Community digs deep to recover from Henley Station Bar arson attack

VOLUNTEERS believe a suspected arsonist watched on as their hard work went up in flames at Henley Station.

Seating areas and wooden booth-like pods outside the station bar were torched at around 4.30am last Thursday (26th June) causing damage of around £25,000.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Henley and Stratford were called out at 4.45am and used a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire and make the area safe.

Police also attended and a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson and has been bailed.

Recalling how the emergency unfolded, Angela Okey, 54, chair of Friends of Henley Station, told the Herald: “I got a phone call at 4.30am from one of the neighbours. They had their bedroom window open and heard the crackling from the flames. Thank God they called, it could have been a lot worse otherwise.”

CCTV showed a person turn up at 4.15am before a fire was started at 4.25am. Angela said that person then joined her and other spectators as the crews worked to extinguish the fire.

Following the disaster, which destroyed the outdoor area of the station bar, the Friends of Henley Railway Station have vowed to ‘build back bigger and better’. The bar had been lovingly installed by the group and opened, along with a microbrewery, in February 2024.

“It’s just devastating really, but the community spirit that’s come out of it is unbelievable,” observed Angela. “You don’t realise how much support you’ve got until something like this happens. It’s been incredible.”

In the immediate aftermath, bar manager Sally Jones set up a Gofundme page, which quickly saw donations rack up, and currently stands at around £8,000.

On top of the fundraising, people quickly stepped in to help. Builders Gallons came in on Thursday morning to take away the burned frames of the pods and made sure everything was safe. Then R Adams, a haulage company, removed the damaged furniture and also power-washed everything.

“Considering the state of it all it was unbelievable that by 5pm, it was cleared just leaving the tables and chairs that did survive,” explained Angela. “By Thursday evening everybody was sitting outside eating and drinking, as if nothing had happened. That resilient community spirit is amazing.”

She added: “We’ve had so many kind offers of support from businesses offering help. They say that out of adversity comes some hope and positivity; and if nothing else, that’s what this has done.”

At one point during the fire there were fears that Brookie Bean, a coffee pod run by Jenny Brooks, was about to go up in flames too, so Angela says they are also grateful for small mercies.

“The heat from the fire was intense,” she said. “I reckon it was about two minutes away from the coffee pod going up before firefighters arrived; which would have been Jenny’s livelihood and everything else.”

She continued: “It could have been so much worse – we could have lost the bar. And what if someone had been sleeping inside?

“The pods were mostly wood but thank God they had metal-sheeting roofs because that slowed the flames and so didn’t spread to all the surrounding trees, everything was dry so it could have been a hell of a lot worse.”

Recounting what has been lost, Angela continued: “It is soul-destroying because we’d just completed the whole outdoor area. I only just took photographs of it last week. It looked amazing.

“All three pods have been destroyed. We were going to launch a big campaign – ‘don't work home alone, come and work from one of our pods’ – and have just put power and electrical power sockets in there only two weeks ago.

“The pods were beautiful with railway seating installed which we’d just had recovered in outdoor leather, which we’d just spent £800 on one having it recovered. We’ve not even paid the bill on that yet, and neither has the electrician been paid – that’s how recent everything is. It’s all lost.

“We also had a beautiful all-weather outdoor sofa, and that’s gone up along with another table and wicker table and chairs.”

One of the few things left relatively untouched was an old-fashioned red phone booth.

“Unbelievably, the phone booth was fine – and it even protected a couple of wicker chairs that were behind it from the fire. I tell you what, they don’t make things like they used to!

“We reckon it’s about £25,000 worth of damage all in all.”

The station bar at Henley was abandoned back in the 1990s, but it was Angela’s idea to reopen it as a community endeavour.

Former banker Angela, who is also chair of the parish council, said: “I was fortunate enough to take early retirement at 39. The plan was I was going to go and travel around the world with my husband and we bought a big motor home, but unfortunately he passed away suddenly.

“ I was too young not to do anything, and joined the council. We were approached to take on the old station bar, but the council declined. So I set up the charity and I did all the negotiations with Network Rail.

“We became a CIC (community interest company), secured grants of £150,000, and have four directors.”

The microbrewery recently outgrew its base at Henley and is now located in Wootton Wawen. They have a staff of ten and are also helped by volunteers.

Angela added: “There is a really lovely community atmosphere. As a charity we've given away £16,500 across 11 other charities and community groups – that was before our first year of full trading. We are optimistic that we will give away even more this year.

“Even though the fire has dented our reserves, with the help of the donations on Gofundme we hope to continue undefeated and rebuild what we have lost.”