Photograph: Werner Schmidt

Sunday, July 4, 2010

HRR Final Day & Visit To 'The Inner Sanctum'

The 2010 Henley Royal Regatta is over. Hélène has sent me her fourth and final report. Ecstatically she writes “I have to say the last day has been a wonderful one, unforgettable, full with emotions since Tim Koch invited me to the Stewards’ Enclosure, ‘the inner sanctum’ as he calls it.

And as its access is restricted, it was an honour for me to be Tim’s guest and with us was his Polish friend, Eva. Very nice moments, thanks to Tim!



It was a unique experience. We went for a tour at the Stewards’ Enclosure. We saw the exhibition of the prizes, different paintings and photographs.

At the Regatta Shop you could buy slippers for only £195 - what a bargain,

and see bears rowing.

Eva tried on a fascinator, a special hat.

Of course, the comfort at the Stewards’ Enclosure is superior compared with the Regatta Enclosure. After lunch, we went for a walk towards the Start line, where we met Paul (in a bowler hat), a friend of Tim’s and we followed the tradition, eating strawberries and... drinking a glass of French wine since Paul is very fond of it.

After the finals we watched from the Grandstand (where I met these four guys, proudly wearing their school's handsome striped red blazers) the Prize ceremony.

Spectators can then meet the winners. Matthew Pinsent was also among us...

and Eva met some Irish oarsmen, too.

But everything has to come to an end, also HRR, and when it is time to leave, the course is empty."


Many warm thanks to Hélène for nice notes and beautiful photographs from this year’s Henley Royal. A special thank you to Tim, too, as he took good care of a fellow HTBS contributor!

No comments:

Post a Comment