The idea was the brainchild of John Matzinger, of Southern California Chapter. Why not get a group together from ACBS to attend one of the world-class antique and classic boat shows outside the United States? John Matzinger made the suggestion to John Howard, of Niagara Frontier Chapter; John Howard thought it sounded like a great idea. So this intrepid pair put the idea to a few other ACBS friends for a trip “across the pond” to the 26th Thames Traditional Boat Rally in Henley-on-Thames, England.
 

Both men got busy during the fall of 2002. John Matzinger researched the show and the logistics of getting from London to Henley-on-Thames, then found several couples in Southern California that were interest in such a trip. John Howard asked some friends while at the North Coast Ohio Annual Meeting in Cleveland in November 2002. Three couples expressed an interest immediately. We had the makings of a group and John Matzinger went to his travel agent in Long Beach, California, and asked her to put together a package for eight to ten couples for July.
 

During the course of making plans, world troubles caused a few to reconsider whether this was a good time to go abroad. The eastern group made reservations to depart from Toronto, and they had to stare down SARS. The group was whittled down to three couples from the East and two couples from the West Coast: Les and Marilyn Demaline, John and Janet Howard, Jack and Sy Lynett, John and Carolyn Matzinger and Mike and Susie Rodi.
 

The Thames Traditional Boat Rally was held on the weekend of July 19-20, 2003. Since it would be foolish to go to England for just a weekend, each group arranged to round out the trip with plans of their own. The Eastern contingent made plans for Ireland the week before and the West Coast group would extend their trip following the Henley show – but we would all meet in London on the evening of July 18th for a “kick-off” dinner at Simpson’s-in-the Strand, a traditional English restaurant near the Waterloo Bridge and Covent Garden. Following our cabbie’s suggestion, after our meal we walked around the corner and out onto Waterloo Bridge for the best view of London at sunset.
Bright and early the next morning, we piled excitedly into two cabs and were off to Paddington Station. We didn’t have much time to buy a ticket and figure out where our train would depart but raced off to the platform at the far end of the terminal and located the train and our first-class car. Then we were off on our 50-minute trip to Henley-on-Thames. We changed trains at Twyford – ten people made a beeline from one platform to another, like a Chinese fire drill up the stairs, over the tracks, and back down the other side. We arrived in Henley with a sense of triumph…after all those months of planning, all the dents in our plans made by world difficulties…we made it!
 

A week before departure, I had made contact with Carol Steggles, secretary of the group that stages the Henley show. I emailed her about our trip and explained who we were, where we were from, our interest in antique and classic boats, and that we were all members of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, an international organization of antique boat enthusiasts. I also gave her the website address of ACBS so she could check our organization out, and asked if it would be possible for our group to get a picture with one of the show officials that I could use in an article I intended to write.

Carol responded immediately that not only could we get a photo, she would see to it that we would attend the rally as their guests. Carol would send ten complimentary tickets to our hotel in London that would be there on our arrival. But they didn’t appear! So I inquired at the gate to see if tickets were left for us. The gatekeeper responded “Just a second – we will call Carol Steggles on the radio.” Carol asked if “the group at the gate included two people named John and Janet,” and if so, “send them to the Administration Tent.” The ten of us breezed through the gate and located the big white tent with the striped roof, where a lovely woman gifted us with glittery gold wrist bands that read “Friend of the Rally.” This entitled us to all the hospitality the show had to offer – and hospitable they were.
 

The show is located on the banks of the Thames at the same site as the Henley Royal Regatta that’s held each year a few weeks prior to the Traditional Boat Rally. The site looks like a large town park with an expansive green lawn that leads down to the riverbank. Antique, classic and historic boats lined the bank for as far as the eye could see. Most were just nestled up to the bank, since there were only enough docks for the larger boats. The show had 273 boats entered! It is a judged show format, but the judging official said that the judges just picked out the boats they liked the best within an award category. Awards were displayed in the Administration Tent – all 23 of them unique.
 

The day was beautiful – bright sun and big puffy clouds. The men in the group couldn’t wait to get at the boats. These were displayed by category: large, medium, and small cabin launches; non-powered and powered canoes; electric craft; gigs; ADLS; motor cruisers; large, medium and small open launches; punts; rowing boats; sailing boats; slipper stern launches; steam boats; special interest boats and other. At least a dozen of the boats were from the 1880s and 1890s. Marque boat clubs represented many of these categories. We wandered down the lawn through tables set with elegant picnic lunches to the display of the Dunkirk Little Ships. Each of these boats had a brass plaque commemorating the remarkable voyage made during the dark days of World War II. Some of them looked too small to have accomplished such a legendary feat. All have been lovingly cared for. And on down the riverbank we wandered – looking at one beautiful boat after another.
 

Soon after we arrived, the show announcer, Charles Payton of TideChaser, requested an interview with John Howard, “one of our friends visiting with the group from the Antique and Classic Boat Society of the U.S. and Canada.” This interview was to occur just after the arrival of the Lord Mayor and the official opening of the Show. Our group assembled at the appointed time and walked over to the tented announcer’s stand. John gave a brief interview in which he compared our shows in the U.S. and Canada with the show we were witnessing at Henley. John answered questions about the types and makes of boats one finds at ACBS shows. He also spoke about ACBS as an organization – the size of its membership and the number of boats represented.
 

We found that, although this was a larger show than most in the U.S. and Canada, some things are universal. Like a frustrated boat owner who found his assigned slip was occupied by another boat; boat owners who busily polished and tinkered with their craft; boat owners who were anxious to talk to anyone showing an interest; boat owners who generously offered to take spectators for a ride, etc. After the interview, participants and spectators alike became aware of who we were and many approached members of our group for a chat. Some wanted to know what we could tell them about a specific U.S. made engine or a boat they owned. Did we know of anywhere they could get literature on their boat or engine? Did we know any experts on this boat or that engine in the U.S. or Canada? And we were all suddenly at home – it didn’t matter that we were in another country. The love of old boats bridged the gap and put us on very comfortable, common ground.
 

Carol Steggles made arrangements with us earlier in the day to be guests on her boat in the opening parade that afternoon. The boat we would be aboard was the oldest boat at the show - an 1870 Field & Platt steam boat owned by Carol and her husband, Martin. At the appointed time, the ten of us climbed onto the cabin roof of this very long narrow boat and sat in chairs and had refreshments. We relaxed as we chugged down the Thames, past crowds staring back at us, and we heard the announcer say that the Steggles boat was carrying the guests from America. We gave the royal wave!
 

After thanking the Steggles for the relaxing ride, the men were off to the boat jumble – flea market in our lingo. We stopped on the way over to the jumble to have a pint, some chips, and an ice cream. While we ate, we watched delighted youngsters react enthusiastically to the Punch and Judy puppet show and toddlers dance to Dixieland music played by a small combo on the lawn near the food concessions.
 

We located the jumble and after perusing the items offered, all the men in our group bought a brass bulb horn because it seemed like the thing to do at this particular show. Shadows were getting long, and we decided to take a ferry down the Thames back to town to catch the train to London. The ferry’s departure had to wait till a large group of rowing skiffs completed a relay race, but we finally boarded and rode down the Thames past beautiful, very British looking boathouses, townhouses, shops, and a Norman church to another town park nearer the train station. Waiting for the train, we reflected with satisfaction at having completed this trek to Henley – thankful that it was all we expected and more. It was the best!
 

Next time we’re thinking about boat shows at Lake Como or Lake Garda in Italy, or Aix-les-Bains, France, on Lake Bourget…… Interested?