Following the Marlow Town Regatta and Festival’s 18th birthday, vice chairman Robin Atkinson writes exclusively to Marlow Free Press readers about the event:

Following the report in last week’s paper, the organisers of the town regatta accept that they cannot control the behaviour of individuals outside the event. However, we can control what happens inside our event – and what a wonderful weekend it was.

It was a refreshed town regatta with a strong accent on rowing, but it also continued the tradition of Marlow’s giant garden party. It has been hailed as the best regatta weekend for a long time and a fitting way to celebrate our 18th birthday. 

Marlow Town Council and Thames Valley police have praised the Marlow Town Regatta and Festival (MTRF) committee for a well-run event that was enjoyed by all who attended.

The Marlow Town Regatta started in 2001 under the chairmanship of Jim Campbell after the original regatta was forced to move to Dorney Lake. It is fully supported by Marlow Rowing Club and our joint presidents are Sir Steve and Lady Ann Redgrave. 

MTRF is a voluntary committee chaired by Nav Ali and we work with other local organisations such as Marlow Round Table, Marlow Rotary, Wycombe Lions, Marlow Cricket Club and Love Marlow. 

We also work very closely with Traylens Funfair and Wycombe District Council, Marlow Town Council and Thames Valley Police to ensure a balance between enjoyment and respect for the Marlow townsfolk. In all, there are 400 volunteers involved with the event.

This year we introduced a new ticket collection system which involved the library and local businesses such as the Britannia Pub, Gatsby and Hewetts. 

This increased their custom and was so successful that other businesses have asked to be involved next year. We have also received sponsorship from local firms such as Simmons and Sons, Crest Nicholson and Brand Events. 

So we are really engaging with the business community in Marlow now.

We also revitalised the event by encouraging the school rowers to come into the enclosure. This had the effect of encouraging their friends and relatives to take up a picnic pitch and make a day of it. 

As a result our numbers increased this year by nearly 50 per cent and the rowers were supported by large numbers of cheering friends on the riverbank. 

So, we have succeeded in promoting the primary activity of the Regatta. Marlow Rowing Club also included more adaptive rowing. 

We reintroduced the evening concert but this time on the Saturday with a well-known band Toploader as the headline act. They were supported by a local band Interkooler and Abba’s Angels.

This was enormously successful and well received – so much so that the entry wristbands were in high demand.

We also provided a bit of style with the Sojo Fine Dining which gave people the opportunity to have a high quality lunch in close proximity to the river and the racing.

The Sunday Festival Day was completely free as usual and was run in conjunction with Love Marlow and started with an open air church service.

The arena activities were very family and children friendly and included a ferret show and dog show and circus acts.

The dragon boats were still as popular as ever and this year Marlow Rowing Club ran an Explore Rowing for novices event as well.

Naomi Riches reprised her ‘Have a Go Have a Row’ with rowing machines. We are delighted that Shanly Homes sponsored the festival on Sunday this year.

So, MTRF would be pleased to offer the people who wrote in and complained a complimentary pair of tickets to next year’s regatta, and they are welcome to attend one of our committee meetings where we will treat their comments with respect and work with them to do what we can to improve things for next year.

After all, Marlow Town Regatta and Festival must be an event that the whole of Marlow should be proud of.

We look forward to seeing you all on June 15 and 16, 2019.