News review, part two: Museum closes its doors, man ‘dies’ after GP visit,

THE River & Rowing Museum announced it will close its doors for the last time in September after struggling to keep up with rising costs.

Having recorded a £1m loss in the financial year ending in March, the foundation trust said it had made the “extremely difficult” decision to close while it still had some funds.

It said that the decision was made with the view to possibly creating a new, smaller museum once a new operator is found for the existing building in Mill Meadows.

THE Speaker of the House of Commons unveiled a plaque in Henley commemorating one of his predecessors from nearly 400 years ago.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle revealed a blue plaque in honour of William Lenthall, who served as Speaker during the English Civil War period. The plaque has been mounted on the side of a Grade II listed building in Hart Street.

A MAN from Henley has told how he technically “died” after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly after visiting his GP.

Anthony Campbell, 46, has thanked the doctors and nurses at Townlands Memorial Hospital for restarting his heart after it stopped for a minute.

The filmmaker had been experiencing heart palpitations for more than a year but was told by a GP that this was due to a low heart rate and was nothing to worry about as he kept fit and healthy.

But, following a conversation with friends on Wednesday last week, he booked an appointment with the Bell Surgery the following day.

He had a heart rate reading of 42 and was sent to Townlands for an ECG. It was during the procedure he suffered a cardiac arrest.

ROWING commentator Robert Treharne Jones is ready to get back behind the microphone, almost a year after suffering a stroke.

Known as the “voice of rowing”, he has been a senior race commentator with FISA, the international rowing federation, for more than 20 years, including at four Olympic Games.

Dr Treharne Jones, a qualified GP, who lives in Middle Assendon with wife Kate, has also provided race commentary at Henley Royal Regatta for 45 years.

He had hoped to return for this year’s event and mentor new voices but tiredness meant he missed two of the days for the first time in 47 years.

HENLEY Royal Regatta is in “fine fettle”, its new chairman proclaimed, as racing drew to a close on Sunday.

Richard Phelps, who took over from Sir Steve Redgrave after 10 years in the role, said the numbers this year spoke for themselves.

Over the course of the six-day racing programme, almost 4,500 athletes took part in 403 races with a domestic entry record of 589 crews as well as 179 from overseas.

Sixteen records were broken on finals day, knocking off a combined total of 84 seconds and for the first time in its history the regatta held 27 finals on Sunday.

Shiplake College made history, winning the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for the first time, while they were also losing finalists in the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy.

Leander Club had athletes in five finals and brought home three titles.

THE swan population in the Henley area is “healthy” with a rise in numbers reported during this year’s census.

A total of 25 cygnets was found between Marlow Bridge and Henley Bridge during the swan upping ceremony, which takes place over an 80-mile stretch of the River Thames over five days every July.

David Barber, the King’s swan marker, said the number of breeding pairs is on the rise.

DIANA Ross had the crowd on its feet on the opening night of the Henley Festival.

The American singer was accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for what was the final UK stop of her European tour.

Dressed all in black, the musicians were first to appear on the “floating stage” as it teased some of Ross’s biggest hits.

The audience cheered as they eagerly awaited the “Queen of Motown” who emerged dressed in a pink tulle floor-length dress with a diamond-encrusted waistband and pink shawl.

Ross, 81, was one of six headline acts across this year’s five-night festival, which welcomed 27,000 spectators all dressed in black tie for the 43rd annual event.

AN entrepreneur has won three awards for her playing cards business.

Emma Sweet, founder of Ace Places Playing Cards, was recognised for her cards which illustrate Henley’s amenities, businesses and interesting characters and places.

She was named start-up businesswoman of the year in the Berkshire Business Awards and best marketing, PR and advertising start-up in the South East by the UK Start Up Awards.

Ms Sweet, 43, who lives in Knowl Hill, was also awarded an excellence in innovation accolade by the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, the largest business awards programme in the region.

THE owner of a farm in Henley has praised the reactions of neighbours after they helped put out a field fire.

About 10 residents of Elizabeth Close raced to Hernes Farm, off Greys Road, after spotting flames which were quickly spreading towards their properties.

