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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland is learning what Britain has already discovered: the status quo does not endure
Last weekend, I did my best impression of a Shire Tory. I was at Henley Regatta, the world's most prestigious rowing competition (spectating, not participating). The town – Henley-on-Thames – is a bit like Dalkey in south Dublin: close to the capital, with a kind of ambient sense of wealth hanging in the air. It was once the seat of Michael Heseltine and, more recently, Boris Johnson . This is Conservative heartland. These people hoped that David Cameron would be prime minister forever. If you want in on establishment Britain, I suggest that the 35-minute train journey out of Paddington Station, London , is a very good place to start. What an upset, then, when last summer this seat – held by the Tories since 1910 – was lost to the centrist upstart Liberal Democrats . Suddenly this leafy, riverine, bourgeois utopia was no longer Conservative heartland. And the truths that the Tories believed were incontrovertible (such as that no matter how bad things got, England's rich southeast would stay loyal) were revealed to be much flimsier propositions than anyone in the party headquarters had ever bargained for. The stickiness of their appeal turned out to be not so sticky after all; the 'matter of fact' was, instead, contingent. So what's the moral here? We are biased towards trusting the status quo will endure. We are not very good at understanding that what is happening might not continue to happen. This basic psychological disposition is hard to override. And it's why the Conservatives were caught off guard in Henley-on-Thames in June 2024 by the Liberal Democrats. It's also why Cameron put erroneous faith in the idea that his country would not vote to leave the European Union – 'things just don't change that much', you could hear his internal monologue whirr when he pulled the referendum trigger. It is also why sensible experts in January 2022 just could not believe that Vladimir Putin would invade Ukraine with that level of force. Until he did. It's a human instinct. But as a tool of political analysis, it's about as sophisticated as a dog that believes it has been abandoned every time its owner leaves home: 'the immediate state of affairs are the only plausible state of affairs'. I suspect my labradoodle, Dougal, would have failed to recognise that Henley was vulnerable to falling to the Liberal Democrats, too. READ MORE And so to Ireland, which is staring into Donald Trump 's abyss, and wondering why on earth we ever left the economy so vulnerable to the whims of one irrational actor. As an economic model, Ireland's in the 21st century worked. Rescuing the country from the economic doldrums and transforming it into one of Europe's most cosmopolitan nations handed us a kind of centrist political stability that was the envy of much of the Continent (and latterly Westminster). But designing an economy on multinational corporate wealth works only so long as there isn't a lunatic in the White House hellbent on blocking multinational corporate investment. When there is someone like that in the Oval Office, it doesn't look like it makes much sense at all. No matter how glib that may be to point out. A few caveats: some predicted Ireland's fiscal miracle could all end in tears, and several commentators warned last year that the country's next economic crisis would come not from within our own borders but from Washington. Trump, economist Stephen Kinsella said last year, would be 'the most obvious source' of upset; the shock could even make Ireland's earlier period of austerity 'look like an episode of the Care Bears', he told the podcast The Entrepreneur Experiment. And it is not just Trump, but Europe that threatens Ireland's cushy deal right now: it is clear the glittering highs of this model will not endure forever. Ireland is exposed on two fronts. Here is the strange thing. Ireland is a country very used to vertiginous social change – the 2010s saw that rapid and radical liberalisation with the gay marriage and abortion referendums that we are all too used to vaunting. And there's recent experience of severe economic crisis followed by recovery. With this experience we might expect Ireland to be unusually alive to the fact that upheaval and disruption lurk around corners (even if we cannot predict exactly what shape it might take) and to organise our political structures accordingly. This is not a call for pessimistic thinking. I have lost track of the number of times that I have to remind myself that pessimism, like optimism, is deterministic. Believing everything is destined to go wrong is one simple way to ensure it will. But it is a self-reminder (as much as anything else) that the status quo is not permanent, no matter how much we will it to be. The Tories were not fated to rule over Henley forever just as Ireland was not always guaranteed a best friend in the White House.
