Your letters

Wake up before it’s too late

Sir, — Regarding the “tale of two museums” (Standard, September 5) I would like to support the view of Bob Ballantyne.

How can the residents of Henley refuse to face the outcome should our River & Rowing Museum be closed?

With so much to offer, it should be a source of pride to us all!

At my advanced age, I will not be around to see the outcome but, as a resident in this lovely riverside town for more than 60 years, I care deeply about its future.

Please let’s not lose this invaluable asset without a fight.

If Le Boulou in southern France is prepared to support its small museum, surely we can do at least as much here by supporting our present museum, which has so much more to offer.

Wake up Henley! — Yours faithfully,

Ann Law

Heathfield Avenue, Binfield Heath

Horrified by roundabout

Sir, — I was horrified when coming into Henley along the Reading Road today (Tuesday) when I saw that someone had painted the St George’s Cross on the mini roundabout by the Three Horseshoes pub.

The flag of St George is part of our shared history and, I would like to say clearly, it belongs to all of us, not just a few.

The origins of this symbol go far beyond England. St George himself was born in Cappadocia, in what is now Turkey, and his story spread through Arabic-speaking Christian communities in the Middle East long before England ever adopted him as patron saint. The St George’s Cross, in truth, is a flag with global roots — and it should unite us, not divide us.

When it is used to exclude or to send a message of intolerance, it hurts our community. What we need instead is more care for one another, especially at a time when so many of us are struggling.

For me, that’s where hope lies — in standing together, building inclusive communities, and refusing to let symbols of shared heritage be turned into tools of hate. — Yours faithfully,

Laura Reineke

Friends of the Thames

Help flags to fly freely

Sir, — I have lived in our beautiful town since 2007 and watched it evolve over time.

What I never noticed was all the building-mounted flagpoles around Market Place until last week — probably a dozen or more. They each have a Union flag attached but what a shame that the effect is lost as the flag fabric is furled around many of the poles, unable to fly freely.

I read that a simple solution to this would be adding a non-furling kit that uses rotating rings to facilitate tangle-free movement of the flag around the pole. I think the Market Place deserves to be optimally presented and hope a solution can be considered. A weighted flag attachment can be added to help keep the flag straight.

I imagine many would enjoy seeing free-flying flags adorning the Market Place as intended. — Yours faithfully,

Helen Holbrook

Henley

Smokescreen for inactivity

Sir, — Peter Neville understandably complains of pointless delays to his housing project in Sonning Common (Standard, September 5). The Watlington relief road is another example of this as you reported in your edition of August 22. Just look at all the nonsenses there. Dreamed up by Oxfordshire County Council with its 10 executive directors mostly working from home when they should be making their administration efficient.

Cost at Watlington now said to be £19.3m when we’d always been told £11m. Where is the money coming from? Still no mention of it in the county council’s budget papers.

So, it can only come from Government, which will be in no position to provide it, even supposing they want to help a self-serving Lib-Dem authority like Oxfordshire County Council.

The bypass is simply not going to happen any time soon and we have to face up to that. The latest objections are a smokescreen for inactivity and poor management by our Lib-Dem local authority. What has the council been doing? Remember the £10m-plus wasted on Benson relief road?

And as for Henley MP Freddie van Mierlo saying he wants the bypass now, he was at the heart of the political administration that created this mess. — Yours faithfully,

Adrian de Segundo

Russells Water

A missed PR opportunity

Sir, — I warmly congratulate Sonning Common Parish Council on its commitment to seek professional help in investigating the problems that have afflicted one of the village’s defining features, Widmore Pond and its willingness to commit significant funds to addressing the issue.

But I cannot help thinking that this is a significant public relations opportunity that should be seized by Inspired Villages, the company responsible for the construction of the controversial “retirement village” immediately next to the pond.

It may be that the disappearance of the water from the pond and the building work so close by were coincidental. But many people in Sonning Common refuse to believe it.

If I were a bright PR in whatever company is being charged with trying to promote the sale of Inspired Villages’ apartments, I would be urging my bosses to urge their bosses to pay for the pond to be surveyed and for any remedial work.

The decision to allow the development was bitterly opposed by almost everyone in Sonning Common and the appearance of the apartment blocks on what was previously farmland in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has only confirmed what we knew at the time — that this should never have happened.

The company has previously admitted that selling the apartments will be a considerable challenge. Supporting the repair of the pond would cost them the equivalent of a drop in the ocean they have spent on the development and might secure them a little much-needed goodwill. — Yours faithfully,

Tom Fort

Sonning Common

Unreadable road signs

I live in Marlow and a couple of weeks ago I visited a friend in Goring. I drove over to Henley and on towards Goring. I had a map with me but it was a very difficult journey through the countryside.

One of the main reasons that it was such a difficult journey was that so many signposts were impossible to see as they had bushes and trees growing right in front of them, completely covering them up. I didn’t see one sign for Goring until I was almost there.

