There’s no denying that public phone boxes are on the wane. With mobile phones being so popular and the old payphone kiosks having been the victim of vandalism, there are now few of the red-painted, so-called K series around. These were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in the early part of the last century and were commonplace when I was a boy. Their small windows and heavyweight construction incorporating a symbol of the monarch’s crown gave them a certain style and they were operated back then by the General Post Office.

I understand that Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens is the spot for payphone anoraks nowadays since there are still 21 phone boxes all in one place. But around our town and the surrounding villages this example must rate as something of a curiosity.

No longer in use, but certainly one that I have used in the past, is this small booth incorporated into the wall of the adjoining post office and general store in nearby Hambleden.

Surely, you don’t see many like this around?

A group of traders in Market Place are fighting a plan that will eliminate traffic from the centre of Henley. Defiant shopkeepers have stuck ‘No Pedestrianisation’ posters in their windows to make customers aware of the impact of traffic-calming measures. And at a meeting this week, they formulated a plan of action against the £80,000 trial scheme, due to be launched in January. Representatives from Robert Ashworth, Oddbins, The Field, The Three Tuns and Gabriel Machin see no benefit in pedestrianisation and do not want to see what they described as ‘another Bell Street’ fiasco in the town.

A family who returned home early from holiday found themselves in the spotlight as a police helicopter swooped — believing them to be burglars. Residents reported loud noises and bright flashing lights over the Wootton Manor area of Henley in the early hours of Wednesday. The helicopter swept the area with a searchlight but was called off when it became clear the incident was a false alarm.

Speculation, interest and anticipation already surrounds this year’s Miss Henley competition. This year, the successful entrant will be able to represent her riverside home on the brink of a new millenium and, hopefully, inspire and support plans for some of the biggest celebrations to date.