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Hopeful of fresh start

Editor, — The closing of the River & Rowing Museum last weekend has been a bitter-sweet experience. Some visitors enjoying for the first time what was on offer and many tearful for having to say goodbye and asking anxiously about the future.

The Henley Historical and Archaeological Group researched and designed a guided walk around the galleries with a map on which we identified 14 “must-see” exhibits. Many thanks are due to those who acted together as stewards throughout the whole weekend.

We didn’t know at the start whether we’d be stewarding empty galleries or dealing with a rush of visitors. It was the latter. There were more than 2,000 visitors. They came, of all ages, with many eager questions, not just about why the museum was closing, but about the history of Henley. It showed vividly the untapped potential there is for a local museum telling the Henley story.

As a group, we intend to work with all concerned to see a new sustainable museum and gallery arise in future, and at the earliest opportunity. This last weekend will then be not a sad ending but a new beginning. — Yours faithfully,

Michael Redley

Chairman, Henley Historical and Archaeological Group

The worldwide pull of rowing

Sir, — Ann Law’s letter (Standard, September 12) about the River & Rowing Museum has put me in mind of a lengthy discussion with fellow residents of Henley Manor Care Home.

The record of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is of national and international value and interest, plus the wooden tree trunk to make a boat by excavating “a boat trunk” (from the Stone Age?). Existing museums are full but a place should be made somewhere.

I was brought up in Birmingham and all my friends were either in support of Cambridge or Oxford. The very big spectator crowd from Putney and beyond and those graduates of both universities who are abroad in Australia and North America watch the race on TV.

After all, Henley is the very heart of rowing but the “race” is watched worldwide. – Yours faithfully,

James C Duff

Henley

Thank you for everything

Thank you to the River & Rowing Museum.

I loved going to the museum and my children spent a lot of time there, especially during the school holidays. They have great memories of art and craft classes with the wonderful Maddie and Camilla.

I still adore the Wind in the Willows experience and recommended it to many families. The local history section has so many exhibits so well displayed with many Henley voices.

The information on the River Thames and the whole rowing gallery celebrating the sport and history of boats is expansive.

Not forgetting the extra regular exhibitions and the shop, café with parking and a lovely room to hire. I have recently been visiting with the Henley Female Network and it was the perfect space for events.

It’s such a shame it has to close and it will be missed, there is nowhere more central it could be in town and I’m sure every available option had been investigated for funding. — Yours faithfully,

Nicola Taylor

Henley

Justifications were bizarre

Sir, — I refer to the article in your paper of September 12 wherein our mayor, Councillor Tom Buckley, declares himself innocent of disrespect in the matter of his attire on certain formal occasions. To my way of thinking, his justifications verge on the weird, ranging from pompous (“very important people haven’t told me to wear a tie”) to bizarre (“I don’t want to be worn by a chain”).

I would like to point out he receives an allowance of £9,000 to cover expenses incurred while attending civic functions. This, I would suggest, is recognition of the additional cost necessary to perform the duties of a mayor with the appropriate decorum.

I’m afraid there’s not much decorum in slapping the mayor’s chain over holiday garb to inspect the cadets.

I also see the Mayor’s civic engagements for July included five at Henley Royal Regatta. I wonder what he was wearing while schmoozing in the Stewards’ Enclosure or Leander? — Yours faithfully,

Richard Guy

New Street, Henley

Puzzling point of view

Sir, — It is puzzling that, on more than one occasion, the Mayor, Councillor Tom Buckley, has chosen to present himself in scruffy attire instead of taking pride in his appearance by donning his best bib and tucker.

Dressing oneself correctly for the occasion is important because it shows respect to the people we work and engage with and the role to which one has been appointed. The Sea Cadets were all elegantly attired, unlike the person inspecting them.

It is so much easier for a man than a woman to get formal dress right — you just need a crisp shirt, a well-cut suit and polished shoes and, if you wish to display your individuality, which the Mayor clearly does, then a suitably flamboyant tie will do the job. Although it was also noticeable that he did not bother with a tie even on the VJ commemorations.

Unfortunately, instead of the main focus of discussion being, for example, the Sea Cadets, the Mayor’s provocative choice of attire has focused the attention on himself, which rather chimes in with the depressing “me-first” attitude so prevalent in our current, technology-driven society.

