Henley on Thames

Yesterday I met somebody from Staines, only now it is called Staines upon Thames. Apparently the "upon Thames" suffix is quite prestigious. Maybe it increases house values. Henley of course has been on the Thames for a long time. House prices certainly do not need inflating beyond what they already are.

Given the importance of a name I had to be attracted to this bar in the main square. Not because it is particularly outstanding from an architectural standpoint, nor from a historical viewpoint either, as far as I know. I was attracted by the name making reference to Loch Fyne, especially as I was at Loch Fyne only a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if there is any truth in the claimed affinity to Scotland. Possibly as I came across a nearby pub called the Argyle. Maybe the Duke had a residence nearby?

The square also shows that with the weather today it can be seen that Southern England is quite happy to adopt the Continental cafe culture. Tony Blair is vindicated! He is even more vindicated by the pubs with terraces adjacent to the river. These terraces were absolutely packed.

Full of admiration of the way Tony was able to see the future of England, sitting around in the sunshine, I departed Henley and retuned to a world less dominated by his influence or prosperity. OK it is a Saturday, no doubt everybody would have been busy as bees on a work day.