CHAIRMAN’S VIEW

As we settle into the rhythm and commitment of winter training, it feels appropriate to reflect on what has been achieved in recent months and some of the challenges which lie ahead.

Your committee has put in some long shifts to move the Club forward through the autumn months. Whilst there is still plenty of work to do, the future is brighter and clearer. I am grateful for the generous support and commitment from members together with the hard work of all of our staff. We cannot afford to take the pressure off but it feels as though we have our noses in front and can look forward to 2020 with renewed confidence.

In the New Year your committee will be focussed on developing our new blueprint for the governance and management of our Club. One important change will be developing strong working sub-committees to address key aspects. This approach will enable more members to contribute and share the load of running the Club. If you are able to commit time, energy and imagination to help us to develop London Rowing Club then please let me or any other committee member know. In the words of John F Kennedy (almost) “Ask not what LRC can do for you, ask what you can do for LRC”.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish all members, staff and their families a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Simon Harris
Chairman, London Rowing Club

MIKE WILLIAMS HONOURED

I am sure that everyone who receives the weekly LRC news email will have seen that our Vice President and former President, Mike Williams, has been given the Distinguished Service to International Rowing Award for FISA, the governing body of World Rowing. And if you look at his career in the sport, it is not at all surprising.

Mike was a very successful Captain of the Club from 1976 to 1978, some of the Club’s best years since the glory days of the Thirties, and shortly after he stepped down, he took on the job of LRC Treasurer, skilfully steering the Club’s finances through the next 10 years (he had previously skilfully steered a winning Cambridge crew). He was then proposed for the job of Treasurer of the ARA (now British Rowing) by Peter Coni, which brought him to the attention of FISA. Peter was FISA Treasurer at the time, but with Peter’s health failing, Mike was encouraged to stand for election to the role. Sadly, Peter did not live to see Mike take over from him.

As Mike recalls, his election was a three-way affair, and he was up against two women, both six feet tall. At five foot six, it appeared that lack of height was no bar to selection, but possibly gender was!

If one thinks that handling LRC’s finances is something of a challenge, handling the ARA’s was even more so, and FISA’s, on occasions, have been really special, with the conflicting views of so many nations. Mike was elected at the Prague Congress in 1993, and was re-elected 6 times, every 4 years, serving in all for 25 years. These elections are not a matter of nodding through, and it says a lot for Mike’s competence that he held the job for so long. In the FISA hierarchy, the Treasurer often counts as second only to the President (although the Vice President might disagree), and in practice Mike was frequently called upon to deputise for the boss. He also needed to attend all the World Cup Regattas, FISA Championships and six Olympic Games, a tough job, but someone had to do it!

Besides this, he became a FISA Umpire in 1997, and was President of the Jury at the Commonwealth Championships and the FISU University Championships.

Mike has now retired from his FISA Treasurer role, but can look forward to much less travel, although he still helps out in the role of Race Controller at International regattas. However, he does have more opportunity to improve his golf handicap, which is already not too shabby. He is also stepping down from being a member of the Committee of Management of Henley, which means – more golf!

Mike Baldwin
President, London Rowing Club

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

See more detail for these events, visit our Calendar of Events…

FINAL CALL FOR CHRISTMAS SUPPER

As you may have seen from recent editions of the Weekly Brief, the Christmas Supper will be taking place next Wednesday 18th December, 7:00pm for Bubbles, Sit Down for Dinner 7:45pm. Our Long Room will be filled for an evening of drink, delicious food, singing and fun!

While most members who want to come have already booked, we are anxious not to exclude anyone who may decide they want to attend at this stage so if you happen to be in that category, please click on one of the links below. This will ask you for your name and card information for payment. Successful completion of this process is the only method to secure your place. The price per person is £38. If you are having trouble with this, please email me at kathleen.curran@londonrc.org.uk and I will make every effort to fit you in.

Members with dietary requests should please notify of those. Dress is festive, cocktail dress for women, lounge suit for men and Christmas Jumpers.

To book One Seat, please click here, for Two Seats, please click here.

Sincere thanks to the members who have donated to the event, prizes for the draw and money to pay for special touches. Thanks to Frank O’Mahony who has helped us move into modern territory with a system that costs very little money and labour.

Kathleen Curran

IRREGULARS’ REPORT

The Irregulars continue apace.

