CLUB

Newsletter April 2011

Head of the River Race Vernon Trophy

LRC1 showing good form as they wind to the finish to take the Vernon Trophy (for clubs) for the third successive year.

Scullers’ Head of the River IMPORTANT Blackstaffe In future your newsletters Trophy will be sent to you by email - see inside (p4) for full details of what you need to do to ensure they reach you. With stunning results from the Scullers’ Head and GB trials, Stephen Feeney (here seen going afloat for the CULRC fixture) has been enjoying his winter on the water

One of the commemorative oars won by the late Robert Forbes, now beautifully restored and hanging in the Members’ Room - see p6 1 Vesta Scullers Head, 27 th November 2010 Racing results We have had quite a few near misses in recent years - th Ian Watson in 2001, James Lindsay-Fynn in 2008, and Small Boats Head, 6 November Richard Dunley in 2009 all took second place; but this year, A week before the Fours Head, the squad descended Stephen Feeney topped the lot and became the first LRC on Teddington’s curtain-raiser with three quads and seven outright winner of this event - plus the Elite Lightweight fours. In thin competition in Division 1, the club took the title - since Doug Melvin took his second title in 1958 - and first four places overall, winning both quad sculls and Doug was in John of Gaunt colours. coxless fours pennants, and ten out of the top fifteen places. So warmest congratulations to Stephen on a superb th achievement, as well as to Dominic Wilson (Im2 Lwt) and Veteran Fours Head, 13 November 2010 Alex Cawthorne (Im1 Lwt) who won their respective In a reversal of the usual order of events, this year’s categories. And there was strong support - from a total race was held on the Saturday. LRC boated two boats, a entry of 31 LRC scullers, there were three pennants, plus Masters B ; and a Masters G quad which had a five second places, and four thirds. One of those second good row to win its division. places belonged to the evergreen Martin Gaylard, now in Crew: Robin Hulf (bow), Christopher Grainger, Simon Porter, the Masters’ H division, who has competed at very nearly Mike Baldwin (str) every Scullers’ Head since the very first in 1954. Pos th Fuller’s Fours Head, 14 November Pos Name Cat Cat Time This year’s race was scheduled for the Sunday, a 1 S Feeney E Lwt 1 21:31.24 dpearture from the norm forced on the organisers by the 6 D Wilson Im2 Lwt 1 21:48.39 tide tables - a 9.30 a.m. start being the earliest thought 10 A Cawthorne Im1 Lwt 1 21:53.31 practicable with a capacity field of over 500 boats. Conditions were friendly if dull - a vast improvement over 18 R De Keizer E 4 22:01.43 the previous year’s cancellation-inducing gale. 22 S Heap Im2 Lwt 2 22:04.08 There were excellent performances from LRC1 to take 25 C Anness Im1 Lwt 2 22:07.17 third place overall, and from LRC 2 who took a good third 33 A Maitland Im1 Lwt 3 22:12.34 place in Elite coxless fours. And there were solid 36 D Loveday Im2 Lwt 3 22:18.37 performances from the two Im1 quads to win top twenty 40 M Espin Im1 2 22:22.42 places overall. 42 T Grant Im3 3 22:23.16 Pos Crew Cat Time Pos Cat 48 C Jarvis Im3 4 22:29.69 3 LRC 1 E Lwt 4x 18:23.94 2/6 54 V Giorgis Im2 Lwt 5 22:33.30 13 LRC 6 Im1 4x 18:45.33 6/46 62 M Dwan Nov 3 22:38.63 16 LRC 5 IM1 4x 18:53.58 9/46 64 C Magee Im1 Lwt 4 22:40.71 65 I Weir Im3 5 22:41.64 37 LRC 2 E 4- 19:17.28 3/15 73 S Salter Im3 Lwt 4 22:45.08 86 LRC 9 Im1 4- 19:46.51 8/46 75 C Hayes Sen 7 22:46.53 103 LRC 3 E 4- 19:52.71 10/15 76 A Murray Im2 13 22:46.85 111 LRC 8 Im1 4- 19:57.26 10/46 78 N Jorgensen Im3 6 22:47.74 128 LRC 4 E 4- 20:08.41 13/15 90 P Halford Mas D 2 22:55.94 172 LRC 10 Im2 4+ (C) 20:26.99 10/43 96 S O’Connor Im3 10 23:02.26 189 LRC 7 Im1 4- 20:32.48 25/46 107 A Calvert-Ansari Im2 8 23:07.04 240 Molesey/LRC WIm1 4x 20:54.38 8/29 115 E Gill Im1 8 23:14.44 