Using garden hosepipes, buckets of water, wet towels and rakes, the group, along with several farm workers, battled for around 45 minutes to keep the flames under control until firefighters arrived.

While residents worked to extinguish the flames in the lower field another fire was ablaze in a neighbouring field on the estate where a hay baler had caught fire.

THOUSANDS of boat enthusiasts and spectators attended the Thames Traditional Boat Festival, which featured the largest fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships in the history of the event.

About 20 of the group of private boats, which were involved in the evacuation of allied soldiers from Dunkirk during the Second World War, paraded along the river on Saturday and Sunday to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo in 1940.

Visitors lined the banks along Fawley Meadows to cheer and clap as the fleet sailed past. Unfortunately, some of the war plane flyovers were cancelled, including Sunday’s Hurricane flypast because of poor weather and the Lancaster Bomber display caused by mechanical problems.

ABOUT 100 villagers came together to mark the centenary of Shiplake Memorial Hall.

Guests joined the hall’s trustees for strawberry teas made by the village branch of the Women’s Institute while about 20 cars from 1925 to the present day were displayed in the field behind it.

A collection of 16 photographs from the day the foundation stone was laid in 1925, which had been discovered in a skip in Bournemouth just weeks before the centenary, were on display.

The pictures showed the day of July 18, when several members of Thames Lodge marched in full regalia to witness the laying of the stone by Mark U Weyland, the deputy provincial grand master of Oxfordshire assisted by the worshipful grandmaster.

THE chairman of the Henley branch of Reform UK has outlined ambitions to increase its seats within local government.

Martin Dew was elected to the role following an earlier vote to establish the party at a special general meeting held at the town hall.

About 50 members attended with the aim of transforming a “pilot” branch of the party into an official Reform UK branch for the Henley and Thame constituency.

A FORMER journalist from Sonning Common told of his behind-the-scenes experience on the British and Irish Lions rugby tour to Australia. Jonny Fordham, 40, has been with the Lions for nearly two months, working as their head of communications.

The Lions played a three-match test series against Australia, as well as matches against Australia’s four Super Rugby franchises, the Western Force, Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs and ACT Brumbies.

A CHEESE producer was awarded the highest accolade in this year’s Great Taste Awards. Nettlebed Creamery, in High Street, was given three stars in the annual awards.

They are one of only two producers in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to have achieved this and one of 273 out of 14,340 total entries.

The creamery is among five producers in the Henley area to be recognised by the Guild of Fine Food.

A PRIMARY school teacher from Hambleden is using her summer holidays to run a pop-up riverside restaurant, café and bar.

Minna Hughes set up Lockdown Lodge in 2020 aged 19 after the coronavirus pandemic cut her travelling plans short.

The pop-up, located along the Thames Path near to Hambleden Lock, runs for a few weeks every summer.

It comprises a number of converted shipping containers arranged to create a 40ft long building with bar/food service hatches on the ground floor and a fine dining restaurant above.

Miss Hughes, 24, who has now qualified as a primary school teacher and works at a school in West Reading, said she couldn’t believe the success of the venture.

A WOMAN told of how she suffered years of sexual abuse at the hands of her brother from the age of five.

Sophie Morgan, 27, was raped and assaulted by Thomas Morgan, 32, at their childhood home in Caversham from about 2003 to 2009. She spoke after her abuser was sentenced to seven years in prison at Reading Crown Court.

Morgan was found guilty of 21 counts, including seven of rape of a child under 13.

Miss Morgan, told the Henley Standard that she wanted to encourage other women who have suffered sexual abuse to seek help.

TRIBUTES have been paid to “visionary” computing pioneer Dame Stephanie Shirley, who died aged 91.

The businesswoman, later turned philanthropist, was the founder of British freelance software and systems services company Freelance Programmers, later known as F International, which she started in 1962.

She was best known by her nickname “Steve” which she adopted to help her succeed in the male-dominated business world.

Dame Stephanie came to Britain as a Kindertransport child refugee in 1939, and was often quoted as saying she wanted her life to be “one worth saving”.