The last few days have seen a flurry of interest in our group wanting to use the gym and requesting some guidance and safety advice on how to use the equipment - mostly women members, which is impressive. This has all been engendered by our Jonny Akehurst and our Club Captain Tim Grant who has kindly stepped up to the plate and offered his help. Thanks to both.

We had a quad in the Vets Fours Head with our newly certified bowsteer, Dugald Moore, in the bow seat. This was his first race as bowsteer so many congratulations to him. The crew came 7th out of 8 - I suspect that Dugald was too polite in ensuring that he kept out of everyone’s way as he received no shouts from overtaking boats at all!! A creditable result and well done to Dugald, Matt, Keith and Jason.

*Fortunately, within a few minutes after this shot was taken, the fog lifted and the race was able to go ahead.*

Last Wednesday we had a social ‘meet the chairman’ evening, which was a great success. Approximately twenty-five attended in the Members Room – the perfect room for this number of people. Thick sandwiches, the odd cake and an honesty bar were provided and one or two members from other groups also attended.

This Sunday, the 15th, is Christmas Eights and the Irregulars are relishing the prospect of joining up with the squad and other members to participate in this great fun event.

Happy Christmas and New Year to all.

Eddie Markes

YOUNG IRREGULARS’ REPORT

Despite the dropping temperature, rowing numbers have been rising on Saturday mornings, when we have our group session, with a good few boats out each week. In addition, some of our members have made it to regular weekday sessions and we hope to keep this momentum going in 2020.

Overall we have seen the group grow over the course of the year to about 25 strong. Most recently, the group has welcomed TopRow graduates – Ali, Amy, Heather and Ana – who have very quickly settled into the group and made the LRC their home!

*Sehrish Rafique (1), Amy Hinterberger (2), Heather Hopkins(3), Minna Morgan (4).*

One of our members, Minna, is currently undergoing training to become a bowsteerer – and two of our members, Lucy and Raphael, are expecting to be signed off in the next month - which will add nicely to the Young Irregular’s list of four.

We also have a couple of members racing! At the time of writing, Edward and Raphael were training for the Sculler’s Head taking place on the weekend of the 7th December 2019 – and we wish them luck!

*Edward Cole (left), Raphael Tomi-Tricot (right).*

The Young Irregulars have enjoyed a busy few months of water sessions, gym circuits, and a good few were in attendance at the Ceilidh last month. Well done to all!

If there are any volunteers that would like to offer a session of coaching to this group, particularly with regards to sweeping and/or bowsteer training, please get in touch (kathleen.curran@londonrc.org.uk) and know that it will be gratefully received.

Once again thanks go to Tim Grant, LRC Captain, who has shown us support and to Kathleen Curran, our leader, who has been with many of us for 5 years.

Sehrish Rafique

VETERAN FOURS’ HEAD

*Vets 4s Head 2019 – ‘The Off’ – LRC take to the river.*

LRC boated eight crews for the Veteran Fours’ Head, on Sunday, the 24th November 2019. This was the second largest fleet in an entry of 200. Raced over 4 1/4 miles on a Flood Tide from the Mile Post upriver to the Chiswick Staithe (or ‘White Crane’) in Mortlake Reach, the conditions were as perfect as could be: mild and virtually no wind. The initial morning fog had dispersed sufficiently for the start on time at 8.45am. Racing was in six categories; LRC scored one 1st, one 1st = and two 2nds.

With their two wins in the Veteran Fours’ Head, the racing Masters signed off one of their most successful competitive seasons, which included wins at Henley Masters and San Diego Crew Classic, second place at the Head of the Charles and qualifying for the Thames Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.

*Crew 39, E4x (on the right) wondering how to fit 4 boats abreast under Barnes railway bridge.*

*Crew 5, B4x paddling back to LRC post race…*

Crews and full results, in start order, were:

Crew 5, Category B4x – 2nd out of 4 (Bob Silver, James Brooks, Basil Amin, Stuart Heap)

Crew 18, Category D4x – 7th out of 8 (Dugald Moore, Keith Coni, Matthew Thorogood, Jason Lalande)

Crew 28, Category C4- – 4th out of 8 (Alex Fothergill, James Young, Ciaran Hayes, Tim Senior)

Crew 31, Category C4- – 1st out of 8 (James Lindsay-Fynn, Jonty Williamson, James Brown, JP van Tiel)

Crew 34, Category C4- – 7th out of 8 (Tim Leppard, Colin Christie, Mark Boyd, Richard Hutchinson)

Crew 39, Category E4x – 13 out of 16 (Tim Hanford, Eric Moe, Andrew Boyle, Rory O’Sullivan)

Crew 73, Category C4+ – 1st out of 4 (Ralph Humphrey, Shaun Martin, Duncan McLellan, Adrian Theed, Abigail Leek (cox))

Crew 123, Category G4x – 2nd out of 6 (Mike Baldwin, Chuck Lowther, lan Foster, Patrick Harnett, Alan Foster).

