Lady’s First-Timer’s Guide to the Henley Royal Regatta

Today I want to share my first-timer’s guide to attending the Henley Royal Regatta with you. This annual rowing event in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire is a great summer day out in England.

Henley Royal Regatta

Last Saturday was America’s birthday. Most years on the 4th of July I spend the day in a bathing suit by a lake and a grill. At night, fireworks burst overhead as we recall our great war of independence.

And while many Americans would have trouble telling you what year that great war started, most of us could eat a few burgers washed down with cheap American beer and sing a somewhat coherent version of the national anthem.

Being overseas, this year my 4th of July was a bit different. In fact, it was the polar opposite of most American 4th of July celebrations. The lake was replaced by a river, and the grill by a seafood restaurant with white tablecloths.

The cheap American beer gave way to Pimm’s and champagne, and the fireworks were canceled due to a stabbing the year before (no joke). Bathing suits were banned, as were skirts that hit above or at the knee.

As for anthems, there were plenty sung, but they were of the university variety and happened far from the confines of the upscale Stewards’ Enclosure a friend had invited me into.

Henley Regatta

Yes, this was Henley, or the Henley Royal Regatta, an annual rowing event that takes place each summer in the English town of Henley-on-Thames.

I was excited to go to the Henley regatta for the first time. When I found out Brown, my university, was sending four boats to the regatta this year, I got a lot more excited. I couldn’t wait to see my team compete.

After taking the train from London to Henley, my boyfriend and I followed the crowds to the river, where we ran into the Brown freshman boat pulling away from the dock.

We stood with my fellow alums and a few parents to clap for them as they rowed away to start their race.

Henley Royal Regatta Enclosure

Moving on, we found the entrance to the Stewards’ Enclosure, our base for the Henley Royal Regatta. The strict dress code required women to have skirts below the knee, with an emphasis on below.

Having tried on three dresses that morning and asked my boyfriend to study exactly where they hit on my leg, I was confident my knees were 80% covered.

Pulling down my dress as far as I could, I edged past the entrance dragons and into the enclosure.

Rowing Blazers

Once inside, I was struck by a whirlwind of color. Namely, blazers.

There were orange blazers, blue blazers, yellow-and-purple striped blazers, blazers with trim, blazers with piping, and blazers covered in metal pins that showed the importance of the person beneath them.

I later found out these were rowing blazers, and that the wearers had all rowed at Henley at one time or another.

Each one denoted a certain school or club, and there was a hierarchy to them, as one would expect from anything English.

Drinks at the Henley Regatta

After a bit of blazer watching, we met our friends and cheered for the Brown freshmen, who won their race. It being 11am and this being an outdoor summer event in Britain, we were a tad embarrassed to still be sober.

In an effort to remedy the situation, we walked to the nearest drinks enclosure for a pitcher of Pimm’s. Unfortunately, we discovered upon trying to leave the area that alcohol is not permitted outside of designated areas.

That pretty much meant that if one chose to drink at the Henley Royal Regatta, one chose to not watch the rowing. There was something strange about that.

Henley Royal Regatta Tailgate

We finished our Pimm’s and walked around some more, then met back up with the rest of our group at a tailgate. Like the rest of this 4th of July, the tailgates were as far from the American version as could be.

Proper tents were propped up everywhere, chairs surrounded tables covered with tablecloths, and real silverware was used in lieu of plastic cutlery.

Our friend’s mother had prepared an amazing spread for lunch, and dessert was strawberries and cream. It was very civilized.

Tea Break

After lunch we headed back to watch more Henley Royal Regatta races and drink more Pimm’s.

In the afternoon there was a tea break, which even applied to the rowers (although I’m not sure any of them really partook). We had every intention of having some tea, but the Pimm’s kept getting in the way.

College Tents at Henley

Sometime around five o’clock my boyfriend and one of our friends decided to take a nap in the deck chairs that lined the river.

Not tired, I ventured outside the enclosure with a friend to go to one of the Oxford college tents at the Henley Royal Regatta. His friends were enjoying beer and the remnants of a barbecue there.

It felt a little bit more like American 4th of July, but there were still too many stripey blazers and English accents about.

Dinner in Henley

Heading back to the Stewards’ Enclosure, I found my sleeping beauties and woke them up to find food. Two hours and several more Pimm’s later, we finally managed to get a group together to eat.

Unfortunately, thousands of others had the same idea. We ended up at a kebab place where we stood at the counter eating our shawarma and feeling very un-American.

Henley Royal Regatta After Party

Our energy flagging, my boyfriend and I headed back to the train station after dinner.

On the way home from the Henley Royal Regatta I couldn’t help but feel a bit like I had cheated on my country by spending the 4th at a traditional British event.

But an American friend in London was throwing a 4th of July party that evening, so we decided to redeem ourselves by spending what was left of our country’s Independence Day at an event specifically dedicated to the occasion.

It wasn’t a lakeside barbecue with fireworks, but it wasn’t lobster and Pimm’s, either. It was the perfect expat celebration.

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