Roger Booker celebrates his 80th birthday
Henley Squash Club’s Honorary President, Roger Booker, celebrated his 80th birthday recently. Current chairman, Steve Dance, and former chairman, Duncan Nightingale, were honoured to join friends, family and colleagues for a boat trip on the Thames.
Roger was Chairman of Henley Squash Club for many years and continues to be the eminence grise, regularly attending committee meetings and still donating all the squash balls used by the teams in inter-club matches.
Until quite recently Roger was a regular for the Henley teams – both in Oxfordshire and for the Vets in Berkshire. And not so long ago he was still in the prime position of our internal box league – top of division 1 month after month. He is still often to be found working out in the gym next to the courts at Henley Leisure Centre.
Roger has played at the highest level – including representing England in Masters tournaments. While working in the USA in 1983-1992 he played to a good level in inter-club hardball squash.
As well as being chairman at Henley, Roger has also served as Chairman of Oxfordshire Squash.
Happy Birthday, Roger, from everyone at Henley Squash Club! We look forward to your continued support and guidance.
Jill helps Wales win Home International Masters for 3rd Consecutive year
International squash masters champion, Jill Campion, who lives in Bix and plays squash at Henley Squash Club based at Gillotts Leisure Centre, last weekend completed a four weekend “marathon”, having represented Wales, her country of birth, in four different age groups in this year’s Home International Squash Masters competition.
The Home International Squash Masters is an annual event, held over four weekends, in which teams from each age group (men from 35+ to 75, women from 35+ to 65+) from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland play each other. Each country hosts one weekend, with two or three different age groups playing at each weekend.
“The last few weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind for me. This year, like last, in addition to playing in my own age group (65+), I also played for the O50s, O55s and O60s. I played number 2 (in a team of five) in the lower two age groups, which I found somewhat challenging, although hugely enjoyable. However, it was a team effort and we did well to come second in the over 55s, and our fourth place in the over 50s could, but for a few points, have been second place.”
“My main focus, however, was on the over 65s, my age group, which was played in Cardiff on the final weekend. Having won this title for the past two years we were favourites to win. However England had a strong team as did Scotland and, with only three people in a team, there was no margin for error. First we faced Scotland, who we beat 2-1. Next up Ireland, who we beat 3-0. Last but by no means least we faced England, who had also beaten Ireland and Scotland, in the deciding match. It was a nail-biting few hours as each of the three matches went to five games – fortunately for us with Wales winning all three. The womens’ over 65s competition started three years ago and Wales have been title holders since its inception. Team events have a different dynamic to individual tournaments and I am fortunate that my team-mates at each of these events were hugely supportive during the matches, lots of fun off court and, of course, hugely experienced and skilled squash players.”
Match Reports – Winter2 2025-26
(for this season’s match reports, go here)To view pictures and videos, use one of these club social media links:
You can check out the full results, fixtures and league tables, as well as Henley Players’ rankings, from the links on the Teams page of this website.
Support for the teams is always welcome. The 1st and 2nd teams play their home matches on Tuesday evenings, while the 3rd teams’ home fixtures are on Thursdays. All starting at 7.10pm at the Leisure Centre.
If you are interested in playing for the teams, contact the Membership Secretary and he will direct you to the right person.
Winter 2 2025-26
Division 4 Play Off Final
Headline: Henley 2nd team complete a perfect unbeaten season by winning the Play Off Final
The final chapter of the Winter 2 season was played out this week when Henley 2nd Team travelled to Oxford University to play their 3rd team for the division 4 Play Off Final. This is the match between the winner of the Winter 1 (ie before Christmas) and the Winter 2 (ie after Christmas) seasons. After being demoted from division 3 to division 4 at the end of Winter 1, the Henley 2nds then went on a rampage through division 4, winning every match and ending up well clear at the top of the table. Their unbeaten run was extended again this week when they won the Play Off final and brought home the trophy! University 3rds are a pretty strong team who after promotion in Winter 1 finished mid-table in division 3 in Winter 2. And the fixture did prove to be quite tight with Henley just winning by 3 matches to 2 – the Henley winners being James Rowson, Tom Tuite-Dalton and skipper John Williams. A total of 12 players played for the 2nds throughout the season – so congratulations go to them all, not just the five who played this week.
Videos: (1) Cheeky chuckle from Tim Budden as he flukes a point; (2) Rally from Tim Budden’s match; (3) Rally from Dan Andrews’ match.
Pictures: Henley 2nd team line-up with the division trophy that they won after a magnificent season. L-to-R: James Rowson, Tim Budden, John Williams, Dan Andrews, Tom Tuite-Dalton.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
This week’s match: Oxford University(3) 7 v Henley(2) 13 (on 21/4/26)
1. Dan Andrews (0-3 loss)
2. John Williams (3-0 win)
3. Tim Budden (0-3 loss)
4. James Rowson (3-1 win)
5. Tom Tuite-Dalton (3-0 win)
Team Squash now takes a short break – but not for long – the summer season kicks off on May 5th. We are trying something a little different this year – entering two teams in Oxfordshire and one team in Berkshire. The intention is still to give 15 players a match each week, but if ever we are short, people can double up in the 2nd team and the Berkshire team – ie they can play twice in one week – so should prevent any weeks when we struggle to field five players per team. If you are interested in playing team squash over the summer, contact me (Duncan) and I’ll direct you at the right captain – or contact them directly: Harry Carr (1sts), John Williams (2nds), Peter Rivers (Berkshire team).