As for the letter-writers labelled — or should that be libelled — as trolls, despite all of them signing off with a name and partial address, unlike the online variety to whom the Mayor made reference, maybe this is a matter for their lawyers. In order to avoid the embarrassment to Henley of the Mayor potentially appearing at the Remembrance Day commemorations clad in the equivalent of a donkey jacket, would it not be preferable if he were replaced by someone who engenders respect? — Yours faithfully,

N Robinson

Sonning Common

Different perspective

I am writing regarding the recent comments and criticisms concerning our Mayor’s choice of clothing and would like to add another slightly different perspective. One reason for establishing a dress code for many circumstances is to show a sense of respect for an occasion but also to try and help the person involved present themselves in a reasonable-looking way for that specific event.

In my opinion I think it is reasonable to suggest that many men have questionable clothing sense and a dress code can avoid fashion mistakes and steer someone towards a decent look. Our current Mayor seems a good example and so if he intends in future to continue in his pursuit of an agenda that “wider challenges entrenched expectations” may I suggest the use of block colours. — Yours faithfully,

Clive Wilkinson

Greys Road, Henley

Sartorial arrogance

Sir — Henley Mayor Tom Buckley’s misplaced sartorial arrogance when representing Henley Town Council has now made not only the Henley Standard but also the Times and other outlets.

I’m guessing a disrespectful donkey jacket as worn by Michael Foot at the Cenotaph in 1981 will be next. Former Mayor Isabel Carson-Bury — always immaculate and always elegant — must be spinning in her grave! — Yours faithfully,

Steve Ludlow (a very local resident)

Station Park, Henley

Walking parody

Sir, — It seems that Roger Hargreaves and his successors never created a Mr Scruffy or a Mr Tasteless or even a Mr Tinear.

Perhaps you could run a contest to find out which your readers see as the most appropriate descriptor for Councillor Tom Buckley or even seek another one for him. Sadly, the man is a walking parody and is devoid of any dignity. — Yours faithfully,

Philip M M Collings

Peppard Common

Unbelievable criticism

Sir, — I read the recent article regarding the Mayor’s dress sense for a meeting with Henley’s cadet forces.

I find it unbelievable in this day and age that people find the need to comment on his dress sense rather than his capabilities and drive and desire to make positive change in Henley. I have known Councillor Tom Buckley for many years and can testify to his commitment and excellence in his field and he is one of the few who you can rely on time and time again.

Mr Buckley is the man for the job! — Yours faithfully,

N Blackwell

Sign of the times

Sir, — I was interested to see the picture taken by Lauren Moate of a large lorry trying to negotiate the New Street and Bell Street junction in Henley (Standard, September 19).

Some years ago, when I worked near there, l saw many articulated vehicles trying to get through, that was before the M4 and other major truck roads were built.

As l have said many times before, if a new bridge near Reading with a new road were built this problem would be solved.

I did wonder if in the short term a sign could be put near Oxford, Didcot, Abingdon, Newbury, Reading, the M4 junction near Maidenhead and, possibly, Wokingham and Twyford, saying “HENLEY IS UNSUITABLE FOR THROUGH TRAFFIC”.

I know there would be a cost but not as much as a new road and a bridge.

Please can I ask that Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire District Council consider this idea? — Yours faithfully,

Peter Giles

Earley

What is source of pollution?

We read in the Standard the other week (September 5) that the section of river above Marsh Lock was relatively clean and the water below the lock was not at all healthy. So where is this pollution coming from?

Are the cabin cruisers that moor up discharging their waste into the river? Are there some unknown sewage pipes that lead into the river? I am sure that all the ducks and geese that are fed from the prom add to the problem. Can we not ban all the feeding of these to help a little?

I would very much like to hear what is being done to identify the possible source of pollution and hence the very poor water quality. — Yours faithfully,

Kevin Nutt

Canoe coach, the Eyot Centre, Wargrave Road,
Henley

Carrying on regardless

Sir, — It has got to the point that the government and its institutions have entered a phase of cocooning themselves, putting their fingers in their ears and shouting “la la la”, while the country falls apart, their methods fail and millions of people protest.

