Re: Proposal to move Marlow Regatta to Dorney

MAY I have the opportunity to make a few points in reply to recent letters in your columns about the Marlow Regatta:

Firstly, how fortunate we are to have John Griffith, as usual, defending Marlow's best interests so effectively. Where are the other spokesmen for the town?

It may be inevitable that most or all of the rowing entries transfer from Marlow Regatta to Dorney Lake, but this should not prevent Marlow having a river/social event. Some of your correspondents have made helpful suggestions as to the sort of event this could be.

It has been said that pubs close and traders lose out, but I have it on good authority that the event and the build-up to it are good for business in Marlow. Also hooliganism is becoming a thing of the past.

Your contributors praise Dorney Lake as a venue but its appeal is solely for people interested in rowing.

This must be, as there is nothing else there except a large 21st Century boathouse and the site has the ambience one would expect of a pond cut into a very large, flat Berkshire field.

Those who state that it is 'just six miles from Marlow' are graduates of the Downing Street School of Spin.

In fact, it is over 11 miles by road, around nine nautical miles via the river and if you are a crow, you will have to fly about eight miles to get the opportunity to criticise the new Eton boathouse from a great height!

Finally, what a confounded cheek some people have to propose stealing the name of Marlow for an event to be held miles away from the town! What are we supposed to call our event? Dorney Regatta?

P G Kerry

Langley Way

Marlow