National Geographic
4 days ago
- National Geographic
This town on the Thames is fit for royalty—but has so much more to offer
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The River Thames has long been the lifeblood of Henley. For centuries, it welcomed merchant ships carrying wine and grain from London. Trade with the capital transformed it into a thriving port town, Tudor and Georgian townhouses steadily gilding the streets around its medieval marketplace. But it wasn't until 1839, when oars hit the water for the inaugural Henley Regatta, that the town made the leap from prosperous port to fashionable resort. Featuring more than 400 races spread out across the first week of July, the boating event now attracts over 300,000 visitors every year, with spectators gathering for riverside picnics at Remenham Farm, Temple Island and other vantage points. It wasn't until 1839, when oars hit the water for the inaugural Henley Regatta, that the town made the leap from prosperous port to fashionable resort. Featuring more than 400 races spread out across the first week of July, the boating event now attracts over 300,000 visitors every year. The regatta remains a key cornerstone of Henley's identity, but with local chefs using British produce to put a spin on dishes inspired by distant cultures, the town is also becoming something of a culinary hotspot. What's the food & drink scene like? January 2025 saw the opening of The Duke, a cosy gastropub a few streets back from the river. All dark-wood panelling and plump, striped cushions, it specialises in small plates cooked over open-flame grills, with head chef Ryan Honey serving up dishes like lamb shoulder tacos and king prawns with yuzu and jalapeño. Steps from the riverside is Hart Street Tavern, whose breakfast menu includes a hearty full English complete with crispy hash browns. Come evening, you'll find diners tucking into cauliflower popcorn, miso Cornish cod and punchy tropical cocktails. For supplies, head to the Market Place, which hosts a farmers' market twice a month. Just off it, Pavilion is a café and deli stacked with sauces, preserves and pastas. Grab a speciality coffee from the front counter or book one of its small-group cookery classes, held in the open kitchen. With local chefs using British produce to put a spin on dishes inspired by distant cultures, the town is also becoming something of a culinary hotspot. Photograph by The Duke Pub Where can I stay by the river? Try The Relais Henley, which overlooks the pale stone of Henley Bridge. Originally a 16th-century coaching inn used to house the craftsmen working on nearby St Mary's Church, the property went on to welcome a weary Charles I, whose coat of arms still rests above the fireplace in room 108. Today, The Relais' secluded courtyard serves as the centrepiece to 40 Georgian-style rooms furnished with suede armchairs and four-poster beds. Pop down to the accompanying restaurant for dishes such as roasted monkfish in tangy ginger and lemongrass sauce. Otherwise, head to Tavern Townhouse, a Grade II-listed boutique hotel in the Market Place. Opened in October 2024, its six rooms combine heritage features with contemporary flourishes. Expect restored fireplaces, freestanding bathtubs and abstract artworks — all less than a five-minute walk from the river. What else is worth checking out? The Henley Distillery — a multi-award-winning spirits producer based on Hampstead Farm in neighbouring Binfield Heath — shouldn't be skipped. Owned and operated by master distiller Jacob Wilson and his family, the site features a tasting room set within a 200-year-old barn. Visitors can sample gins and rums around its curved bar during the distillery tour or take part in the three-hour gin-making experience, choosing from almost 100 different botanicals to craft their own blends. For those looking to venture into the surrounding countryside, there's Greys Court, a 14th-century country manor with Tudor chimneys overlooking the Chiltern Hills. The surrounding grounds feature walled gardens and two repurposed outhouses; seasonal produce is sold in the old woodshed, with the former cowshed now serving as a tearoom. Head back into town to peruse independent shops like Calvert Jones, which stocks cookbooks, handmade jewellery and luscious potted plants — or dive into Henley's rich riverside history at the River and Rowing Museum, which houses a collection of boating memorabilia alongside artworks from the likes of Henley local John Piper. The surrounding grounds of Greys Court feature walled gardens and two repurposed outhouses; seasonal produce is sold in the old woodshed, with the former cowshed now serving as a tearoom. Photograph by National Trust Images; Hugh Mothersole Published in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
