Visiting Henley

At the end of November 2023, I had a week off work. An opportunity to visit a little bit outside of London. Henley was delightful – a visit to the old church, and a visit to where the boat race takes place.

Ahead of Christmas, there were various Christmas decorations setup which enhanced the place. Further, while wandering the streets, former British Prime Minister Theresa May walked past, carrying her shopping. Her bodyguards followed, and it was a little funny to reflect that a relatively mature lady was carrying her shopping while the strong men followed carrying nothing. It makes sense – they shouldn’t have to worry about dropping the eggs if someone were to interfere with May – but it was amusing in peacefully cold Henley on a random December afternoon.

Rowing and River Museum

The Rowing and River Museum was fine, but not the world’s most amazing experience for me. It featured a few key exhibitions:

• A well-constructed ‘Wind and the Willows’ series of model scenes
• An exploration of the development of rowing technology, from ancient Greek times to modern Olympics
• An exhibition of photographs of islands in the Thames River. This was a great piece of art.
• A scientific description of rivers and history. It made mention of water mills, but I was aghast that it failed to mention that the world’s largest working water wheel is the Laxey Wheel in the Isle of Man!

I think it is fair to say that the museum was aimed at a younger and more English audience than me. It would probably be an interesting experience if you have children.

Food: Bistro in the Boathouse

The Bistro in the Boathouse was excellent, food was decent, and I am glad that we had lunch there.