*Crew 123, G4x at Barnes railway bridge.*

*Crew 39, E4x – Andrew Boyle (stroke) at full pressure.*

These Vets have shown that the competitive spirit is alive and well in the Club! Let’s build on these results and our history of past successes.

Alan Foster

FISA INTERNATIONAL ROWING TOUR

Caroline Turnbull of Wayfarers has just released details of next year’s FISA International Rowing Tour in the American Samoa, South Pacific.

There are a limited number of boats so there will be two groups: first from 5th – 13th April and second from 10th – 19th April. The two groups will come together on Samoan Flag Day, 11th April, to take part in the Fautasi Race in boats with up to 40 rowers!

Applications close on 25th January, so please don’t delay if you want a place!

Please send your forms to Wayfarers (wayfarers@aol.com) who will authorise them and forward them on to the organisers.

Full details and the application form are on the website http://www.recrowing.org.uk

Eve Hicks

TOM BROWN AT OXFORD

As a sport, rowing is reasonably well covered - I counted over fifty books on Amazon’s site. These tend mainly to be factual and dedicated to famous victories, like ‘The Boys in the Boat’ and its story of the triumphant US eight at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Or biographies of rowing personalities, like ‘More Power’, the story of Jurgen Grobler and his incredible achievements in coaching the East German and British squads.

However, rowing seems much less well served in fiction. An exception is ‘Tom Brown at Oxford’ by Thomas Hughes. Like its predecessor, ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’, which features vivid descriptions of cricket and rugby matches, Hughes writes with perception and great fondness of our wonderful sport.

Cover of 1885 Macmillan and Company edition.

Tom Brown arrives at ‘St Ambrose’s College’. The date is somewhere around the 1840s (and it is remarkable how little rowing has changed since then). Tom joins the college boat club, and after some weeks of training in pairs and fours, determines to take out a skiff by himself.

“Tom was punted across to Hall’s in a state of great content, which increased when, in answer to his casual inquiry, the managing man informed him that not a man of his college was about the place. So he ordered a skiff with as much dignity and coolness as he could command, and hastened upstairs to dress. He appeared again, carrying his boating coat and cap. They were quite new, so he would not wear them: nothing about him should betray the freshman on this day if he could help it.

“Is my skiff ready?”

“All right, sir; this way, sir,” said the manager, conducting him to a good, safe-looking craft. “Any gentleman going to steer, sir?

“No,” said Tom superciliously: “you may take out the rudder.”

“Going quite alone, sir? Better take one of our boys, I’ll find you a very light one. Here, Bill!” – and he turned to summon a juvenile waterman to take charge of our hero.

“Take out the rudder, do you hear?” interrupted Tom. “I won’t have a steerer.”

“Well, sir, as you please,” said the manager, proceeding to remove the degrading appendage. “The river’s rather high, please to remember, sir. You must mind the millstream at Iffley Lock. I suppose you can swim?”

“Yes, of course,” said Tom, settling himself on his cushion. “Now, shove her off.”

Soon:

“If any ordinary amount of bungling could have done it, Tom’s voyage would have terminated within a hundred yards of the Cherwell. Whilst he had been sitting quiet and merely paddling, and almost letting the stream carry him down, the boat had trimmed well enough; but now, taking a long breath, he leaned forward and dug his sculls into the water, pulling them through with all his strength. The consequence of this feat was that the handles of the sculls came into violent collision in the middle of the boat, the knuckles of his right hand were barked, his left scull unshipped, and the head of his skiff almost blown round by the wind before he could restore order on board.