Week 14 – week commencing 6/4/26 (LAST WEEK)
Headline: Henley 2nd team complete triumphant unbeaten season!
Going into the final week of the season, Henley 1st Team just needed one point to be absolutely certain of maintaining their division 1 status. This detail was taken care of straight away when their opponents, Defence Academy, could only field four players. Andrew Martin’s two points, plus 7th place Harwell losing, meant that the safety margin was 16 points in the end. Despite winning, Defence Academy slipped from 2nd to 3rd in the table when University had an easy win over bottom-of-the-table Nuffield. It has been a tough season for the 1sts, with many injuries – so a rearguard action to maintain their division 1 status was a great result. Over the season, most team appearances were by Munro Montanus and skipper Harry Carr (both 13). Looking forward, team stalwart, Harry Palfreyman, has reported himself to be nearly back from long-term injury.
Pictures: no pictures this week.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
FINAL Position: 6th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Henley(1) 6 v Defence Academy(1) 15 (on 7/4/26)
1. Matt Marshall (0-3 loss)
2. Munro Montanus (0-3 loss)
3. Richard Brown (0-3 loss)
4. Andrew Martin (3-2 win)
5. no Defence Academy player ( winloss)
Henley 2nd Team completed their awesome unbeaten season in style with a win over Gladiators. Leading from the front, skipper John Williams, playing at 1st string, came back from 0-2 down to win 13-15, 15-17, 15-13, 15-10, 16-14 – wow! Tim Budden and Tom Tuite-Dalton had to fight back from losing their first games. Peter Rivers and Richard Little both had games when their opponents pushed them hard. But in the end, it was 5-0 to Henley and the team had completed a season to remember. Most appearances for the team over the season were John Williams (14), Tim Budden (13) and Jim Reay (12). One final match awaits the team – on the 21st April they play Oxford University in the divisional play-off final (winners of Winter1 season v winners of Winter2 season). Lets hope they can bring back the silverware!
Video: Skipper John Williams leading from the front.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
FINAL Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Gladiators 5 v Henley(2) 19 (on 9/4/26)
1. John Williams (3-2 win)
2. Tim Budden (3-1 win)
3. Tom Tuite-Dalton (3-1 win)
4. Richard Little (3-0 win)
5. Peter Rivers (3-1 win)
Henley 3rd Team were down to four players for their final match of the season – away at Wallingford. But they kept fighting to the final rally with a splendid 3-1 win for Dan Andrews at 1st string and an astonishing come-from-behind win for Peter Hopkins (14-16, 11-15, 16-14, 15-10, 15-10) that left him exhausted but happy! Most appearances over the season were by captain Peter Rivers (9) and club chairman Steve Dance (10), who is to be congratulated once again for ‘herding cats’ in his team selection duties for both 2nd and 3rd teams!
Pictures: (1) Team line-up; (2) Peter Hopkins emptied his tank!
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
FINAL Position: 7th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Wallingford 16 v Henley(3) 7 (on 7/4/26)
1. Dan Andrews (3-1 win)
2. Jim Reay (1-3 loss)
3. Steve Dance (0-3 loss)
4. Peter Hopkins (3-2 win)
5. no Henley player
Week 13 – week commencing 30/3/26
Headline: All 3 Henley teams win.
Henley 1st Team virtually secured division 1 squash for another season with a win over 7th place Harwell (they need just one point from the final fixture next week to be absolutely certain). Comfortable 3-0 wins for Harry Carr and Matt Marshall, plus a come-from-behind 3-2 win for Munro Montanus (6-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3, 11-1), were enough to see them safe, so they can face 3rd place Defence Academy without too much worry!
Pictures: no pictures this week.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 6th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Harwell(1) 8 v Henley(1) 13 (on 31/3/26)
1. Oliver Coulcher-Porter (0-3 loss)
2. Matt Marshall (3-0 win)
3. Munro Montanus (3-2 win)
4. Harry Carr (3-0 win)
5. Richard Brown (0-3 loss)
Henley 2nd Team continued their triumphant march to an unbeaten season with a comfortable win over Nuffield 2nds – that leaves them 83 points clear at the top of the division 4 table. Last match of the season is against 2nd-place Gladiators – so could be a tight match – can they complete a ‘perfect’ season with one last win?
Pictures: (1) Richard Little playing Nuffield’s Lizzie Robbins; (2) After-match meal at Cafe Le Raj.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(2) 17 v Nuffield(2) 3 (on 31/3/26/x/x)
1. Tim Budden (1-3 loss)
2. John Williams (3-0 win)
3. Tom Tuite-Dalton (3-0 win)
4. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
5. Richard Little (3-0 win)
Coincidently, Henley 3rd Team were playing Gladiators this week and completed their best win of the season, so reversing the result from earlier in the season when Gladiators won at home. This time, every Henley player won their individual matches, although all the game scores were tight – most notably James Rowson at 1st string who won in 5 games 15-13, 10-15, 12-15, 15-8, 15-12. With the Three Horseshoes no longer doing food, the after-match meal was again at Cafe Le Raj. One of the visitors said the food was on a par with Brackley’s curries – high praise indeed! Final match for the 3rds is away at Wallingford who are one place above them in the table. They can’t catch them, but it would be good to end the season on a high.
Videos: (1) Rally from James Rowson’s match.
Pictures: (1) Team line-up (loving the skipper’s yellow shorts!); (2) Peter Hopkins serving.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 7th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(3) 19 v Gladiators 5 (on 2/4/26)
1. James Rowson (3-2 win)
2. Peter Rivers (3-0 win)
3. Steve Dance (3-1 win)
4. Peter Hopkins (3-1 win)
5. Oliver Collin (3-1 win)
Week 12 – week commencing 23/3/26
Headline: Comprehensive wins for 1st and 2nd teams; consolation win for 3rd team debutant.
