Your letters...

Misled over road repairs

Editor, — Residents of Bell Street, Henley, were given false hope when in receipt of letters from Oxfordshire County Council dated June 13 and July 14.

We imagined that some relief from the constant bouncing and rumbling of heavy goods vehicles was about to be afforded by a comprehensive resurfacing project.

The letters stated that carriageway maintenance and resurfacing work on Bell Street between the King’s Road roundabout and New Street would be starting on July 28, the works to include “ironwork adjustments and resurfacing of the existing carriageway”.

Your article headlined “Busy through road used by HGVs finally resurfaced” (Standard, August 5) revealed that this work had been completed.

County councillor Stefan Gawrysiak trumpeted the success of the project, the minimal disruption and the relief it has brought to the residents of New Street.

I am delighted for the residents of New Street. The new surface is smooth and should help to reduce the noise of the unsuitable vehicles that use the roads as a cut-through.

Bell Street residents are not so fortunate.

No work has taken place other than an insignificant patch. No resurfacing has occurred. HGVs and trailers can still bounce merrily along Bell Street at all hours.

To add insult to injury, it is reported that Bell Street hasn’t been included in the next schedule of works.

Bell Street desperately needs resurfacing and I feel extremely disappointed that the promise of respite heralded in letters to residents has not been fulfilled. — Yours faithfully,

Irene Fox

Bell Street, Henley

The future for pubs...

Sir, — Sad to see the demise of the Baskerville in Shiplake; it doesn’t augur well for the return of the Plough/Plowden Arms in September as, from memory, the residents had a petition to keep it as a local pub.

Having said that, we decided to go for a pub lunch on Tuesday but the Maltsters Arms in Rotherfield Greys, the Butcher’s Arms in Sonning Common and the Unicorn and Red Lion were all closed.

The first at least had a sign outside saying they were closed; the Unicorn had no sign and the Red Lion had one saying it was open!

Are things that bad? No they are not as we ended up at the Cherry Tree in Stoke Row, which was busy but it was not too late for lunch at 2pm.

The staff were excellent and friendly and the service and food were very reasonable. There may be a lesson there. — Yours faithfully,

Michael Herriot

Former hotelier and restaurateur, Valley Road, Henley

We mustn’t lose cinema

Sir, — There were two letters last week concerning the continued lack of advertising in the Standard by the Regal Picturehouse cinema in Henley of the programme for the following week and also the declining support.

The advertisement for the cinema programme used to be in weekly, together with those of the Mill at Sonning and the Kenton Theatre but is no longer. It seems that the only way to obtain the programme is via the internet.

Some people may not know that the cinema also shows filmed plays, for example from the National Theatre, and operas, for example from the New York Metropolitan.

Since the lockdowns, audiences seem to be smaller to which the lack of advertising may well contribute.

The Regal Picturehouse is a very important entertainment venue in Henley and we must not lose it. — Yours faithfully,

Michael Hollas

Queen Close, Henley

Bye, Henley, I’ll miss you

Sir, — It’s goodbye to the dog portrait artist of Henley as he becomes the dog portrait artist of Dorset.

I leave Henley for Lyme Regis next month after more than 40 years and I’m going to miss all 11,863 of you (less the people that objected to the lights on the bridge and the objectors to my art therapy studio).

That leaves still quite a lot for visiting me.

I love you Henley folk but mostly I love your dogs. I love the town and its quirky but lovely people. Look after it, it’s really special.

To smokers, please don’t put your cigarette butts on the pavement — that has always annoyed me — but treat it is an extension of your home.

Chris the street cleaner does a great job and he’s a good town ambassador but he doesn’t need us being disrespectful to our town.

I am not leaving completely. I want to see the Make Henley Shine team complete the task of putting LEDs on the bridge and, rest assured, now the big boys and clubs are involved that will happen, especially with this team.

You will have the first bridge outside London to be lit up — an amazing sight to look forward to.

I don’t know what’s going to happen to my studio in Greys. Who knows — maybe a rescue centre for dogs or a big bonfire. Any suggestions?

I’m not sure my old Defender will make it to Lyme Regis but did you know the town has more dogs than Henley and don’t you think that the Cobb (harbour wall) is just asking to be lit up?

So I hope to see all 11,863 of you staying with me in Lyme Regis. It has been quite a ride but remember that “As long as freedom in Ukraine persists none of us can truly rest.”

