Henley Royal Regatta 2022 is nearly here. There is a buzz around town and more crews and their entourages are arriving. The excitement is building. But before we don our boaters and blazers here’s a few things we have picked out that are on this weekend.

Starting on Friday (24th) it’s the Henley Royal Regatta qualifiers. From 2pm-7pm along the towpath you can watch the crews and scullers battle to get through the qualifying round with a fast enough time to compete next week. The crews racing include an incredible 24 eights in the Thames Challenge Cup who are vying for just three places, 50 eights in The Temple Challenge Cup for the seven fastest to qualify and 27 coxed fours competing for two places to get through to the draw which takes place on Saturday (25th) 3pm at Henley Town Hall.

Keeping with the Quintessentially English theme on Saturday there is Nettlebed Village Fete 2-5pm with loads of traditional activities with a fancy dress wheelbarrow race, BBQ, dog show, children’s competitions, beat the rowers ergo with Olympian Jack Beaumont and special guest Jeremy Irons. And if you fancy nipping between villages there is also the Stoke Row Summer Fair 12-3pm including market stalls and teachers in the stocks, who doesn’t love a bit of public wet sponge punishment!

The Royal British Legion’s Henley Community Poppy Appeal is in Henley Market Place 10am-4pm with the prestigious RAF Salon Orchestra in celebration of Armed Forces Day. There will also be classic military vehicles on display.

If you fancy something a bit livelier the Henley Summer Fest returns to The Henley Show Ground on the Culden Faw Estate on Saturday 2-11pm with live music, spitfire and aerobatic displays, hot air balloons, sky diving teams and fireworks finale.

For all you new romantic fans and Durannies of the 80’s, The Duran Duran Experience are performing at The Kenton Theatre with curtains up at 7.30pm.

Are you an early bird? Then head off down to the Regatta course where the Selkie Henley Classic iconic 2.1km swim upstream on the boomed Henley Royal Regatta course. The swim traditionally starts at dawn, with a ¼ mile torch-lit procession to the riverbank before the action begins. First walk to the start is 3.55am with prize giving at 7am. All before the crews training for the regatta get out on the water.

Jazz in the Vines is the order of the day for Sunday 12-6pm with Jonny’s Bruce’s Tribute to the Trumpet Kings at Oaken Grove Vineyard who is joined by Guy Shotton-Hammond on organ and Alex Goodyear on drums. His organ trio pays homage to the great jazz trumpet players of the 20th Century –from King Oliver and Louis Armstrong to Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis via Chet Baker and Harry James plus many more. Jonny provides an entertaining, dazzling tour of their music and styles.

Maybe a beetling around is what Sunday requires with the Stonor VW Show at Stonor Park. Held at Stonor for over 30 years it makes a welcome return. The show welcomes all enthusiasts of Volkswagen to the VW Owners’ Rally, where Vintage Volkswagens from around the country convene for a day with club displays, Show & Shine along with food stalls.

Lastly something a little more sedate, why not pop in to Geo Café in Friday Street, Henley and check out Liz Real’s pop-up exhibition the ‘Little Summer Show’. Grab something delicious to eat and support a local artist.