Taste of the Thames Part 7

A Taste of the Thames

By: Willis P. Whichard

Special to the Smoky Mountain Sentinel

Part VII:

Bookstores, the Royal Regatta & much Rain!

Friday, June 17, 2011

The forecast for today called for serious rain. We were in it off and on throughout the day, but it never really got serious.

We commenced with a 20-minute coach ride “to bypass the unlovely towns of Reading and Caversham, and sensibly arrive at Henley-on-the-Thames, home of the internationally known rowing event of the Royal Regatta”. We disembarked at the Town Hall, where a well dressed man, apparently the Town Clerk, indicated that he had just performed a wedding.  The sheet for the day had indicated that the walk from the Town Hall toward the river “allows the briefest look at the shops”. I took advantage of that to spend most of the allowed in a bookstore, Jonkers Ltd. I was attracted by a 1st edition of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield in a display case in the window. I was curious as to the price, so I went in and asked. It was 4,500£ ( approximately $7,335). I did not purchase it. The shop also had Churchill’s 2-volume biography of his father, Lord Randolph Churchill for 1,200£ (approximately $1,956) I did not purchase it.

But then there was Churchill’s’ four volumes on his ancestor, The Duke of Marlborough, to whom Queen Anne has awarded Blenheim Palace for his victory over the French in 1704.  It was not a 1st edition, but a new revised edition that came out in1934, one year after the 1st edition. It was priced at 375£ (approximately $611.) I made the decision that it was worth the price to have it on my shelf. I intend to read it, and it could prove to be a good investment. The 4 large volumes would complicate my packing, so I paid extra to have them shipped home, where they arrived in good shape a few days after my return.

As a result of my bookstore time, my time at Mary the Virgin, Henley-on-the-Thames Church was somewhat limited. There were interesting things here, among then an area dedicated to Elizabeth Bacon, sister of Sir Frances Bacon, who was Lord Chancellor in the reign of James I. She had married Robert D’Oyley when she was vey young and he was very old. Then she married Sir Henry Nevell, and later Sir William Periam. The latter left her a very rich widow,  and she devoted her wealth to improving education.

There was also a plaque to Sir Frances Paget, Lord Bishop of Oxford from 1901-1911. As a Padgett ( my mother’s side of the family), I figured I could be distantly related to him.

By the time I reached the historic Red Lion Hotel by the bridge, where the group had gathered  for coffee, the allotted time was almost up. It had been an easy choice, however, to pass up coffee or tea for time in the bookstore.

We walked for almost an hour before lunch. We were at the outset passing the area of the Royal Regetta and the crew were arrived at a steady pace. There was quite a crowd on the bank, and it was evident that this was a big event. We passed buildings made to store many boats. It was suggested later that these were trial runs for the real event.

We rejoined the Thames path for a mile to the hamlet of Remenham, where we returned to climb up to the Flower Pot, our lunch pub. It exceeded our prior lunch spots in character and ambience. A stuffed fox greeted us as we entered the front door. The walls in the dining room were adorned with all sorts of stuffed fish. The bar area contained a fireplace with live burning coals. A few old men were probably swapping lies, and elderly woman was holding two tiny dogs. Two larger dogs rested in baskets under a bench.  I learned as the woman left later that the dogs in her arms were only 8 weeks old. The place was reminiscent of The Peoples Store in Hayesville in Wayne Phillips’ time.

The Pub contained its share of signs.  Two of my favorites read: “The toes you step on today may well be attached to the legs that support the Arse you need to kiss tomorrow.” and “When I die, bury me under the pub so my husband will visit me seven days a week”

Most of our day’s walking had been scheduled after lunch. We walked through the grounds of Culham Court back down to rejoin the tow path. We were soon strolling along the river for a fairly extended time. There was a stop for ice cream at Hurley Lock as we approached Marlow.

We had been in gentle rain off and on all day, but as we arrived in Marlow there was an appearance of heavy rain impending. (It came after we were settled in our hotel.) Ken and Margaret therefore decided to cancel the option of another 50-minute walk to get to our hotel on the outskirts of Marlow. We boarded a small bus, and the trip took only a few minutes.

Our hotel, The Crown Plaza, is  4 STAR and quite modern. From the standpoint of what we were doing, the only problem is that it could have been almost anywhere in the world. It lacked the character, ambience, and historical significance of the other places we stayed at.

Paul, our local guide beginning today, is very knowledgable about the names of plants and flowers. Leona particularly enjoyed walking with him.

I needed very bit of the free time to clean my boots, wash my shirt and remove the mud from my pants, clean and dress myself, and write a bit.

There were people at our hotel who were attending the Royal Ascot races. The women sported fancy hats and dresses, and the gentlemen were in formal wear. They were fun to watch.

We had dinner slightly earlier than usual and were at several tables.

We had walked approximately 9 miles today.

Next week: The Holy Trinity Church, Clivedon Estate , and Windsor Castle.

Editor’s Note: Willis Whichard is

a retired NC Supreme Court Justice

and past dean of the Campbell Law

School. He is a part-time resident of

Hayesville. The Sentinel has previously

published accounts of Judge

Whichard’s travels in throughout

Europe and Asia.

Our Guide Ken and Chamberlain consulting a map.

Our Hotel The Red Lion.