128 M Aldred Nov 9 23:20.52 Crews: 158 N Parnell Im1 Lwt 8 23:43.15 LRC 1: Richard Dunley, Dominic Wilson, Stephen Feeney, Alex Cawthorne 164 R McGow Im2 21 23:45.13 LRC 2: Iain Weir, Edward Birrell, Marco Espin, Mark Aldred 169 C Rumboll Mas B 7 23:49.73 211 A Higgs Im3 23 24:16.67 LRC 3: Adam Wood, Richard Gilfillan, Daniel Pring, Steve O’Connor 313 N Bolsin W Im3 7 25:25.71 LRC 4: Josh McInerney, Nikolai Jorgensen, Alexander Higgs, Robbie McGow 385 M Gaylard Mas H/I(H) 2 26:54.76 LRC 5: Andrew Murray, Matthew Bell, Tim Grant, Chris Thomas 399 R Metcalf Mas D 23 27:39.65 LRC 6: Chris Anness, David Loveday, Vincent Giorgis, Stuart Heap Remenham Challenge, 16 th January LRC 7: Andrew Isaac, Matthew Coughlan, Daniel Longman, This year’s race was run on the Tideway between Alexie Calvert-Ansari Chiswick Pier and the LRC flagpole. LRC 8: Christian Knutsen, Steve Salter, Edward Gill, Charles LRC entered five squad crews, all in the elite category, Dunlop-Cunnington plus Masters B and F eights. The first came away with LRC 9: Ashley Maitland, Merlin Dwan, Henry Bennett, the Elite pennant with a six second margin over Thames A, Charlie Jarvis with second and third boats respectively 4th and 5th, less LRC 10: Matthew Hulett, George Hobson, Nicholas Parnell, than two seconds apart. Matt Poulsom, Jason Gray First eight: Richard Dunley, Richard Gilfillan, Matt Bell, Mark Molesey BC/LRC: Antonia Perlowska-Goose, Debbie Pyke, Aldred, Chris Thomas, Steve O’Connor, Stephen Feeney, Alex Eleanor Blackwell, Natasha Bolsin (LRC) Cawthorne, Jess Terrell (cox) 2 Pos Crew Elapsed time Corrected time overall in 17m 17.11s and retain the Vernon Trophy for the 1 LRC A 11:24.98 third successive year. Eighth place overall (sixth excluding 4 LRC B 11:44.60 overseas entries) is a considerable achievement for a 5 LRC C 11:46.13 mainly lightweight boat containing five oarsmen eligible for 9 LRC D 12:03.17 the Henley club events. 13 LRC E 12:20.73 However the 47 second gap back to LRC 2 in 52nd 15 LRC Masters B 12:33.95 12:27.95 place was wider than had been hoped for from an 21 LRC Masters F 13:57.91 12:46.91 experienced and talented crew. Less than half a second behind LRC 2 was LRC 4 containing some useful, mostly Quintin Eights Head, 29 th January lightweight, talent; and LRC 3 and 5 were both within This early season head, raced from the Stone at fifteen seconds of LRC 2. So some strength in depth was to Bridge, has been growing in shown, with five crews in the top hundred; but there is popularity and now attracts over 100 entries. LRC entered much work to be done to achieve real competitiveness in four boats. LRC 1 won the Senior pennant, taking second summer racing. place overall in 11:21.4, beaten only by the Cambridge Finish (Start) Crew Status Time blue boat. The club also took 8th, 14th, and 18th places. 8 (7) LRC 1 Elite 17:17.11 First eight: Ashley Maitland, Chris Anness, David Loveday, 52 (15) LRC 2 Senior 18:04.65 Stuart Heap, Richard Dunley, Alex Cawthorne, Stephen Feeney, Mark Aldred, Jess Terrell (cox) 54 (69) LRC 4 IM1 18:05.12 78 (48) LRC 3 IM2 18:16.73 Henley Fours & Eights Head, 19 th February The club took a number of fours and quads to Henley. 86 (138) LRC 5 IM1 18:18.81 In Division 1 (fours and quads), the Im2 quad stroked by 219 (157) LRC 6 IM1 19:12.06 Stuart Heap took third place overall and won its category; Crews (from bow) whilst the Im2 also won. And the senior quad LRC 1: Richard Dunley, Alex Cawthorne, Marco Espin, Tim with Stephen Feeney took second overall. Grant, Stephen Feeney, Rob Williams, James Lindsay-Fynn, In the afternoon Division, a single LRC eight raced and Mark Aldred, Jess Terrell (cox) achieved a respectable 6th out of 21 in the Im2 category. LRC 2: David Loveday, Richard Gilfillan, Chris Thomas, James th Young, Herbie Griffin, Steve O’Connor, Dan Pring, Ed Birrell, Boustead Cup, 6 March Hannah