Henley Royal Regatta Wednesday

This was one of the key events when we planned this trip. This is the 55 year anniversary of the Nottingham University eight with cox who rowed at the Henley Royal Regatta and made the semi-finals. Henley. James and his buddies sent emails forth and back since last year and it was arranged to meet.

Remember the dress-buying with Maren in Germany? Well, here we are. I asked brother Stephen to take a photo of us in Jane's garden before we left ... with our "Wells hats" (you heard that story).

We had to say goodbye to Stephen. He had to be back at work the next day and had to leave at an unearthly hour to make the drive and we would be still asleep for sure. No knowing how late we might get back from Henley. It was wonderful to have this time with him. We had those great walks and many chats and hope that it will not be so long until we see each other again. We wish him much luck with his new plans about his home on a narrow river boat. It looks so interesting. It would be lovely to visit him there.

At about 9:30 am we were on our way to the train station. Windsor has actually two. This is the one close to the castle.

We had to change trains twice ... in Slough ...

... and in Twyford.

The closer we got to where we were going the more people we saw dressed in a way that you had no doubt where they were going. Dresses and fancy hats for ladies and very distinctive blazers for the gentlemen. It was so much fun to see.

We were told that we would meet for a picnic lunch at the Sea Cadets parking lot. We thought it would be easy to find ... just ask. We must have asked two dozen people at the regatta place but nobody knew. Since we didn't have a good working phone it was a problem but finally James found somebody who has attended (and helped) at at least 30 regattas. He knew, and about an hour and a half later we found them.

Dayle and Colin had arranged everything and it was very nice.

Here are two photos Colin took and mailed to us. From the eight rowers and cox those able to gather this time are Richard (Jan), Colin (Dayle), Ed (Valerie), Peter (Ann), Bob (Jill) and James (Christa). Wives names are in brackets. I hope I got them right. Unfortunately Alan, Bruce, Paul and coach Dave could not attend. The crew is scattered all over the planet though: besides England they live in Portugal, Canada and New Zealand. 

Afterwards we wandered over to the regatta. Gill and Bob took us a different way and there was Gloriana, the Queen's Rowbarge. Very fancy.

We wandered around. Sometimes with these friends, sometimes with the others. You can't all sit in a row the whole time. It was really really great. Wednesday is a good day to go. There is a race about every 5 minutes, always two boats. The winner races the next day. A booklet is printed in the night for each day so you know when and what, where the crew is from, each rower's name and even weight. James bought a booklet. 

There are areas where everybody can go without charge but if you are a member of the Henley Royal Regatta you can go into the Steward's Enclosure. It is posh. As I already mentioned: ladies are requested to wear a dress to below the knee and a hat is suggested. This is a photo of the loos. Everything is draped with white fabric with a proper parlor to adjust your make up with seats and mirrors. 

Of course you can't go to Henley and not have Pimm's on the Lawn.

There are TVs in the stands where you can see a close-up of the race going on and commentary about what is going on with it. So-and-so is a length and a half ahead, this crew is doing so many strokes a minute and the other so many. I guess you have to be a rower to understand all that. Fascinating.

Colin had also arranged for dinner in a restaurant in walking distance. Actually, it was half-way between the regatta and the train station. Very good for us.

"Shaun Dickens at The Boathouse" was a fancy restaurant. All twelve of us sat around one table, women one end, men on the other. We raised the glasses for a toast to those absent and to us for still being alive.

Since we were a party of so many, Colin had emailed a menu to us beforehand and we had given him our "orders". I had the fish. Very nice.

I had "ordered" no starter and no dessert but then I could not resist. Here is my dessert.

Banana & Toffee: Chocolate curd, graham cracker, roast banana, toffee

The waiter at the end explaining the cheese board.

The train from Henley had other regatta goers going home but as you can see, for some the party wasn't over. That man opened a champagne bottle.

We caught the last train to Windsor and were walking back from the station through a very quiet town after midnight. It was so pretty and peaceful. It had been a great day. James was in his element chatting about "old" times and I loved it too.