New Statesman
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Henley Regatta's parade of manners
Illustration by Charlotte Trounce I never thought I would curse myself for not owning a straw boater. What use does someone like me – a fierce devotee to the metropole, allergic to trace amounts of kitsch, irredeemably Irish – have for a hat like that? On Friday I found out: I was off to Henley Regatta and in search of something to wear. I wanted it to say 'the Home Counties are my sunlit uplands, I am a shire Tory'. If only for the hat! With its taste-adjacent mock-Tudor, primary-school bunting, wood-panelled motor boats, glittering stretch of river and ambient waterfowl, Henley-on-Thames might have claim to be Britain's nicest town – if you are into that sort of thing. It is at least technically close to truth: its parliamentary constituency is in the top ten least deprived in all of the United Kingdom. And unlike Holland Park, or Bath, or Oddington – where these people might otherwise live – it is quiet. Mary Berry lives here. I don't know where Cath Kidston lives but I can tell you that she would like it too. The Notable Businesses section of Henley's Wikipedia entry is rather short. In fact, I will report it to you in full: 'Organic baby food manufacturer Ella's Kitchen is headquartered in Henley-on-Thames.' (Ends.) A mid-pandemic trip to Eastbourne, a seaside resort on the south coast, made me wonder whether anyone had told the residents there that the war was over. On the banks of the river in Henley with boats full of Krug and ruddy-faced men drifting past, it is almost as if the 20th century had never even happened. Henley exists in an eternal sun-dappled afternoon in 1899. Suffering is relative, but I suspect not much of it goes on here. Take all of that and dial it up to 11 and you have Henley during the annual six-day Royal Regatta – the world's most prestigious rowing event, so I'm told. And a highlight of England's social calendar, so I worked out myself. 'If you go to Ascot, you go to Henley,' some polite 19-year-olds (recent graduates of Bedford School) explained to me as they shared a pitcher of Pimms at the Catherine Wheel – or, in other words, the world's poshest Spoons. The banks of the river are thronged with men in striped rowing blazers (each colourway a secret code for the school they would have been caned at 50 years ago) and women in floral dresses (one mistakenly wore a fascinator, singling herself out as a conspicuous arriviste – tut tut!). As I snaked my way through the crowd – primitively, still longing for the boater – I heard of two separate men called Orlando, I saw one straw-hatted broadsheet columnist, and I drowned in a sound bath of RP. It was diverse of age, if nothing else: the blazers a uniting force between young and aged, all Old Boys at the end of the day. This Oxfordshire town was once the seat of Michael Heseltine and Boris Johnson – but now, for the first time since 1910, the Tories no longer reign over their leafy riverine heartland. The Liberal Democrats stormed through David Cameron's England last year and even the residents of Henley – the only place in Britain that still thinks Lord Salisbury is prime minister – were convinced by the pitch. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe I wonder if the contemporary Tories put down the migrant crime statistics and swapped them for a pair of deck shoes, their friends in Henley may come back to their side. I suspect, in the very least, the two Orlandos would. I tried on a boater: charming! I think. I understand these people… I say, imbued with confidence afforded by a straw hat – these are the good-time radicals, the uncool elites, the posh people cosplaying as even posher people. Easy. And then a boat passes with some small children, a young blonde woman and a man in a stetson. Flapping from the stern, in the light and wealthy Henley breeze, was a Confederate flag. 'It's just bad manners,' someone from the bank harrumphs. Is it just bad manners? So I thought: time to go. Back to London. I don't get this at all. You do NOT need the hat, Finn. [See also: Would you take financial advice from Rishi Sunak?] Related
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Off their boat races! Revellers at Henley Regatta look a little worse for wear after hours of drinking and hot weather
