rivers2cross

For those that don’t know our family has a long standing association with Henley Royal Regatta of over 60 years going back to the mid 1950s when Dad rowed at the regatta for Maidenhead Rowing Club. Mum was born in Henley at The Sun Inn pub in Henley (now offices) in 1936, so there has always been a strong connection with the town.

Rowing was Dad’s sport. He rowed for Maidenhead, and although he retired relatively young after meeting and marrying Mum, he remained involved with the sport for the rest of his life. During his time as a rower I think the way crews prepared for the local regattas on the Thames was to have 10 pints the night before! As young children every Sunday lunchtime was spent in the bar at Maidenhead Rowing Club sat in the corner with Coca-Cola and crisps whilst Dad and his friends would consume quite a lot of beer! He was to row just one more time at the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 in his 50th year. They were wonderful and happy days.

Henley Regatta was one of the highlights of Mum and Dad’s social calender. They went every year spanning over 50 years, and each year during the regatta as young children we barely got to see them. Dad died in 2009 and that year was the only year Mum missed until she got ill as the regatta was just a couple of weeks after he died.

Dad never needed to become a member of the Stewards Enclosure as he knew so many people who were members that tickets were always easy to come by for him and Mum. After he died with the help of two of the family’s oldest friends I put an application in to become a member. It can take years for memberships to come through with the long waiting list, but I had a stoke of good fortune perhaps aided by a meeting in my previous charity book Lives & Times… I was so happy to be able to give tickets to Mum for the few years before she died, and I now proudly carry the tradition forward.

Over the years I have done the Henley experience in most ways possible. Driving Dad to finals day just after I passed my test so he could have a few beers. The madness of camping with friends during the regatta during the 80s and 90s, and spending every waking moment drinking as much alcohol as possible. I’ve not been camping since! Getting into the enclosures and drinking far too much there as well. And now these days I am content to have iced coffee and watch the rowing as the world passes me by.

So I make no apologies for the sometimes ridiculous looking Henley photos of myself that I post on social media. It’s something that is very personal to me, and I know the folks would approve of me carrying on the tradition.

If any of my friends reading this ever fancies a day out at the regatta drop me a line…