Henley 1st Team came storming back to winning ways with a comprehensive 19-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Nuffield that moves them up to 6th in the division 1 table and out of the relegation zone. With two injuries sustained last week, captain Harry Carr had called up Oliver Coulcher-Porter and Andy Peers from Wycombe in the Bucks League, who have guested for Henley before – and they, along with Henley regulars Munro, Harry and Andy Martin, all had easy individual 3-0 wins. Next week Henley face Harwell which should see them secure enough points to be safe, before facing top-of-the-table Defence Academy in the final fixture of the season.
Pictures: no pictures this week.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 6th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Nuffield(1) 0 v Henley(1) 19 (on 24/3/26)
1. Oliver Coulcher-Porter (3-0 win)
2. Munro Montanus (3-0 win)
3. Harry Carr (3-0 win)
4. Andy Peers (3-0 win)
5. Andy Martin (3-0 win)
Not to be outdone, Henley 2nd Team also completed a 19-0 win – this time against Abingdon 5ths, who only last week had lost to 19-3 to Henley 3rds. Only one game looked tight – John Williams’ 2nd game against Mathew Naylor was 15-13 – otherwise it was plain sailing for Henley who remain unbeaten all season with just two matches to go.
Pictures: (1) Tom Tuite-Dalton serving against Abingdon’s Max Booker; (2) Jim Reay reaches a ball at front-of-court in his match against Abingdon’s Jane Robinson.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(2) 19 v Abingdon(5) 0 (on 24/3/26)
1. Dan Andrews (3-0 win)
2. John Williams (3-0 win)
3. Tom Tuite-Dalton (3-0 win)
4. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
5. Peter Rivers (3-0 win)
Henley 3rd Team had a tougher time – away to Nuffield 2nds. Highlights for Henley were Peter Hopkins getting a game off his opponent; Simon Stone almost doing the same, losing his 2nd game 18-20; and Kevin James scoring a 3-0 win on his debut for the Henley teams.
Pictures: (1) Simon Stone serving; (2) Kevin James serving.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 7th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Nuffield(2) 16 v Henley(3) 4 (on 26/3/26)
1. Richard Little (0-3 loss)
2. Simon Stone (0-3 loss)
3. Steve Dance (0-3 loss)
4. Peter Hopkins (1-3 loss)
5. Kevin James (3-0 win)
Week 11 – week commencing 16/3/26
Headline: Injury woes for 1st team, while 2nds and 3rds have wins.
Tough night for Henley 1st Team against Abingdon with two injury-forced retirements for Paul Ski and club coach Adam Edge. At first string, Abingdon featured Mark Cairns, a former top-10-in-the-world player with British, European and World titles to his name as well as a Commonwealth Games medal. Now 59 years old, he is still one of the top ranked players in Oxfordshire, so Henley’s Munro Montanus did will to take the first game off him before succumbing 1-3. Captain Harry Carr had a good win and Richard Brown fought well to lose 10-12, 7-11, 11-13. But with the two injury withdrawals it was a comprehensive team win for Abingdon. Next week Henley face bottom-of-the-table Nuffield and really need a victory.
Videos: (1) Munro congratulates Mark Cairns on a nice boast; (2) Adam Edge in a tight rally before injury forced him to retire.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 7th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Henley(1) 4 v Abingdon(1) 16 (on 17/3/26)
1. Munro Montanus (1-3 loss)
2. Harry Carr (3-0 win)
3. Adam Edge (0-3 loss)
4. Richard Brown (0-3 loss)
5. Paul Ski (0-3 loss)
Henley 2nd Team visited Wallingford who were down to four players – so wins for Jim Reay and Peter Rivers were enough to secure the overall result, with captain John Williams adding two points to keep the unbeaten 2nds on-track for the division 4 title.
Pictures: no pictures this week.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Wallingford 6 v Henley(2) 15 (on 17/3/26)
1. Tim Budden (0-3 loss)
2. John Williams (2-3 loss)
3. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
4. Peter Rivers (3-0 win)
5. No Wallingford player.
Henley 3rd Team had their best win of the season with a comprehensive victory over Abingdon 5ths, that sees the two teams swap places at the foot of division 4. While the lower order had straight forward 3-0 victories, Dan Andrews at 1st string had to come from a game down, and 2nd string Richard Little was two down and 8-13 down in the third, before eventually winning 16-14 in the fifth.
Videos: Rally from Dan Andrews’ match.
Pictures: (1) Dan Andrews serving; (2) Richard Little on the ‘T’.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 7th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Abingdon(5) 3 v Henley(3) 19 (on 19/3/26)
1. Dan Andrews (3-1 win)
2. Richard Little (3-2 win)
3. Joe Edwards (3-0 win)
4. Simon Stone (3-0 win)
5. Steve Dance (3-0 win)
Week 10 – week commencing 9/3/26
Headline: Henley 2nd team maintain their unbeaten record.
Skipper Harry Carr was the only winner for Henley 1st Team against Hithercroft, with Munro Montanus adding a point. With Harwell beating Nuffield, Henley slip to 7th in the table and the remainder of the Winter2 campaign will be about avoiding demotion. With matches against both Harwell and Nuffield (the two other weakest teams) coming up, they should be able to manage it.
