There’s a tradition in Henley that the Saturday night of the regatta ends with a firework display. We decided to watch them this year from the river. So, after a lovely meal at the Curry Leaf Restaurant in Wargrave, Paul, Debbie, my sister-in-law Val. and a young friend settled down in my big boat to cruise into the sunset. Earlier in the day we’d bedecked the cruiser with flags of the nations and looked pretty colourful as we slowly made our way downstream. The Berkshire bank was full of revellers – nearly a mile long – all the way to Temple island at the starting gates of the racing. We eventually moored up next to a boat on the booms in the middle of the river and happily enjoyed Pimms, fruit and coffee. Here’s Paul being ‘King of the World’ on the prow of the boat
Then as darkness approached the fireworks started. They were the best ever, and lasted for nearly half-an-hour. (I’ll put a little video of a few minutes of the display at the end of this blog.) Going back home in the dark is a bit frightening – only because so many boats of every size and description are weaving about on the river, many of them without lights. I enjoy nighttimes on my boat and, apart from a couple of close encounters, managed to avoid crashing into anything. Back at the mooring, my little solar light guided us in safely – in fact it was about the most successful mooring I’ve ever made.
Still more regatta yesterday. I’d been invited to lunch with Herchel and Terry Jordan at their home in Wooburn Green. Eleven of us sat down to a great lunch made by Herchel. Terry, one of the best joke-tellers I know, kept us all laughing, then at about two in the afternoon we made our way to Phyllis Court once again. Here’s a couple of pictures - one showing Herchel, her grand-daughter Annabel, and daughter Charlie. The other is of my god-daughter Emma and her mother Felicty.
Now it’s back to work to make up for a lazy, hazy week full of sunshine, good company, nice meals, and meeting up with countless old friends.