Your letters...

Stand up for our station

Sir, — I am sure that your readers will be aware that there is a threat of closure of the Henley fire station which would be a devastating blow to the town and leave us all exposed in the event of a fire.

The absolute need for a Henley fire station was demonstrated as noted in your article (Standard, January 2) when a fire at the Hotel du Vin resulted in the Henley appliance arriving at the scene in New Street within seven minutes of receiving the call.

Appliances from other stations arrived 10 and
17 minutes later!

A meeting with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been arranged for January 15 at the Christ Church Centre at 7.30pm and you are urged to attend.

We have lost the public front desk of our police station and the possible closure of Townlands Memorial Hospital was averted by the not inconsiderable efforts of Henley residents.

Let us stand up and fight for our fire station please. People power properly harnessed is often successful! — Yours faithfully,

Geoff Luckett

Chairman, the Henley Society

Support for independents

There is no doubt that these last few months have been tough on the high street.

After two mind-blowingly inept budgets — who sets a budget at the end of November? — and various U-turns by our government, which has done so much harm to the economy and sapped confidence everywhere, I want to thank the amazing people of Henley for their continued support of their high street independent shops over the Christmas period.

Without you, many shops in the town would not survive. While none of us has a crystal ball to know what the future holds we can only hope that 2026 brings growth, happiness and success to all of us. Happy New Year Henley. — Yours faithfully,

Laurence Morris

Laurence Menswear, Duke Street, Henley

Honours are hard-earned

Sir, — I was delighted to see Guin Batten recognised with British Rowing’s Medal of Honour — a rare distinction, awarded after decades of service to the sport (Standard, January 2). Less delightful was the front-page teaser: “Batten bags Medal of Honour.”

“Bagging” is usually reserved for bargains, Black Friday deals or an unexpectedly good find in the middle aisle of Aldi which, I suppose, would be a heroic feat for Henley Standard readers, requiring an expedition to either Reading or Wycombe.

Thinking of other notable Henley rowing figures, I cannot imagine the Standard ever running “Phelps plunders prestigious prize” for the current chairman of Henley Royal Regatta, or “Redgrave reels in highest honour” for Sir Steve Redgrave.

This was a hard-earned honour, not a bargain bagged. — Yours faithfully,

Simon Barnett

Lower Assendon

Rethink needed on potholes

Sir, — BBC News has just reported that a very recent RAC survey shows a rise of
90 per cent in the number of pothole compensation claims from 2021 to 2024 — 177 out of 207 local authorities responded to the survey.

Oxfordshire County Council has spent £14.3m in the last two years — £7m per annum — a fraction of the roads maintenance budget, on surface dressing.

Potholes have to be properly filled in, which certainly didn’t happen last year when resurfacing was followed by surface dressing of the B480 through Cookley Green, with cracks already starting to appear. To claim that surface dressing is the answer to potholes makes no sense. Once again we read of minimal sums on roads maintenance, the last one being a plan to gully clean, while transport minister Heidi Alexander refused to allocate extra sums to those who did not show long-term preventative maintenance by last June or state what satisfaction surveys were made and with what result by end October. Anyone seen or heard of these?

Meanwhile, the county council spends huge sums on a new headquarters, pays for
10 executive directors and supports “hybrid” (home) working. We really can’t go on like this. — Yours faithfully,

Adrian de Segundo

Russells Water

Get ready for packaging levy

Sir, — Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.

There are already many that have to decide from day to day between heating and eating. Now that choice will be slightly easier (sarcasm here). Brace yourselves for a grocery packaging levy.

You have to understand this isn’t a tax on food so don’t worry. No, it’s not a tax, the government gaslights, it’s a levy to the manufacturers for the materials they use to package onions, carrots or potatoes.

And, obviously, (more sarcasm here) manufacturers don’t pass on rising costs. That’s not the end of it, benefits continue. The levy gathered will go to creating more and better recycling centres, just like the road fund licence goes on maintaining our beautiful roads.

Superb! I love the smell of gaslight in the morning, almost as much as I like a healthy bowl of vegetables. — Yours faithfully,

Edward Sierpowski

Henley

The challenge was enjoyed

Editor, — The invitation from Caversham Croquet Club was to a “Christmas Roll Up — bring drink and cake” on Saturday, December 27.

Want to play the equivalent of billiards outdoors on grass using mallets in freezing temperatures and in a stiff breeze?

I accepted the challenge and it turned out to be a great social occasion in bright sunshine. Who said croquet players were genteel softies? — Yours faithfully,

Douglas Wright

Caversham