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Henley Regatta
The Henley Regatta ranks with Royal Ascot as being amongst the most fashionable events in the calendar. For a week in early July each year, the town is packed with enthusiasts, tourists, and corporate hospitality. Extracts below, written by Charles Dickens, (son of the famous author,) give some idea of the atmosphere in 1889.
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Henley Regatta |
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"One of the favourite points of view was, for many years, the "Red Lion" lawn, where, at the conclusion of the regatta, the prizes are distributed, but by far the most popular resort is the river itself."
"Indeed, of late years, this has become so much the case, and the river is so inconveniently crowded with steam launches, house boats, skiffs, gigs, punts, dingies, canoes, and every other conceivable variety of craft, that the racing boats have sometimes the greatest difficulty in threading a way through the crowd. The racing boats are always hampered to a more or less inconvenient degree - sometimes even to the point of disaster."
"As is the case with all boat races, only a very small part of the struggle can properly be seen, except by the fortunate few in the umpire's boat, or by the enthusiastic friends of the competitors who run up the tow-path with the boats."
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Introduction
Henley