Henley Regatta revellers yesterday looked worse for wear as they swigged wine and beers while partying on boats on the Thames. Empty bottles of £40 rose sparkling wine, and £28 M&S St Gall champagne stood upright on the grass. People dressed in glamorous outfits who were keen to keep the party going sat on the banks of the Thames and stood on boats swigging from bottles of alcohol and pint glasses. One group of young rowing fans wearing boating jackets sat cross-legged on the grass as they poured vodka into a hip flask. Meanwhile, one young gentleman, wearing a cream blazer with a black trim, clasped an orange Sainsbury's bag as he sat on a brick wall beside a young woman, a four-pint bottle of milk, and two one litre bottles of diet coke. Another suited male was seen slumped to his knees on the grass, while elsewhere some pals sat on the floor sipping beer. Empty pint glasses, cans of cider and lager, and a half-drunk bottle of La Mortuacienne Mandarin lemonade sat abandoned on a pub picnic bench. The rowing event, which was established in 1839, takes place every year and sees teams compete in more than 300 races along the river in Oxfordshire. People keen for the frivolities to continue as the fifth day of the regatta came to a close were later spotted enjoying after-parties as they stood and danced on boats. The six-day event comes to its culmination today with a series of finals races. The popular sporting event, which was established in 1839, comes hand-in-hand with a day of picnics and drinking. Teams compete in over 300 races of an international standard on the Thames, which can include Olympic rowers as well as crews new to the event. It was first staged in 1839 and has been held annually every year since, except during the two World Wars and 2020 due to Covid-19. In 2021 it was announced that women would be allowed to wear trousers to the Henley Royal Regatta for the first time since it was established in 1839. The long-standing sartorial rules - which asked for over-the-knee skirts and no trousers, and a blazer or smart jacket - crumbled under pressure from campaigners who branded the former dress code 'symbolic of an era when women couldn't compete and were just there to look pretty'. Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave was chairman of the boating event until 2024 when he stood down after ten years in the role. He was succeeded by Richard Phelps who previously competed at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 as well as rowing for Cambridge in the Boat Races. Mr Phelps told the Henley Herald in May one of the main focuses of the committee for this year event was 'achieving gender parity'. He also told how 'good relations with the town and the goodwill of the residents are important'. 'We'll make sure that whatever we do is to enhance both,' he said.
The Irish Sun
03-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Our charming town turns into UK's Ayia Napa this week… the hooray drunks always end up brawling or bonking
SWAYING from side to side while clutching a pair of high heels, a drunken reveller stops outside a solicitor's office, hikes up her dress and brazenly relieves herself in its doorway. Nearby a group of sunburnt blokes dressed in stripey blazers polish off an enormous bottle of champagne before mindlessly discarding it, sending shards of shattered glass flying across the pavement. Advertisement 20 Champagne fuelled picnickers slumped along the riverbank Credit: Alamy 20 Thames Valley Police draft in extra cops during Regatta Week to keep the peace Credit: Sonja Horsman 20 Resident Gary Waite says people get so drunk they smash beer and champagne bottles on the ground as soon as they get off the train at Henley Credit: Sonja Horsman This is Henley Regatta, the most prestigious event on the rowing calendar, held on the river banks of the upmarket Oxfordshire town for a week every year in July. But such is the carnage that often ensues, largely thanks to an event schedule which kicks off around 9am and goes on into the night, fed up locals now dub the event 'Ayia Rower', after the notorious party resort Advertisement Terrified pub landlords and shop owners hire their own security guards to protect their premises from the rampaging hordes and their rowdy drunken antics - which have been known to include brawling, vandalism and shoplifting. While the smartly dressed visitors in their designer outfits and Panama hats certainly look like they should know better, locals say it's not unusual to see men urinating into the river