“Never mind; try again,” thought he, after a long sensation of disgust had passed off, and a glance at the shore showed him there were no witnesses. “Of course, I forgot, one hand must go over the other. It might have happened to anyone. Let me see, which hand shall I keep uppermost: the left, that’s the weakest.” And away he went again, keeping his newly acquired fact painfully in mind, and so avoiding further collision amidships for four or five strokes. But, as in other sciences, the giving of undue prominence to one fact brings others inexorably on the head of the student to avenge his neglect of them, so it happened with Tom in his practical study of the science of rowing, that by thinking of his hands he forgot his seat, and the necessity of trimming properly. Whereupon the old tub began to rock fearfully, and the next moment he missed the water altogether with his right scull, and subsided backwards, not without struggles, into the bottom of the boat; while the half-stroke which he had pulled with left hand sent her head well into the bank.

Tom picked himself up, and settled himself on his bench again, a sadder and wiser man. The truth began to dawn on him that pulling, especially sculling, does not, like reading and writing, come by nature.’

There are many other passages like these in the book: some comic and some, like his college crew’s attempt to become head of the river, riveting.

*Drysdale’s room after a “Breakfast.” – Joe Muggles borrows Jack to “Draw a Brock”.*

If you have a favourite book that features the thrill and pleasure of being afloat, then I hope you will let us know so that we may share this with other members.

Tom Blackett

BRIAN EDWARD WILSON

The funeral of Brian Edward’s took place on the 29th November 2019 at St. Nicholas Church, Pyrford. The Club was represented at the service by John Pearson, my wife Meike and me.

Brian was born on the 29th April 1931 and died on the 31st October 2019. He was a founder member of Haberdashers’ School Rowing Club. He went to Nottingham University to study Botany, where he carried on his interest in rowing. On his arrival in London, he joined LRC and was a life-long member. He lived in the Club for a period of time. It was near there that he met Joan and they were married for nearly 60 years.

His interest in rowing led to many visits with friends over the years to Henley Regatta where they cheered on London Rowing Club and enjoyed elegant picnics. He was an active participant in organising the Metropolitan Regatta run by London Rowing Club at Dorney Lake.

Brian and Joan regularly attended the New Year’s Eve balls, Christmas and annual dinners as well as having their Golden Wedding Anniversary lunch at the Club.

Iain Laurenson

BEST WISHES FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR

Jessica Salter and I, the editing team for The London Roar, would like to take this opportunity to send everyone our very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

We had intended to include a photograph of a Christmas card but, on reflection, thought it would be more appropriate to show three shots of our fantastic Clubhouse.

How lucky we are to be able to have access to such an amazing group of elegant, historic and prestigious rooms and to enjoy such a brilliant view of the river.

A very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year to one and all.

Miles Preston
Editor of The London Roar

FIRE SAFETY, PLEASE READ!

Over the last few months the club has been reviewing fire safety in order to align with current regulations and recommendations. The following are key points for all members:

If you are the first to see a fire in the club, press the nearest break glass call point;
The sound of the fire alarm is a loud siren but may also be a shouted warning. The fire alarm system will sound automatically if it detects a fire;
If you hear the alarm, leave the building and assemble in front of the club;
Dial 999 and ask the fire brigade to attend. Tell them where the fire is. The alarm system does not alert the fire brigade automatically so you must call 999;
Do not try and put the fire out unless it is small and you feel competent to do so. There are fire extinguishers around the premises;
Do not use the lift;
If you are with someone who has a disability, make sure they exit the building safely;
Housekeeping - fire doors prevent the spread of fire. Please make sure they are not wedged open and that all fire extinguishers and exit routes are unobstructed;
If there is an event, the event staff are trained in evacuation procedures;
All residents have had personal fire safety training;
Please note there is a weekly fire alarm test on Wednesday mornings. You do not need to leave the building during a test.

Finally, any member wishing to have more information may contact Peter Halford, Shane Dorsett or Josh Mc Inerney.

Simon Harris
Chairman, London Rowing Club

REPORTING SAFETY INCIDENTS

All members are reminded that if you are involved in or witness a water safety incident, you are required to report it on safety@londonrc.org.uk

The Club will file any necessary reports on your behalf with British Rowing and the PLA. Members should not submit reports directly to either body.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this edition of the London Roar. If you have an idea for an article or would be interested in submitting a piece for inclusion in a future edition, please email me on miles.preston@londonrc.org.uk

Please do not submit an article without first liaising with me.

Miles Preston
Editor of The London Roar