I just thought I would mention it as the powers that be in Oxfordshire are certainly not doing their job very well. — Yours faithfully,

Sue Winter

Marlow

Held hostage in chess game

My name is Olena, I am Ukrainian from Kyiv. I arrived in the UK in May 2022. I would like to comment on the article about Ukrainian refugees who said they would like peace with Russia with the loss of territories (Standard, August 29).

In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants not four regions but eight regions of Ukraine.

And, even if there were negotiations (which of course there will not be), it would not only be about territories. Ukraine will lose its rights, freedom, language, everything Ukrainian will be destroyed.

Now the whole world is hostage to a great chess game played by America, Russia and China. This war is incredible money and this war will last until President Trump sells all the weapons.

The meeting in Alaska showed the whole world that politicians can say and do anything. This meeting showed that war criminals can do anything and are not afraid of anything. Any war is started by politicians and finished by ordinary people.

Ukrainians are no longer asked about the loss of territories, we have already lost them, the president of any country cannot even legally speak about the loss of territorial integrity.

We are truly infinitely grateful to all the countries of the world for their help, because only thanks to this help our soldiers are fighting for peace and Ukraine for our sake!

We still pray to God every day to save our Ukraine. We believe in a miracle.

I am proud that my family now lives in Great Britain. This is a brave country that does not make concessions, that is not afraid of Russia and had such a leader as Winston Churchill. The whole world was ready to submit to Hitler but not Britain.

Also, I’m sorry that a street in London is named after our president, I am ashamed of it. He does not deserve it and he is not the second Churchill. — Yours faithfully,

Olena Liashenko

Pangbourne

Time to lift the hosepipe ban?

Sir, — I wonder if you could please be bothered on our behalf to write an article asking if it is time to lift the hosepipe ban?

A few photos of flooded roads etc would make the point nicely, don’t you think? — Yours faithfully,

Sophie O’Sullivan

Henley

We provided the boats...

Editor, — I was delighted to see large photographs of the Chiltern Centre members at the Henley Regatta for the Disabled but I was disappointed that the Eyot Centre didn’t get a name check as we provided the boats, equipment and volunteers who made the water-based activity happen.

We were particularly pleased that the Chiltern Centre crew qualified for the final as they have trained diligently throughout the summer at the Eyot Centre.

Mention should also be made of Oxfordshire Lowland Rescue which provided the water-based safety team. — Yours faithfully,

Richard Parham

Secretary, the Eyot Centre

Thank you for great day out

We had a great day at the Henley Regatta for the Disabled. It was a fun-filled day with lots of brilliant activities, including the bell boating which my friends and I won with Clasp Wokingham.

Please pass on my thanks to the organisers and the friendly volunteers. — Yours faithfully,

Thomas Ormsby

St Catherine’s Close, Wokingham

Let’s stay connected

Sir, — Thank you for the kind article reflecting 10 years of Henley Trains supporting our local rail users.

If any locals would like to contact us with any questions or how to be included in our mailing list, please email
henleytrains@gmail.com

You can also follow @hen leytrains on Twitter/X for disruption updates. — Yours faithfully,

Neil Gunnell

Blandy Road, for Henley Trains

Show was truly inspiring...

If you weren’t there you missed something.

Mike Hurst produced for two nights only a magnificent show at the Kenton Theatre. The show was largely a retrospective of popular music of the Sixties and Seventies and featured famous names such as Shakin’ Stevens, PP Arnold, Mike d’Abo and others.

It was professionally compèred by both Sir Tim Rice and Mike.

The capacity audience enjoyed it all, even to the extent of “rocking” in the aisles.

Mike has enjoyed an illustrious career in the music industry from his early days as a guitar-playing singer. He became a manager, producer and promoter.

As patriarch of the renowned musical Hurst family he is still involved in the showbusiness world. With his extensive knowledge and memories he may now be found giving talks on this world he knows so well.

Mike now has Parkinson’s.

The Kenton shows were organised as events to raise money for the charity Parkinson’s UK.

They raised more than £30,000 for this cause.

The energy and enthusiasm Mike put into producing these shows must surely act as an inspiration to others affected by this condition.

In fact one fan was overheard saying “If that’s what Parkinson’s does give me some of that”. I think not ! — Yours faithfully,

William Fitzhugh

(Also with Parkinson’s)

Caversham

... we loved the special guests

On Saturday night at the Kenton Theatre, we had a great night with Mike Hurst in aid of Parkinson’s awareness.

We enjoyed the music with special guests, PP Arnold, Shakin’ Stevens, Mike d’Abo and many more, also the wonderful Ken Bruce, of Greatest Hits Radio, with a round of pop master. I believe it raised more than £10,000. — Yours faithfully,

Lewis Every

Swiss Farm, Henley