This is a phase all ruling classes enter sooner or later, from Rome to the tsars, English royalists to the Communist Party of the Cold War-era Soviet Union.

In our United Kingdom we see this right now, everything is “carry on regardless”, ignore everything, beat them into submission.

The problem is that what follows, if restraint is not maintained, can easily result in what history has repeatedly shown us.

When the voices of reasonable people are stifled and all avenues of recourse are blocked, those people are forced into a position with only one option — revolution.

As history has shown, there then is no reason, no calm, no more going to the people with elections. It is at that time the elite are dragged from their sumptuous privileged ivory towers and find the ground under their feet is hard on their pampered faces.

Status is no defence. Royalty, as we know, was dragged down as were the tsars (Russia), the Ceausescus (Romania). Napoleon tore down the French monarchy, famously saying he had “not stolen the crown but picked it up from the gutter”.

UK politics is in that same gutter and change is being forced upon the shoulders of normal people.

Take care of each other. — Yours faithfully,

Edward Sierpowski

Henley

Zelensky is hero

While agreeing with most of Olena Liashenko’s comments regarding the situation in Ukraine and the disturbing implications for the rest of Europe (Standard, September 12), I must strongly disagree with her closing comments regarding being ashamed of President Zelensky.

She should be aware that he is rightly regarded as a hero in the eyes of millions of people across the world and especially in the UK where she has chosen to live! — Yours faithfully,

Vic Moore

Remenham Hill

We need to find answers

Sir, — I heartily agree with Tom Fort’s letter (Standard, September 12). In all my 83-and-a-half years of living in Sonning Common, born and bred, I have never known a problem with Widmore Pond.

My brothers and I used to fish (with a net) from this pond for carp — we went round the back of the pond to do this — mindful of the fact that our parents told us to be very careful as the pond was very deep.

Inspired Villages should be held to account to do a survey at its expense and to carry out any remedial work to the pond, if necessary.

As Mr Fort states, the village, Sonning Common Parish Council and the planning department at South Oxfordshire District Council, were strongly against the development from the word go.

But money talks. Someone who hadn’t a clue probably where Sonning Common is, has deemed it as not an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It stands to reason that if you do all this building work on infrastructure on arable land the water will not reach the underground springs to feed the pond as well as the top pond.

Inspired Villages will probably say it is due to climate change, which is blamed for everything. No, it is due to mankind as well. I rest my case. On a happier note, I was so pleased to see that Sonny was rehomed in Henley. I too saw the programme The Dog House. I am sure the family will enjoy the company of this little Frenchie — they are such characters.

I have a little rescue Frenchie and she’s absolutely adorable and a joy to be with. Happy days! — Yours faithfully,

Judith Coy

Crowsley Way, Sonning Common

My thoughts on pond

Sir — My background has been anything to do with water, a plumber for more than 50 years, a water engineer with a well-known civil engineering firm. As well as water mains, large drainage systems and sewers, we dug, renovated and cleaned out ponds.

I just want to put my thoughts on the matter, maybe the pond has leaked for many years and it has only been found out now, because of the large building project, Widmore Park retirement village.

Because of their digging down for trench footings and soakaways, they have disturbed the springs and ground water that used to supply the ponds and diverted them away from the pond (no fault to the builders).

Now that there’s no water getting to the pond, the water is going down centimetre by centimetre. If this is right, then there is the possibility that water will start appearing down the valley, to the main Reading road, out of Sonning common.

Also because of where the pond is situated, there is only one way the water can go, that is down under the road, because the top road is above the pond, the car park is above the pond, houses and the pub all are higher than the pond and as we all know, water cannot go uphill. Just a thought! — Yours faithfully,

Nigel Saunders

Plowden Way, Shiplake

Mistaken identity

Sir, — I would question the identity of two of the butterflies (Standard, September 19). The one shown as wall brown is a gatekeeper and I believe the one described as a small skipper is a large skipper. — Yours faithfully,

Mike K

Badgers Walk, Shiplake

Biblical references

Sir, — Following the enthusiastic rendering of Jerusalem on the last night of the Proms, it is supposed to refer to the young Jesus, being brought here by his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea to the tin mines in Cornwall. — Yours faithfully,

Enid Light

Marsh Mills, Wargrave Road, Henley