She would go on to found a company that pioneered outsourcing and opportunities for women and reached a shareholder value of $3bn.

A CAMPAIGN to reduce commercial waste left in Market Place, Henley, by a bakery business has been successful.

The Henley Society, which aims to protect the town’s heritage, and clean streets campaigner Eva Rickett were unhappy with rubbish left outside Gail’s Bakery.

Piles of blue rubbish bin bags and cardboard boxes were being consistently left on the pavement in the late afternoon for collection the following morning, attracting vermin and foxes and causing an eyesore and an obstruction.

Geoff Luckett, chairman of the society, met face-to-face with the bakery’s head office operations team and Gail’s has arranged for the waste to be collected during opening hours.

EIGHTIES fans dressed as the Flintstones, Freddie Mercury and Hi-de-Hi! characters were among those spotted enjoying the 16th Rewind South festival.

Held in Temple Island Meadows, the festival featured
24 retro pop acts, including Soft Cell, Holly Johnson, Go West, Midge Ure and Chesney Hawkes.

Dressing up in retro regalia has become a trademark of Rewind, with this year’s revellers sporting costumes inspired by Eighties pop legends such as Prince, or iconic Eighties books and television shows.

STUDENTS at state schools in and around Henley celebrated their A level results while regional divides increased.

At The Henley College 32.4 per cent of students received A* to B grades. The proportion of A* to C grades was 61.5 per cent.

The pass rate for level three vocational courses was 99 per cent, with 35 courses achieving a 100 per cent pass rate.

FARMERS in and around Henley warned of limited winter feed for their livestock and inflated food prices after a dry summer cut crop yields by up to two-thirds.

The Met Office is on track to record one of the warmest summers since 1884, following hot spells in May, June and July.

Local farmers have described this year’s harvest as “grim” and told the Henley Standard that the lack of rainfall has impacted grass growth and made grazing difficult for cattle.

AN octogenarian from Henley raised thousands of pounds for charity after completing a wing walk. Norman Daniells, of Blandy Road, took to the skies above Sywell Aerodrome in Northampton on Saturday to mark his 80th birthday, which he celebrated in January.

He was cheered on from the ground by his wife Sally, children Ian and Alison and four of his seven grandchildren.

PUPILS at Gillotts School in Henley produced its best GCSE results ever, with 87 per cent achieving five or more passes at grade four or above, including maths and English, up from
85 per cent last year.

Forty-six per cent of pupils achieved five or more passes at grade seven or above, up from 31 per cent last year.

In English and maths, 43 per cent of students achieved a grade seven or better.

ELITE swimmers taking part in a relay down the River Thames to demand action on the sewage crisis were forced to abandon it in Henley due to high E. coli levels.

The group, which includes Olympians and athletes from all four nations of the UK, were calling on the government to “end the sewage scandal”.

The swim was co-ordinated by Cornwall-based Surfers Against Sewage to raise awareness of the scale of pollution in the country’s rivers, lakes and seas. But the swimmers came to a halt at Marsh Lock after water quality readings at the River & Rowing Museum in Mill Meadows recorded 4,212 colony-forming units per 100mL (cfu) of E. coli.

The threshold at which the Environment Agency deems water quality to be “poor” is above 900 cfu.

A MAN from Henley told of how playing air guitar helped him on his sobriety journey.

Piers Burnell, 53, has recently returned from the World Air Guitar Championships, held in Finland.

Mr Burnell represented Great Britain at the event, which sees competitors perform routines with their invisible instruments in front of a panel of five judges.

The competition, held in Oulu, has been going since 1996 and had competitors from all around the world, from countries including France, the USA and Japan.

Mr Burnell, who lives in Henley town centre, performed as the 007-inspired character “James Bond Double Air Seven”.

BOATERS faced challenging conditions due to rain showers and high winds at the 14th Henley Regatta for the Disabled.

The event, which was held at Phyllis Court, was attended by about 400 people. Some competitors from the Chiltern Centre in Greys Road struggled to turn their bell-boat in the right direction as they contended against headwinds which made the craft difficult to control.