Pictures: no pictures this week.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 7th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Hithercroft(1) 17 v Henley(1) 4 (on 10/3/26)
1. Matt Marshall (0-3 loss)
2. Munro Montanus (1-3 loss)
3. Harry Carr (3-1 win)
4. Richard Brown (0-3 loss)
5. Andy Martin (0-3 loss)
Another comprehensive win for the Henley 2nd Team against Carterton 2nds. With regular 1st team player, Paul Ski, freed up to play for them, they were even stronger than usual and only dropped one game in the whole fixture. They are now just four matches away from completing an unbeaten season.
Video: Joe Edwards powers a drive past his opponent.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(2) 19 v Carterton(2) 1 (on 10/3/26)
1. Paul Ski (3-0 win)
2. Tim Budden (3-0 win)
3. John Williams (3-1 win)
4. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
5. Joe Edwards (3-0 win)
Henley 3rd Team were hosting Oxford University 4ths. Skipper Peter Rivers was two games up against University’s Sophie Foskett, before eventually being overcome by Sophie’s classic stylish squash. Duncan Nightingale also suffered a 2-3 loss, while Miles Edwards and Oliver Collin picked up a point each to keep the match score respectable. There is a key fixture for Henley next week – against Abingdon 5ths who are just above them in the table. That could be their last chance to haul themselves off the wooden spoon position!
Video: Rally from Peter Rivers’ match.
Picture: Pete Harrison playing off the back wall.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(3) v University(4) (on 12/3/26)
1. Peter Harrison (0-3 loss)
2. Peter Rivers (2-3 loss)
3. Miles Edwards (1-3 loss)
4. Oliver Collin (1-3 loss)
5. Duncan Nightingale (2-3 loss)
Week 9 – week commencing 2/3/26
Headline: Henley 2nds v Henley 3rds derby match produces great squash – and great food!
Monday evening saw Henley 3rd Team play their storm-postponed fixture from week 1 against Carterton. It was a great result for the 3rds – only their second victory of the season. Highlight was a fighting win for club chairman, Steve Dance – from 0-2 down, he took the next two games 16-14 and 15-13 before clinching the match 15-8 in the 5th.
Video: Rally from James Rowson’s match.
Picture: Left-hander Jim Reay eyes up a drive down the left wall.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(3) 16 v Carterton(2) 7 (on 2/3/26; originally scheduled 8/1/26)
1. Richard Little (0-3 loss)
2. Jim Reay (3-1 win)
3. James Rowson (3-0 win)
4. Peter Rivers (3-1 win)
5. Steve Dance (3-2 win)
In division 1, Henley 1st Team were up against 2nd place Brackley. There was a welcome return to winning ways for skipper Harry Carr, although he had to come from two game to one down to do it. Munro Montanus had a long five game battle before eventually succumbing, while Andrew Martin had a bright start against an opponent with a much higher SquashLevel, taking the first game 11-4 before being overhauled. But Brackley were two strong overall and took the team win. Henley remain in 6th place in the table, with fixtures coming up against both teams who are below them (Harwell and Nuffield) – wins against them could be vital in staying above the relegation zone.
Pictures: no pictures this week.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 6th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Henley(1) 6 v Brackley(1) 18 (on 3/3/26)
1. Matt Marshall (0-3 loss)
2. Munro Montanus (2-3 loss)
3. Harry Carr (3-2 win)
4. Andrew Martin (1-3 loss)
5. Paul Ski (0-3 loss)
Thursday evening saw Henley Leisure Centre host the derby match between Henley 3rd Team and Henley 2nd team. Both these teams play in the 4th division of the Oxfordshire League – but with somewhat different fortunes. The 2nds are flying high at the top of the table and unbeaten, while the 3rds are at the bottom of the table, but having enjoyed a rare win just a few days earlier (see above). So the expectation was for a whitewash – albeit with a few laughs along the way. Peter Hopkins provided the first ‘upset’, taking two games off his higher-rated opponent, Richard Little 15-11, 5-15, 15-13, 11-15, 5-15. Then the fast-improving Miles Edwards (club Player of the Month in February) pushed Jim Reay very hard, just losing the 2nd game 17-19. The other matches went to form and the 2nds ran out 19-2 winners. The other highlight of the evening was the after-match meal, where the Three Horseshoes really performed – no less than five meal choices on offer: steak and chips, lasagne and chips, egg/bacon/chips, sausages and mash, or vegan chilli. With match fees reduced to £10 due to a surplus in the skippers’ kitties, an amazing value evening was had by all!
Videos: (1) Rally from Jim Reay v Miles Edwards – squash is a game for fit people; (2) all the action from the viewing gallery; (2) amazing food choice at the Three Horseshoes!
Pictures: (1) Richard Little and Peter Hopkins; (2) Peter Hopkins in front of the new club scoreboard – sponsored by his firm, Mercers Solicitors.
Details:
Captains: Peter Rivers (3rds) and John Williams(2nds)
Position: 8th and 1st places in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley(3) 2 v Henley(2) 19 (on 5/3/26)
1. Peter Rivers 0 v Tim Budden 3
2. Steve Dance 0 v John Williams 3
3. Peter Hopkins 2 v Richard Little 3
4. Miles Edwards 0 v Jim Reay 3
5. Duncan Nightingale 0 v Pete Harrison 3
Week 8 – week commencing 23/2/26
Headline: Another tight fixture for Henley 2nds – but they remain unbeaten
Henley 1st Team‘s Munro Montanus got a SquashLevels boost after beating a stronger opponent this week during the home fixture against Oxford University. Skipper Harry Carr, still struggling to return to full strength after an injury sustained last season, had the opposite experience – losing out in five games to an opponent who was theoretically weaker. Club Coach Adam Edge, Juniors Organiser Paul Ski, and Andy Martin all took one game off their opponents – so some points gained for Henley, but ultimately an overall team loss that sees them remain in 6th place in the division 1 table, with Harwell and Nuffield below them also losing.
