Over to you, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Ian Reissmann. — Yours faithfully,

Richard Guy

New Street, Henley

Dress for the occasion

Editor, — I am fully in agreement with the letters last week expressing views about the Henley Mayor’s attire at recent events.

What further concerned me was that, in trying to justify his choice of clothing, he does not defend his own actions but hides behind comments on his behalf by the town council’s communications manager.

Further, while dress codes do vary, I contend these are between the nature of each event, not the “personality” of the Mayor. At some social events nowadays, such relaxed dress may be acceptable.

But where the purpose is to celebrate with a distinguished person such as the Speaker of the House of Commons or uniformed military, such as our cadets, it is still unacceptable to demean their presence by such relaxed attire.

Mr Mayor, please continue to support the cadets but reconsider your position on this and support such events with clothing which befits those parading. — Yours faithfully,

Angus Ross (former borough Mayor)

Laureate Gardens, Henley

Fear for future of museum

Sir, — I entirely support the views of Edward Sierpowski (Standard letters, June 20).

My own fear is his, namely that if the River & Rowing Museum in Henley passes into private ownership, it will be redeveloped into luxury apartments. This would be the thin end of the wedge where infilling is concerned.

We do not want Henley to become another Bicester where a charming small town has become a completely built-up area. We must all work to keep Henley on Thames the charming riverside town of which we can all be proud. — Yours faithfully,

Annie Meyerhoff

Heathfield Avenue, Binfield Heath

Interesting research

Sir, — I am currently researching information for a book I hope to have published later this year.

My subject matter is the history of the Henley and District Billiards and Snooker League, which was founded in 1948.

Minutes of meetings of the league contain many glimpses of local life in the years after the war.

Included in the rules of the league was the fact that if a player from the Nettlebed Club was drawn to play a player from Wargrave or
Twyford, owing to the significant distance involved, the match could be played at a club in Henley. Obviously, not all individuals or families possessed a car in the Fifties.

Another excerpt concerned the billiards singles final in the first year, when one player representing the Liberal club refused to play on a table in the Salisbury Conservative Club. Perhaps telling us that politics and sport don’t always gel.

I have to admit your readers’ letters of last week concerning the attire of our Mayor motivate me to relate another excerpt. At an annual meeting, a member commented his disappointment at some players standard of dress: “some are even turning up wearing jeans”.

In their early days, jeans were considered workwear and not considered acceptable for socialising.

The results of the billiards matches have been published in the Standard almost every week since the inception of the league, something that we are all thankful for. — Yours faithfully,

Terry Colby

Peppard Lane, Henley

Antidote to modern life

Editor, — Travelling by train through the Scottish Highlands on a wonderful holiday I enjoyed reading A Croft in the Hills by Katherine Stewart, who was born in Reading in 1914.

This beautifully written book describes how Katherine, her husband and young daughter took over a run-down croft in the hills near Inverness and fought the elements to become self-sufficient with sheep, cattle and chickens.

It is the perfect antidote to modern life where forgetting one’s phone charger becomes a major incident. — Yours faithfully,

Douglas Wright

Caversham