and inebriated revellers passed out on the grass at the end of each day. In years gone by police have even set up a mobile prisons to hold drunk and disorderly guests, those caught taking drugs or disturbing the peace, until they sober up. Henley resident Gary Waite has lived in the town for 25 years and says he's seen it all. He told The Sun: 'There is no recession when it comes to the Regatta. Advertisement "The trains disgorge hundreds of people in stripy blazers. I've seen them swigging from massive jeroboams of champagne - the equivalent of four bottles. "The car parks are full of Rolls Royces. "Another issue is broken glass everywhere. People are so drunk they smash beer and champagne bottles on the ground as soon as they get off the train, and our dogs walk in the broken glass." Punter at Henley Regatta kneed seven times in the face as cops arrest him 20 Jackie Fullalove with husband Mick and their dogs Bingo and Betty Credit: Sonja Horsman 20 Revellers were feeling the effect of daytime drinking during the heatwave Credit: w8media Advertisement 20 Many of the bars and marquees hire their own private security guards to keep the peace Credit: Sonja Horsman Others living near the town centre told us they have endured revellers brazenly taking drugs and brawling on the street. And locals have previously told of over-amorous, boozy couples having sex. When we visited on the first morning of the event, retired resident Jackie Fullalove said she'd already witnessed an ugly brawl. 'I just saw a ruckus between two young ladies with empty glasses over lunch - they're hot and bothered and fighting already so it's going to be very messy by the end of the day. The whole event is barking mad," she said. Advertisement "We've heard about people using doorways as toilets. It's gruesome." A road sweeper, who did not wish to be named, added: "The girls are far worse than the fellas. "They've been to all the best schools but nobody has taught them how to use a dustbin, never mind a toilet." Mindless vandalism 20 Spectators decked out in their distinctive club colours Credit: Getty 20 Cops on patrol at Henley Credit: Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd Advertisement Of course the veneer of the Royal Regatta is highly respectable glossy and glamorous. It is known as the most prestigious rowing event in the world, but in reality extra police officers are needed to patrol the narrow streets. Every half an hour during Regatta Week around 1,500 people spill off trains from London to the famous festival. The usual population of Henley is less than 12,200, but over the six days of racing the sedate town is overwhelmed by a staggering 300,000 visitors. We watched as noisy crowds poured into the rows of swanky marquees lining the riverbanks, where plush hospitality enclosures serve up 25,000 pints of Pimm's and more than 5,500 bottles of champagne. Advertisement They've been to all the best schools but nobody has taught them how to use a dustbin, never mind a toilet Henley local The formal dress code is so strict that men must wear jackets and ties, and smart summer dresses must fall below the knee - it was only three years ago that women were permitted to wear trousers. Lavish floral displays, Union Jack flags and colourful bunting line the pretty streets, which are usually so immaculately kept that boutique owners have even been spotted vacuuming the pavement outside their shops. One local businesswoman said she had become infuriated by mindless acts of vandalism she' s noticed become more prevalent in recent years. Jan Smith, from The Henley Florist, said: 'Not only do our deliveries take much longer because of the much greater volume of traffic but expensive floral shop displays get pulled down and stolen. "They have to be replaced. It's a shame." Advertisement The increased traffic flow also causes a headache for British Airways cabin crew worker Elizabeth Johnson, 70, who has lived in Henley for more than two decades but still gets frustrated during the annual Regatta. She said: 'Town gets busier and busier as the week goes on. "Because of all the hoorays coming from London they change the frequency of the traffic lights to control the queues which makes it incredibly difficult to get in and out of town. "When I finish a shift I might have been awake for 24 hours and my journey home from Heathrow Airport which usually takes 45 minutes can take over two hours. 