Monday, 12 April 2021
Delivering the news from Henley on Thames and South Oxfordshire for over 100 years
Sir, — Last Friday there were seven eggs in the swans’ nest at the bottom of our garden and the pen was sitting proudly on them. The next morning the nest was empty, the eggs gone and the swans had temporarily disappeared. The structure of the nest was undisturbed, save for a light sprinkling of swansdown. So who was the thief? The nest is in a private garden, so it is unlikely to be a human. ...
12/04/21
You’re just bitter, Barry Sir, — Once more we have the bitterness and bile from your Peppard correspondent Barry Wood (Standard, April 2), which stems from his departure from Henley Residents Group in 2010. Councillor David Eggleton was offered the chance to become Mayor of Henley by HRG councillors last month and was offered our full support. However, for personal reasons he turned down the ...
12/04/21
Sir, — While I applaud mayor-elect Sarah Miller’s encouragement for people to support Henley by shopping locally, (Standard, March 26), I am afraid that the town is badly let down by litter and poor maintenance. The bins are overflowing, the pavements are grubby and the drainage channels in the pavements are full of cigarette ends. Far from beautiful and vibrant, the town is a mess. — Yours ...
12/04/21
Jean Watkins, from Sonning Common, submitted this photograph, saying: “My first sighting of a peacock butterfly this year.” The peacock, left, was photographed by Bob King in his garden in Woodley on Sunday
12/04/21
John Crawford took this image of a mink on the Hennerton backwater just below the Val Wyatt boatyard in Wargrave
12/04/21
Andrew Melhuish, from Wargrave, says: “I just thought that you might enjoy these images of a kestrel which interrupted our Sunday brunch when it hovered over our lawn and then landed in a large chestnut at the bottom of our garden. I can’t blame my camera for the quality of the images but can blame a long distance, the thick glass of our conservatory and the very grey, cold day. What a lovely ...
12/04/21
Unpleasant social media Sir, — I rarely take to the keyboard to voice my concerns but recently I have witnessed the utter poison, untruths and hatred that can be peddled via social media. Of course, I am talking about the recent dispute regarding the pop-up bar and the lock-keeper at Hambleden (Standard, March 26). It appears that one person starts a chain and with mob mentality everyone jumps on ...
05/04/21
Sir, — Three decades ago, my husband repurposed our sons’ baby bath by creating a wildlife pond in a corner of our urban garden. Imagine our delight when, one afternoon last week, he discovered a pair of frogs enjoying both their courtship and the fine spring weather. — Yours faithfully, Inese Clayson South Street, Caversham
05/04/21
This little square at the base of the fire station radio tower in West Street, Henley, looks so sad. It is crying out for a beautiful tree in the centre and some bee-friendly herbs and flowers surrounding it. What is the story here — does anybody know? — Yours faithfully, Beverley Hall Market Place, Henley
05/04/21
Sir, — My wife, Pippa, caught this shot of a huge rainbow over Lower Shiplake on Friday evening. — Yours faithfully, Geoff Thomas Mill Road, Shiplake
05/04/21
I took this picture the other night and was blown away. I never thought I’d capture the classic great crested grebe courtship display, let alone near my home stretch of the River Thames. To see more of my pictures, visit https://www.stokerpix.com — Yours faithfully, Simon Booker South Stoke
05/04/21
Sir, — This photograph was taken at Ewelme watercress beds. The daffodils and willow tree are hopeuflly an indication that spring has arrived after the recent gales and rain. — Yours faithfully, Terry Allsop Ewelme
29/03/21
Complain to the top man Editor, — Taylor Wimpey is a public quoted company whose directors are responsible to their shareholders. Major investment firms have PR directors who can be influenced to take account of public resentment at the actions of firms in which they have an investment. Equally, these firms have annual meetings at which any shareholder can request a vote to remove the chief ...
29/03/21
Victoria Page says: “I bumped into this gentleman at Waitrose in Henley. “He’s holding a harris hawk and is apparently employed by the council to discourage pigeons as they are scared of hawks. “It’s not the greatest of photos but interesting I thought, if a bit random.”
29/03/21
This is same bird photographed by Colin Bishop, of St Mark’s Road, Henley, who says: “Having heard reports of a Peregrine falcon being seen at St Mary's Church, I was able to get this photo, which may be of interest to readers.”
29/03/21
This picture of a bird of prey on St Mary’s Church in Henley was taken by Dickie Duckett and passed on by the rector, Fr Jeremy Tayler. Fr Jeremy reminds us of Psalm 84, where the psalmist writes: “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.” The rector adds: “We are blessed with the presence ...
29/03/21
These images were take by Linda Seward, from Cookley Green, and show, clockwise from top, a blackbird having a wash in a birdbath, a great spotted woodpecker and a collared dove
29/03/21
These two Indian green parakeets were snapped by in Wargrave by Charlotte Narula.
29/03/21
“A red kite surveying his kingdom from a tree on a sunny afternoon,” says Howard Cooke, from Sonning Common.
29/03/21
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