Picture: Munro demonstrating proper speed skating technique!
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 6th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Henley(1) 8 v University(1) 17 (on 24/2/26)
1. Munro Montanus (3-1 win)
2. Harry Carr (2-3 loss)
3. Adam Edge (1-3 loss)
4. Andrew Martin (1-3 loss)
5. Paul Ski (1-3 loss)
Henley 2nd Team‘s lower order again came to the fore in helping maintain their unbeaten record in a tight fixture against Oxford University 4th team. The tie hinged on two 5-game matches: in one, Richard Little just lost out to League Organiser David Quinn; in the other Jim Reay came from behind to secure the team result, along with a brace of 3-1 wins for James Rowson and skipper John Williams. Henley are now almost 50 points clear of 2nd place Wallingford – but can they go the whole season unbeaten?
Pictures: (1)Skipper John Williams serving; (2)Expelliarmus! Richard Little’s “sorcerer’s serve”; (3) Highlight of any fixture at Oxford University – the pizzas!
Details:
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: University(4) 10 Henley(2) 15 (on 25/2/26)
1. Tim Budden (0-3 loss)
2. John Williams (3-1 win)
3. Richard Little (2-3 loss)
4. Jim Reay (3-2 win)
5. James Rowson (3-1 win)
Henley 3rd Team bagged a few points to keep their season ticking over, despite losing to Carterton 2nds. Highlights for Henley were a solid 3-0 win for Joe Edwards, a point from skipper Peter Rivers, and two points from a five-game match for Miles Edwards, recently returned from Exeter University. Crazily, these two teams face each other again on Monday – this time on Henley’s home turf when Carterton travel over for the storm-postponed fixture from Week 1. Then on Thursday, Henley3 face high-flying Henley2 in a derby match – points may be hard to come by for the 3rds in that one!
Videos: (1)Rally from Pete Harrison’s match; (2)Rally from Peter Rivers’ match.
Picture: Mile Edwards serving.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Carterton(2) 16 v Henley(3) 6 (on 25/2/26)
1. Peter Harrison (0-3 loss)
2. Joe Edwards (3-0 win)
3. Peter Rivers (1-3 loss)
4. Steve Dance (0-3 loss)
5. Miles Edwards (2-3 loss)
Week 7 – week commencing 16/2/26
Headline: Future superstar turns out for Henley 1st team
Henley 1st team were away at top-of-the-table Defence Academy and short of players for the long trip to Shrivenham. Skipper Harry Carr was able to recruit two guest players from his contacts at Wycombe – but Defence Academy were still too strong. At 3rd string, it was a former Henley player, Ed Hopkins, who defeated Richard Brown and he was joined by Harry and Munro in suffering 0-3 losses, as did guest Andy Peers. The one highlight for Henley was the guest appearance of Ayaan Khan. I don’t know if we will enjoy him turning out for Henley again, but as he competes at under-15 level with a SquashLevel of over 4000, he is obviously one to watch out for in the future.
Picture: Munro about to play a backhand.
Details:
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 6th place in the 1st division
This week’s match:
Defence(1) 16 v Henley(1) 3 (on 17/2/26)
1. Munro Montanus (0-3 loss)
2. Harry Carr (0-3 loss)
3. Richard Brown (0-3 loss)
4. Andy Peers (0-3 loss)
5. Ayaan Khan (3-0 win)
Henley 2nd Team continue to run away with the division 4 title – although this week’s fixture against 2nd place Gladiators was their closest so far. Indeed, Gladiators took the 1st and 2nd string matches in very close battles that saw Tim Budden just lose out over 5 games 15-9, 10-15, 15-13, 13-15, 12-15 and John Williams lose 1-3. But Henley’s strength in depth told with comfortable 3-0 wins for Tom, Richard and Jim. This result sees Henley more than 40 points clear at the top of the table at the mid-season point.
Video: Rally from John Williams’ hard-fought match at 2nd string.
Details:
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match:
Henley(2) 16 v Gladiators 6 (on 17/2/26)
1. Tim Budden (2-3 loss)
2. John Williams (1-3 loss)
3. Tom Tuite-Dalton (3-0 win)
4. Richard Little (3-0 win)
5. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
Henley 3rd team got their 2nd highest points total of the season with a narrow loss at home to Wallingford. Highlights were 3-0 wins for Pete Harrison and Steve Dance and a point from James Rowson’s close match at 1st string.
Video: James Rowson on his way to securing a point for Henley.
Picture: A laid back Pete Harrison in the team line-up after his 3-0 win.
Details:
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match:
Henley(3) 7 v Wallingford 14 (on 19/2/26)
1. James Rowson (1-3 loss)
2. Joe Edwards (0-3 loss)
3. Pete Harrison (3-0 win)
4. Peter Rivers (0-3 loss)
5. Steve Dance (3-0 win winloss)
Week 6 – week commencing 9/2/26
Henley 1st team were at home to Harwell who had Oxfordshire No. 1, Ben Hedger (SquashLevel 17,000 and inside the world top 500), playing at 1st string where he overcame Henley’s Munro Montanus in straight games. Skipper Harry Carr fared better at 2nd string with a comfortable 3-0 win. The other Henley players got some games, but ultimately went down to their Harwell opponents – with Andy Martin coming the closest, losing 8-11 in the fifth. Henley slip a place to 5th in the division 1 table. Next week’s opponents are top-of-the-table Defence Academy – could be a tough one?