'I'm so exhausted by then it's dangerous to be driving." Advertisement After dark 20 Drunken revellers cool off in the river Credit: Alamy 20 Punters took a breather before a night on the town Credit: Sonja Horsman 20 Cops keep an eye out as the marquees empty each evening Credit: Sonja Horsman 20 The Catherine Wheel on Hart Street pub hires doormen during Regatta Week Credit: Sonja Horsman Visitors from as far as America, Australia and New Zealand had splashed out on high price tickets to feast on lavishly catered picnics, while scores of spectators in high spirits took to dinghies, old fashioned paddle boats and launches laden with beer, wine and champagne to cheer on their favourite crews. Advertisement Many looked worse for wear by lunchtime, and by mid afternoon all pretence of watching the rowing had vanished. Come the evening the remains of high end picnics were packed away into wicker hampers, the marquees emptied and crowds of well spoken partygoers staggered across the narrow bridge into the centre of town. Crowds squeezed up Hart Street to The Catherine Wheel - a Weatherspoon's boozer and Henley's largest pub. The closest pub to the race course is The Angel on the Bridge, an historic institution that dates back to 1728. Disgusted neighbours have endured more unsavoury shenanigans there after dark - including women going to extreme lengths to dodge lengthy toilet queues by nipping out of the boozer and urinating in the doorway of the solicitor's office opposite instead. Advertisement In years gone by scenes have turned really ugly. In 2017 locals were aghast when three men were arrested at the Regatta on suspicion of gang raping a woman in her twenties. Cops released CCTV images as part of their investigation after a woman claimed she was attacked as she left the exclusive Chinawhite enclosure. The previous year cops were caught on camera kneeing a punter in the face seven times before knocking him out and arresting him on drunk and disorderly charges. Horrified witnesses watched as Gil Morgan was restrained in front of a crowd, although the charges were later dropped after he lodged a complaint. Advertisement Business boost 20 Cocktail club manager Livia sees profits soar during Regatta Week Credit: Sonja Horsman 20 Martin Saxon and Liam Johnson admit they don't come to the Regatta for the rowing Credit: Sonja Horsman 20 A pair of patriotic visitors take up their spot on the riverbank Credit: Alamy This year the event, which was established in 1839, will host more than 4,000 athletes competing from 19 nations in 400 races across six days of elite competition. Some locals welcome the festival, attended by royalty and celebrities, and the cheerful atmosphere it brings and dismiss the drunken behaviour as part of the fun. Advertisement Henley's branch of Coppa Club is among the businesses which enjoy a huge boost from customers coming from all over the world. The cocktail bar on Bell Street, where a bottle of champagne is £80 and cocktails are £11.50 each, was doing a roaring trade at lunchtime. It is fully booked for champagne brunches, afternoon teas and dinner all week. Manager Livia Viveirous, 52, revealed they rake in more than £5,000 a night during the wild week, more than at any other time of the year. She told us: 'Every single business is full, full, full. The amount we make this week will see us through the summer, we make at least two and a half times what we make on a usual week. Advertisement The amount we make this week will see us through the summer, we make at least two and a half times what we make on a usual week Livia Viveirous, bar manager "Everyone is in a good mood, getting merry.' Pals Martin Saxon, 48, and Liam Johnson, 42, were among those spectating who cheerfully admitted they have little interest in the sport itself. "People who haven't been to Henley before think of it as very genteel, but the reality is completely different," said Martin, a tree surgeon from Poole in Dorset. 'I come with my mates and we park up in our campervan for a party. "The racing is finished by late afternoon and everyone heads into the town centre" added Martin. "It's all going on. Advertisement 'The pubs are where the real party is, not by the river,' Liam agreed. 'When the weather is this good, why wouldn't you?" 20 Races are over by late afternoon but raving continues until the early hours Credit: w8media 20 Even the car parks were packed with boozers Credit: w8media 20 Temperatures topped 30 degrees in Henley earlier this week Credit: w8media 20 Female racegoers cop an eyeful of the rowers Credit: Reuters Advertisement 20 The Sun's Nadia Cohen at the Henley Regatta Credit: Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
