Prepare for the afternoon race or shake off the night before with a big breakfast. Top of the range is the Rower's Breakfast at Tubbies Diner at Henley Station 44. Other good breakfasts are to be had at regatta time, too - check out Crispin's 28 near the bridge in Hart Street, the Red Lion and the Little White Hart.

For lunches and dinners, it is advisable to book during regatta week. The key thing to remember when arranging to meet friends is to be very clear about where you will be and when. The place gets very crowded, although you will end up meeting someone you know even if it isn't what you thought you'd arranged.

If you want simple good food without a reservation, try Caffe Uno 30 or Café Rouge 29 practically opposite one another in Hart Street or the Pizza Express 7 by the Town Hall. Hart Street also has an Ask. For more upmarket, Italian food try Villa Marina 45, opposite the Angel by Henley Bridge 37 . This is an excellent Italian where booking is essential, and persuading someone else to pay advisable.

New to Henley is a Bar Med 53in Bell Street close to the Regal cinema, which also has a bar for patrons. Bar Med serves food as well as drink, and can get quite lively at night. I suggest eating elsewhere after an aperitif.

There are two excellent Thai restaurants, the Thai Orchid 51 in Hart Street and the Bull 2 in Bell Street. I recommend the Bull for fantastic quality at reasonable prices. For more heat, head for the Reading Road , where the Himalaya 16, the Gazal18 and the Rajus 17 can be found. The Nepalese Himalayan is very popular and it does not take long to find out why, but the others are also excellent. There is a new Indian, the Najmah Palace 21, where New Street meets Bell Street. To get away from the regatta hubbub, try the excellent River Cafe  50 at the River and Rowing Museum on Mill Meadows, which is also open on regatta evenings as a restaurant (booking advised).

Henley has pubs for all tastes. If you are young and looking for new friends, the Angel on the bridge 37 is where to be seen (queuing is the norm). Some town pubs such as the Horse and Groom 23 (New Street) have excellent gardens. Further afield, the Flower Pot 49 at Aston has been a popular rowers' haunt for decades, and keeps an excellent kitchen.

Late night revelling at Stallones (Hart Street) or the Jazz Cafe (Market Place) may be followed by a kebab van in the Grey's Road car park or the kebab stop near the junction of Duke Street and Grey's Road. Big burgers can be found at Uncle Sams 5 in Market Place.

At the regatta

The restaurant beside the boat tents is an all-day cafeteria serving snacks, breakfasts lunches, teas and ice cream whose fare has been more in tune with athletes' requirements in recent years. A badge is necessary to get in. Outside the Stewards' enclosure there are stalls on the towpath at Remenham and bars near the Barrier. Henley also has some excellent take-away picnic places such as Tubbies 44 at the station, the Emporium 15 in Grey's Road, Quartet in Market Place, and Waitrose in the centre of town.

Have a good regatta!

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Clicking on this map or the numbers following an item will take you to a location map

Area code 01491

ACCESSORIES Boats and oar repairs with Fennessey Racing (0118 940 3296). Also for accessories Eton Racing (01753 671296) and Ray Sims Rowing Supplies (0115 981 7477) do mail order. 1

BOATBUILDERS are in attendance during the regatta for repairs, and are paged at the boat tents. Try also Aylings (01932 853500), George Sims (0181 892 8844) or Janousek Racing (01932 353421).

BOAT HIRE Small rowing boats from Hooper,Riverside, New Street, 18 motor boats from Hobbs, Station Rd. Book early for regatta days. 2

BICYCLES Autolex, Friday St., sell and ship £99 bikes. Petits (574411) do all sorts of bikes, sell spare parts and do speedy repairs on old wrecks. 3

BRAKSPEARS BREWERY sell delicious traditional beers, bottled, from old recipes. Unusual gift to take home. Brewery shop off New St (570224) 16

BUSES Oxford Tube goes to Heathrow Airport via Henley (01865 727000/772250). Reading Buses (0118 950 9509/959400).

CAMCORDER tapes, rechargeable batteries and camcorder stuff from Videophonic, Duke St. (572112). Shop closes and enjoys the regatta Wednesday to Saturday. 4

CAMPSITE within walking distance of the regatta for tents, self-catering, caravans, swimming pool, laundry room. Swiss Farm, Marlow Rd. (573419). 5

CAR PARKS All full, expensive, take the train.

CINEMA is behind Waitrose supermarket (414150). 6

CRECHE Deliver your kids unto God. St Mary's Church, Hart St run a crêche during the regatta. Also a good tea in the Chantry House 17

ELECTRICITY The UK runs on 240 volts with 50 cycle frequency. Coming from the EC, a plug adaptor is all you need to use your equipment. From USA or Canada phone a rowing accessories supplier to adapt your cox box.

ERGO COMPETITIONS during the regatta held on the towpath near the start.

HOSPITAL York Rd., Henley (572544). 7

INSULATION TAPE (Duck tape) seems to repair everything. From Autolex, Friday St., or Thaines Electric, Duke St. 3

LAUNDERETTE Half hour walk to 124 Greys Rd., but open evenings (574359). 9

LAUNDRY Reids of Reading Road offer a comprehensive dry cleaning and laundry service, from sheets to socks. Reids will take care of the chores, leaving you free to enjoy the competition (01491 573663). 8

MISCELLANEOUS Hobbs Marine Store, Station Rd. (574494) run a basic chandlery 2 . Autolex, Friday St., sell tools, spray paints, wet and dry sandpaper, etc. 3

MUSEUM River & Rowing Museum and Café open throughout the Regatta. Information 01491 415600. 10

OARS Jerry Sutton (01753 855540) in attendance during the regatta, supply their own oars and repair any make.

PHOTOS Film developed in 2 hrs from Bonusprint, central crossroads, or Boots next door. Sportspages USA take photos of all races which are daily displayed at Bonusprint and ordered there. 11 John Shore (01932 849836) and Pete Spurrier (01784 440771) are among professional photographers who may have what you want both during and after the event.

POLICE (01491 410600). Beside Henley Town Hall. 12

RACING RESULTS on HRR website www.hrr.co.uk

REGATTA GIFT SHOP opens in boat tent area June 28 to July 2. 13

ROWING BOOKS, cartoons, prints, cards and Rock the Boat t-shirts from Richard Way Books, Friday St. Stockists of Rowing Almanack with yellow pages listings of other useful rowing addresses. Also has secondhand and rare books in many subjects. 14

SPORTS DOCTOR Dr Peter Thomas's sports injury clinic in Reading (0118 950 2002). Dr Ann Redgrave sets up an injury clinic in the boat tent enclosure during the regatta (01628 533200) 13 . Ali Gill, sports psychologist (0118 939 4652).

STUFF Fax 01491 576663 for 2001 alterations.

TAXIS in Henley. 578899, 579696, 411822, 577036.

TELEPHONE from outside Henley: 01491

TOURIST INFORMATION in basement of Town Hall 10 am to 7pm for What's On, and list of bed and breakfast accommodation. Also behind boat tents during Regatta only 12am to 5pm (578034). 15

T-SHIRTS and commemorative gifts from Rock the Boat (01865 726168) on the towpath at the Upper Thames Rowshow, together with other merchandisers selling practical rowing kit.

TRAINS (0345 484950) 24 hours.

Diana Cook