Pictures: no pictures this week
Henley 2nd Team were up against Nuffield2 who went down narrowly to Henley 3rds last week. This was another tight one with Henley coming out on top thanks to wins from John, Jim and James. At 1st string, Dan was at 1-all when he suffered a calf injury and had to pull up. At 2nd string, Tim took it all the way losing 13-15 in the 5th. Most impressive win was probably skipper John Williams who only dropped 11 points in the whole match. Henley remain unbeaten and top of the division 4 table. Next week they are at home to 2nd place Gladiators – should be a good one!
Pictures: no pictures this week
Henley 3rd team went down to a strong Gladiators team. Highlights were Peter Hopkins’ 3-0 win and Simon Stone taking it to 5 games before losing 14-16 in the fifth. The match also saw the welcome return of Club Chairman, Steve Dance, after spending most of the year so far on the ski slopes!
Videos: (1) Steve Dance back playing team squash; (2) Good serve and tight-on-the-wall second shot from Richard Little.
1st Team
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 5th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Henley1 7-16 Harwell1 (on 10/2/26)
1. Munro Montanus (0-3 loss)
2. Harry Carr (3-0 win)
3. Dave Weston (1-3 loss)
4. Richard Brown (1-3 loss)
5. Andrew Martin (2-3 loss)
2nd Team
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Nuffield2 7-16 Henley2 (on 12/2/26)
1. Dan Andrews (1-3 loss)
2. Tim Budden (2-3 loss)
3. John Williams (3-0 win)
4. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
5. James Rowson (3-1 win)
3rd Team
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Gladiators 16-5 Henley3 (on 12/2/26)
1. Richard Little (0-3 loss)
2. Joe Edwards (0-3 loss)
3. Simon Stone (2-3 loss)
4. Steve Dance (0-3 loss)
5. Peter Hopkins (3-0 win)
Week 5 – week commencing 2/2/26
Henley 1st team had a convincing home victory over Nuffield – only giving away 3 games all evening. There were comfortable 3-0 wins for Munro, Harry and Andy. Paul Ski took his last 3 games fairly easily after losing the first 9-11. The most competitive match of the fixture was Richard’s 5-game win – he was 2-0 up, then saw his opponent level it up, before taking the final game 14-12. Henley remain in 4th place in the division 1 table, just behind Abingdon and just ahead of Hithercroft.
Videos: (1) Munro on his way to a 3-0 win.
Pictures: (1) Celebrating their victory in the pub.
Henley 2nd Team travelled to Abingdon to play their 5th team. Abingdon5 were able to overcome Henley3 last week, but Henley2 were much too strong for them, gaining the maximum 19 points and only dropping two games. The closest match was at 1st string, where Dan Andrews’ opponent put up a fight, taking the first game and keeping the scores close in the remaining games. Otherwise it was plain sailing for the Henley players and they remain unbeaten at the top of the division 4 table.
Pictures: (1) Dan Andrews serving; (2) Tom Tuite-Dalton serving; (3) Tim Budden on the T.
Henley 3rd team had their first win of the season – at home against Nuffield2. Key to the victory were two 5-game wins for Richard Little and James Rowson – with Richard coming back from 0-2 down, and James’ match even all the way until he took the last game 15-13. Peter Rivers’ comfortable 3-0 win was enough for the overall team result. Peter Hopkins and Simon Stone added to Henley’s points – Peter took his first two games before his opponent eventually overhauled him. Simon took his first game, and later reported he felt a bit poorly – turned out to be low blood sugars and nothing more serious – we wish him well for a speedy recovery and trust he will be back playing team squash very soon.
Videos: (1) Nice drop shot from Richard Little.
1st Team
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 4th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Henley1 19-3 Nuffield1 (on 3/2/26)
1. Munro Montanus (3- 0 win)
2. Harry Carr (3-0 win)
3. Richard Brown (3-2 win)
4. Andrew Martin (3-0 win)
5. Paul Ski (3-1 win)
2nd Team
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Abingdon5 2-19 Henley2 (on 5/2/26)
1. Dan Andrews (3-1 win)
2. Tim Budden (3-0 win)
3. John Williams (3-1 win)
4. Tom Tuite-Dalton (3-0 win)
5. Jim Reay (3-0 win)
3rd Team
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley3 16-10 Nuffield2 (on 5/2/26)
1. Richard Little (3-2 win)
2. James Rowson (3-2 win)
3. Simon Stone (1-3 loss)
4. Peter Rivers (3-0 win)
5. Peter Hopkins (2-3 loss)
Week 4 – week commencing 26/1/26
Henley 1st team visited Abingdon to play their 1st team, featuring Joe Brooke (SquashLevel 15,600) at 1st string. Munro pushed him hard, going down 9-11, 8-11, 7-11 and getting a small boost to his SquashLevel as a reward. The other Henley players all got games with a 3-0 win for Harry and an epic 3-2 win for Andrew Martin, coming back from 2 down; and 1-3 losses for Richard Brown and club coach Adam Edge. So overall team win for Abingdon, but Henley secured enough points to remain in 4th place in the division 1 table.
