On Saturday 14-Sep-2024, I had a fabulous evening with a friend, watching the Henley Illuminated Parade www.illuminatedparade.com. I’d actually not heard of it until this year but it is actually an annual charity event that has been happening since 2022.
However the event actually started in 2015 in Cookham where one of the main organisers used to live. It grew and continued there annually with only a break in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When the organiser moved to Henley in 2020 and he brought the parade with him. (However I found a few days after attending Henley this year that there was also an illuminated parade in Cookham and Bourne end on the same evening. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563543243987. It doesn’t look like the 2 events are connected.)
At the Henley event supported by Henley-on-Thames Town Council, boats pay an entry fee to enter
Competitors are encouraged to illuminate their boats in some way and there are prizes for best in parade, best comedy, best fancy dress, best unpowered vessel plus best organiser’s award. In addition the buildings on the east bank are also illuminated with coloured lights.
It’s not about how much you spend, it’s about the creativity of the idea, see The Gallery for thoughts.
The boats met on the river by Fawley Meadows and from 7:30pm paraded down the river towards Henley Bridge and turn in front of the judges at the Leander Club, the historic rowing club on the bank of the river immediately upstream of Henley Bridge. Most of the boats did several circuits, entertaining the crowds until the prize winners were announced. We didn’t realise and so hadn’t worn any glow accessories but there was also a prize for best light spectator. I have also submitted photos for the best photograph of the event competition.
Compere for the event was Mike Read who anyone of my age will remember as having been a BBC Radio 1 DJ and presenter on BBC’s Top of the Pops and Saturday Superstore during the 1980s.
Spectators can view the event from either side of the river. Katie and I chose what we think was a prime spot in the open space on the west bank just upstream of the Leander Club. It was definitely the best place to see both the illuminated craft up close at the same time as the colourful display from the buildings opposite.
After watching the boats making several rounds in front of us, Katie and I decided to find somewhere for dinner. The judges seemed to have a difficult decision to make but we later found the winners on the Henley Boat Parade www.facebook.com/henleyboatparade.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=henley%20illuminated%20boat%20parade
Giggling Squid
After watching the boats making several rounds in front of us, Katie and I decided to find somewhere for dinner and headed back over the bridge to the Giggling Squid www.gigglingsquid.com/restaurant/henley, a favourite for both of us. Despite a busy night in Henley and in the Giggling Squid itself, we very luckily managed to get a table for 2 straight away.
www.henley-on-thames.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/giggling-squid—henley-26381908.html#google_vignette
www.gigglingsquid.com/restaurant/henley
Whilst having a lovely catch up with Katie, I enjoyed the Prawn Crackers that we shared, the One Bite Salmon for starter, “Crispy-edged salmon with lemongrass, lime, ginger, chilli, toasted coconut flakes and fried shallots, drizzled with salty-sweet dressing and nestled on a betel leaf. Wrap each one and devour in one mouthful”, www.gigglingsquid.com/menu followed by one of the signature mains, the Tender Pork Hock with Roti plus a side of coconut rice. Along with my meal I had a “Virgin Sweet Jungle Colada: a delicious blend of coconut water, pineapple, lime, and mint”. www.facebook.com/gigglingsquid/photos/happy-pi%C3%B1a-colada-day-celebrate-with-our-virgin-sweet-jungle-colada-a-delicious-/865015748993311
One Bite Salmon www.x.com/GigglingSquid
I am not quite sure about the betel leaf. It was a bit tough but I finished them assuming that there must be valuable nutrients in them. The salmon bites though were lovely as was the pork hock, roti and coconut rice. The pork was so tasty. The dish with the rice as well was rather large with a lot of meat too so the waitress very kindly boxed up my remains for me to take home and enjoy for lunch the next day. Service and ambience were great too despite how busy it was and of course I had very good company.