Big hugs to you all and look after those lovely dogs. — Yours faithfully,

Clive Hemsley

Longlands House, Hart Street, Henley

Post-Boris imagined

Editor, — As John Howell declared his support for Rishi Sunak in the leadership race (Standard, July 26), below is my take on the next update we can expect from our MP based on who wins.

If Rishi wins:

“In July I said that he was exactly what the country needed and I’ve been proved right — I was Ready for Rishi from before day one.

“Obviously he is the only person that can clean up the mess left by the last government that he was in. His is a story of sheer hard work — day and night, night and day. Next time you have your head in your hands after a 12-hour hospital shift, just pull your finger out and get back to work. Just like Rishi. There is nothing stopping you from changing uniforms and starting your other job at the supermarket after visiting the food bank.

“Remember it is only your own sheer laziness that is preventing you from being in 222nd place on the Sunday Times rich list.”

If Liz Truss wins:

“Some of you may remember that in July I unequivocally came off the fence and voiced my full-throated, table-banging support for Mr Sunak as Conservative Party leader.

“When I wrote that I thought he had the necessary experience and skills. You will now clearly understand that I meant he was promising but obviously a political adolescent. A mere man-boy when compared to the battle-tested colossus astride the world stage that we now have as our leader.

“Liz gets things done.

“Vision: She managed to register the Liz For Leader website just two days after her boss survived a confidence vote. That unswerving loyalty and forward planning is just what the country needs.

“Decisive: You know that if the phone rings at 3am in No 10 because the Deliveroo order has been misinterpreted and will cost £8.8billion, Bizzi Lizzi will cancel it, pronto.

“Health: She knows that the last home visit by a doctor you saw was on Downton Abbey so she’ll get each lazy GP visiting 100 homes a day, just you watch. Forty new hospitals needed? Just give Liz the bricks and a trowel, stand back and give her room.”

Whoever wins:

“I’m now fully behind our new dynamic Prime Minister, just as I was fully behind David Cameron (who resigned over Brexit), Theresa May (who resigned over Brexit) and Boris Johnson (who resigned over everything).

“Never forget how things would have been catastrophically worse under a Corbynista camarilla. We would be facing recession, runaway inflation, a cost of living crisis, high taxes, a creaking NHS, a plague of strikes and potholes everywhere.”

When Boris returns in 2024:

“It is now time for unity and for you to forget the last five years as quickly as possible. There is only one man who can apply a powerful enough balm to heal our wounded nation.

“He said ‘Hasta la vista’, so it is only right and proper that he returns to rescue my job in our darkest hour after the disastrous Truss/Sunak (delete as appropriate) years. Penny PM4PM was right on how badly things would turn out if she did not get the top job herself.

“I always thought Boris got the big calls right, just look at the legacy of that gorgeous Lulu Lytle wallpaper. Who could forget that first barnstorming press conference after a two-year break?

“Taking his shirt off, whirling it around and revealing a Nike sports bra was pure genius. Booster Boris chutzpah will send the doomsters scurrying back to their burrows. Audentes fortuna iuvat (Fortune favours the brave). They don’t teach that at a Leeds comp.

“He was outstanding as PM and he didn’t end up in prison like the other Boris. Look out for the shiny new red bus and him leading us again into the oven-ready levelled up bright sunny uplands of Brexit freedoms.” — Yours faithfully,

Damien D’Souza

Henley

Celebrating twinning

Sir, — Recent letters have mentioned the Rue de Henley in Falaise.

There is also a Rue de Regatte and both these roads were “unveiled” in June 1974 by Margaret Day, the mayor of Henley at the time, during the first official twinning visit to Falaise. I know because I was there! The Falaise Twinning Association had been formed the previous year and I had joined then and am still a member, having served as secretary for 18 years in the meantime.

Now the Leichlingen Twinning Association and the Falaise Twinning Association have joined together, as recently reported in the Henley Standard by the current secretary.

Falaise is indeed a lovely town and some of the inhabitants will be visiting Henley in the near future, an opportunity for members to host and use their language skills. — Yours faithfully,

Judith Young

Elizabeth Road, Henley

More years ago please

It’s a big jump from 100 years ago to 50 years ago in the Turn Back The Pages section on your Diary page.

There will be many baby boomers like me, born in 1946 or a few years after, who would appreciate an entry for 75 years ago. Can you give it a try? — Yours faithfully,

John Atkins

Cuxham