The boats, two Canadian canoes linked together for added stability, had to race 300m from the court pavilion to the end of the pontoon in the private members’ club’s paddock.

RESIDENTS in Henley were worried about using their gardens due to an “out of control” rat problem.

Properties in the area of Periam Close are said to be the most affected.

It is believed that the rats are breeding at the former Chilterns End care home, off Greys Road, which has been derelict for nine years.

Jennie Miles-Thomas made a barricade using chicken wire along the perimeter of her garden to deter the rats from coming in.

A ST George’s flag that was painted on a mini roundabout in Henley will not be removed.

The red and white cross, which was painted on a roundabout in Reading Road, will be allowed to “naturally fade”.

A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, said it would only be removed if it creates a safety issue.

A BOY from Nettlebed is on a mission to clean up rubbish from the River Thames to protect wildlife.

Lucas Winter, 11, collected a bag full of metal items from the section of river near Henley Bridge, opposite the Relais Henley hotel, in the space of 10 minutes using his magnet fisher.

The Gillotts School pupil also rescued two small fish during his outing which had got caught up in old electronics in the river and were left “flopping around”.

A DISPUTE between homeowners in Goring has seen a judge order thousands of pounds to be paid in compensation amid a battle over a “spectacular” view.

The squabble over scenery saw two homeowners in Fairfield Road lock horns in a fight which escalated to the Royal Courts of Justice over a rule-breaking loft conversion.

In a judgement handed down, it was ruled the owners of the offending property should pay out £25,000 in compensation for the conversion. But it allowed the home’s changes to remain amid the “unfairness of the objectors’ behaviour”.

THE Mayor of Henley has defended his dress sense saying that “people’s preconceptions need to be challenged”.

Tom Buckley came under fire last month when he chose to wear a floral shirt, shorts and no socks to a parade of the Royal Marine, army and air cadets. About a dozen residents wrote to the Henley Standard criticising Councillor Buckley for not wearing more suitable attire.

At an informal event at the town hall on Monday for the cadet units Cllr Buckley said commentators were “behind the times”.

HEALTH campaigners are optimistic for the future of Townlands Memorial Hospital in Henley.

A Freedom of Information request by the Henley Standard found that the minor injuries unit received a record 10,800 referrals last year.

This is the second calendar year in a row that the unit, run by the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, had more than 10,000 referrals.

DESPITE an ominous weather forecast and eventual downpour thousands of people flocked to the 134th Henley Farm and Country Show.

The annual event, held at the Henley Showground, comprised farming, livestock and machinery displays, classic cars, vintage tractors and fairground rides.

An outbreak of avian flu prevented the return of the poultry tent, which had only just resumed last year after a two-year absence due to the disease.

A COUNCILLOR has apologised for describing opponents of a proposed telecoms mast as “Nimbys” and “crackpot wannabe scientists”.

Kellie Hinton’s comments were judged by an independent panel to have breached Henley Town Council’s code of conduct. But the former mayor has drawn the line at “apologising for having an opinion”.

Councillor Hinton made the comments to the Standard in February after plans for EE to install a 20m high 5G telecoms mast in Makins recreation ground were rejected.

THOUSANDS of spectators braved a windy evening to watch the illuminated boat parade.

About 5,000 people watched from the banks either side of the River Thames as powered and unpowered boats decorated with fairy lights sailed past.

Almost 50 vessels took part were decorated with themes including Super Mario, Peaky Blinders, Back to the Future and All You Need is Love.

THOUSANDS of people visited the River & Rowing Museum in Henley on its final weekend before it closed permanently.

More than 2,000 came through its doors as it gave free entry as part of the nationwide Open Heritage Days.

The museum, which was founded in 1994, announced it would be closing in July after years of financial difficulties.

A WOMAN from Binfield Heath has completed the triple crown of open-water swimming.

Laura Reineke, 52, a member of the Henley Mermaids, swam 21 miles across the Santa Catalina Channel in a time of 14 hours and nine minutes.

This follows her successes in swimming the English Channel crossing in 2023 and the
20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan Island in 2024.