Pictures: (1) Andrew Martin goes to shake hands after an epic win; (2) Munro (red shorts) playing Joe Brooke
Henley 2nd Team remain unbeaten and on top of division 4 after a win against 4-man Wallingford. Fortified by usual 1st team player, Paul Ski, at 1st string, and with the other 3 Henley players on SquashLevels just short of 2,000, this was a strong line-up! Tim just lost out in his 5th game after fighting back from 2 games down, and the other Henley players had 3-0 wins.
Picture: Tim winding up for a drive down the backhand wall.
Abingdon Squash Club showed their strength in depth when their 5th team overcame Henley 3rd team. Henley went into the fixture with negative points in the division table following last week’s penalty points. So getting enough points this week to be positive again was a victory of sorts! Richard Little took his opponent to 16-18 in his 2nd game, before eventually going down 0-3 despite numerous stamina-sapping long rallies. Jim Reay’s 1-3 loss against stronger opponent Jack Taylor earned him a small rise in his SquashLevel. Joe Edwards fought out a signature 5-game battle – also with many long rallies. Steve Dance pushed his opponent close in the last two games, going down 6-15, 13-15, 12-15. At 5th string, Duncan Nightingale had a 3-0 win over Jane Robinson who beat him last time they played. The 2nd game was the key – Duncan just taking it 20-18.
Videos: (1) Rally from Joe Edwards’ match; (2) Rally from Jim Reay’s match
Pictures: (1) Team line-up; (2) in the pub afterwards
1st Team
Captain: Harry Carr
Position: 4th place in the 1st division
This week’s match: Abingdon1 15-8 Henley1 (on 27/1/26)
1. Munro Montanus (0-3 loss)
2. Harry Carr (3-0 win)
3. Adam Edge (1-3 loss)
4. Richard Brown (1-3 loss)
5. Andrew Martin (3-2 win)
2nd Team
Captain: John Williams
Position: 1st place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley2 18-3 Wallingford (on 27/1/26)
1. Paul Ski (3-0 win)
2. Tim Budden (2-3 loss)
3. John Williams (3-0 win)
4. Dan Andrews (3-0 win)
5. no Wallingford player
3rd Team
Captain: Peter Rivers
Position: 8th place in the 4th division
This week’s match: Henley3 6-16 Abingdon5 (on 29/1/26)
1. Jim Reay (1-3 loss)
2. Richard Little (0-3 loss)
3. Joe Edwards (2-3 loss)
4. Steve Dance (0-3 loss)
5. Duncan Nightingale (3-0 win)
Henley Health Festival
Henley Squash Club had a stand at the Henley Health Festival on 16th May in Henley Market Square.The club brought a pop-up practice ‘wall’ to allow people to have a hit and get the feel of a squash racket! This proved very popular with many of the youngsters – especially with sweeties and squash balls as rewards for having a go!
As well as promoting the benefits of squash from a health perspective, we hoped to attract a few new members and brought along a load of flyers with a QR code linked to club website to hand out. A number of prospective members have already followed up and membership secretary Duncan Nightingale has been giving them more information and details of how to join. This link is an easy way to give anybody an information dump on the club.
Thanks go to several club members for their help:
Peter Hopkins for the initial idea to attend and for supplying the pop-up ‘wall’, rackets and balls.
Steve Dance for all admin and organisation
Jim Reay for supplying the table, signage, QR code flyers – and for his ingenuity in fabricating replacement parts for the ‘wall’!
Des and Duncan Nightingale for set-up and sweetie supply
Roger Booker for supply of real squash balls as give aways
Richard Little, Richard Hindley, Sam Carr, Pete Harrison for helping to man the stand.
The 2026 Handicap Tournament is now under way
The full draw for this year’s Tournament can seen here: 2026 Handicap Tournament.
To remind you of the details, and for the benefit of new members…
- The tournament is open to all members, all abilities, with the handicapping designed to make all participants have an equal chance of winning each match – and an equal chance of being the overall tournament winner! The handicaps are calculated by the SquashLevels system.
- There is one round played per month – so the only commitment players have to make is to play one more match per month than they would normally.
- The emphasis is on fun, and getting to meet and play members of different standards that you might not normally come across.
- There is no seeding, with the draws fully random, and the draw for each round made once per month after (hopefully!) all the matches for that round have been played. There is a little leeway in getting matches played each month, but the target dates are the 15th of each month.
- Every player plays in every round. So no-one is ever eliminated completely, but the number of matches a player has lost so far will determine the pool of people they will potentially come up against in the next round.
- The overall winner will be the single unbeaten player at the end of the tournament. The remaining players are grouped based on the number of matches they have lost, and the winner of each group is the one with the lowest SquashLevel.
- As in previous years, there will be prizes and trophies for all the category winners.
Everyone is encouraged to join in the fun – the handicaps should ensure that all matches (even between the strongest players and the weakest players) are fun and competitive.
You can read a report about last year’s Tournament here.
Jill Campion Wins British National Squash Age Group Title for the 6th time
Jill Campion, who lives in Bix and is a member of the Henley Squash Club which plays at the Henley Lesure Centre, won the over 65s British National Squash Championships held at Colets Club in Thames Ditton last weekend.
Campion, who plays for Wales, her country of birth, was seeded 1 and got a bye into the quarter-finals where she faced Sue Pynegar, an experienced English international. Campion dominated the first game barely conceding a point, but Pynegar got into her stride and took the second. Campion then upped the pace and grew in confidence, pulling through to win 3-1. Her opponent in the semi-finals was Tammy Bennet, another experienced English international, who has just come into this age group. “Tammy is strong and fit. She can play with pace but also has great touch shots, especially on the volley. Having watched her quarter-final match I knew I would have my work cut out,” said Campion speaking after the match. “The first and second games were both tight, with Tammy inching ahead. I really focused at critical points and managed to sneak home in both. The third game didn’t go well for me and, having pulled back to being 1-2 down, Tammy was keen to keep a fast pace in the fourth, which she won 13/11. So it was all down to eh fifth game. My game plan of playing straight and low to the back, then looking for opportunities to play winners worked well and I drew ahead from the start, winning it 11/8.”
In the final Campion played her long-time rival Karen Hume, back from nearly a year off due to injury. The first two games were neck and neck with Campion upping her game when required to go ahead 2 games to 0. Hume got off to a fast start in the third and Campion couldn’t quite manage to catch up. With the game score 2-1, Campion dominated the fourth game, putting Hume under physical pressure, and won it 11/4, giving her her sixth British National Masters title.
Speaking after the final Campion said “This was a very competitive tournament. I needed to be playing my best and luckily I did. I am delighted to have won this title again, after not being able to compete last year due to knee problems. I am now looking forward to the Masters Home Internationals being held in April and May, and hopefully helping Wales at least maintain their 2025 achievements in this competition.”
Player of the Year 2025, Pete Harrison, awarded his prize
The recent team match between Henley 2nds and Henley 3rds was an opportunity for us to catch up with Player of the Year 2025, Pete Harrison, and award him his prize – a nice bottle of fizz!
Pete improved his SquashLevel from 371 to 1,192 over the calendar year 2025 – a percentage increase of 221% – more than any other member of the club.
In addition, he participated in the Internal League (boxes) and the Handicap Tournament, as well as competing for the Henley teams in the Oxfordshire League and is a regular at the Friday drop-in sessions.
To be eligible for the Player of the Year rankings you either need to have your registered club on SquashLevels be Henley, or have played a match for one of the Henley teams in the last 12 months.
Chairman’s Review of 2025
Steve Dance has prepared this press release, reviewing 2025 and looking forward to 2026, which you should see in the Henley Standard and the Henley Herald over the next few days:
Best wishes for a Happy New Year from Henley Squash Club!
Peter Rivers wins final of Handicap Tournament Final in a 5-game thriller
The final of the 2025 club Handicap Tournament produced a 5-game thriller between Peter Rivers (+1) and Richard Little (-1). The first two games were shared with the same score, 15-13, before Peter edged ahead with a comfortable 15-7 win in the third. Both players have a reputation for never-say-die squash and so it proved when Richard took the fourth game 16-14 to level things up and take things into a fifth, and deciding game. In the end, Peter’s power hitting overcame Richards heroic retrieving and he took the deciding game 15-6.
Club Chairman, Steve Dance, was on hand to be marker and he also conducted the after-match interviews (look out Sky Sports!). Club Honorary President, Roger Booker, resplendent in his England Masters shirt, presented the Club Championship trophy to Peter. Both players also received a copy of coach Tony Griffins squash book, The G-Spot. Tournament organiser, Duncan Nightingale, was on duty as cameraman.
All the categories in the tournament are now complete. The full list of winners is:
Championship winner (only unbeaten player) – Peter Rivers
Plate winner (player with the LOWEST SquashLevel who has lost only one match – Ron Marsh
2nd Plate winner (player with the LOWEST SquashLevel who has lost only two matches – James Mortimer
3rd Plate winner (player with the LOWEST SquashLevel who has lost only three matches – Alistair Robbie
The Henley Squash Club Handicap Tournament uses handicaps generated by the SquashLevels system, designed to make every match as close as possible, giving every player an equal (in theory) chance of winning the whole tournament and allowing players of all abilities to play each other – players who may never come across each other in regular League matches or in the inter-club teams. The draw is completely random, with one round being drawn at a time with approximately one month between rounds – sort of F.A. Cup fashion!
The full draw of the Handicap Tournament may be seen here.
Campion wins third European Squash Masters title
Jill Campion, who lives in Bix and plays squash at the Henley Squash Clubs based in Gillotts Leisure Centre, won her age group at the European Masters Squash Championship held in Wroclaw, Poland last week and retaining the title she won in Hamburg in 2023. This is the third time that Jill has won her age group, having won her first title competing in the over 50s category in Malmo, Sweden, in 2015.
This final was a rematch of the Hamburg final, with Jill once more playing long-standing rival Lynne Davies, from Wales in the final of the over 65s category, both finalists having won all their initial round robin matches. As in Hamburg, Campion did not concede a single game during the tournament and beat Davies in the final 3-0, (11-5, 11-4, 11-6).
Speaking after the final she said, “I am absolutely thrilled to have won this major title for a third time. Lynne has been working on her technique and match strategy and is now playing a more strategic, tactical game. Plus, she is moving a lot better than she was two years ago. I knew that I needed to be fully focused right from the start, keeping the rallies short, and not play my usual hitting and running game. I concentrated on playing tight shots without a lot of pace, forcing Lynne to play a loose ball that gave me the opening I needed to play a winner. This tactic worked well and I was delighted to have won so convincingly, especially as so far 2025 has been a difficult season for me as I took three months off earlier in the year to rebuild the strength around my right knee to prevent further wear and tear on the cartilage.”
Over 600 people from 13 European countries competed in the European Masters Championships, which are held every two years, with age groups starting at over 35 right through to over 80. The tournament was held at Hasta la Vista Club in Wroclaw, Poland, which has 33 courts including 2 glass show courts and is the largest squash club in the world.