Burke (cox) This year’s match was to take place on the flood from to Mortlake, and with Thames having shown LRC 3: Josh McInerney, Danny Longman, Alexander Higgs, Nikolai Jorgensen, Kevin Du Toit, Ed Gill, Matthew Hulett, considerable promise in early season races, hopes were Merlin Dwan, Eleanor Conway (cox) high for a memorable contest. However on the morning of the fixture TRC, with no less than six of their first boat ill LRC 4: Ash Maitland, Vincent Giorgis, Dominic Wilson, or injured, asked that the match be postponed. Sadly Christian Knutsen, Chris Anness, Steven Heap, Ciaran Hayes, seasonal fixture congestion and the big volunteer effort Robbie McGow, Tim Jackson (cox) required, plus the need to obtain PLA permission, meant LRC 5: George Hobson, Steve Salter, Colin Magee, Matt that no mutually agreeable alternative could be found. In Coughlan, Nicholas Parnell, Matthew Poulsom, Joseph Calnan, the circumstances TRC decided not to contest the first Charlie Jarvis, Jason Gray (cox) eights race whose outcome alone decides the destination of LRC 6: Christopher Guest, Pedro Muller, Jon Mitchell, Bob the Cup each year. So LRC rowed over to take the trophy. Silver, Anthony Saunders, Steven Artist, Henry Bennett, Phil Lewington, Sam Hannaford (cox) The second and third eights raced, with comfortable wins for TRC in second eights, and for LRC in third eights. Vesta Veterans International Head of the rd Women’s Eights Head, 19 th March River Race, 3 April This year’s event attracted an entry of more than 200, filled the 2 seat in a seven-club mostly and was rowed on a perfect spring morning, with warm GB squad composite stroked by Kath Grainger and also th sunshine and light breezes. A 9am start, however, on the containing LRC social member Elise Sherwell. Starting 214 tail of the ebb tide, was bit too close to low water for may not have been ideal, but the crew had a good row to there to be much hope of fast times. And quite a few finish second behind the all-GB Leander crew which had led strangers to the Tideway found out just how hazardous it the race off - and which came close to the course record. can be landing at the bottom of the tide. nd The , 2 April LRC entered two crews, one of relative juveniles, the A bright, warm afternoon, with an appreciable south- other of relative ancients, and both performed with westerly breeze providing a tailwind for half the course, competence but no particular distinction. Pedro Muller and and a reasonable stream made for fast and friendly Bob Silver are to be congratulated on having completed the conditions. The Club boated six eights, the top five being course twice in two days and retaining a sense of humour. “squad” crews stiffened by our internationals and triallists; Finish (Start) Crew Time Pos in cat the sixth being in the main those slightly older oarsmen who no longer have the time and/or energy to put in the 41 (26) LRC Masters B 20:42.03 15/33 training required to be wholly competitive these days. 111 (148) LRC Masters F 22:08.34 9/15 LRC 1 were missing (taking an enforced LRC Masters B: Bob Silver, Andy Murray, Mark Trevarthen, sabbatical due to injury), but could still muster two Antoine Lejeune, Ryan Lindstrom, Eric Den Besten, Pedro lightweight World champions, the top lightweight from this Muller, Ed Hillyard, Eleanor Conway (cox) year’s trials and winner of the Scullers’ Head, plus a Goldie LRC Masters F: Robin Hulf, Jeremy Hudson, Simon Porter, cap and four Henley finalists. So it was no great surprise Stuart Suckling, Simon Barker, Alan Foster, Christopher that they put in an excellent performance to finish eighth Grainger, Mike Baldwin, Eleanor Garrett (lent by TRC, cox) 3 The Newsletter - Important

It is intended that this should be the last edition of LRC’s newsletter to be printed commercially and sent to you by post in the usual way. The plan is to distribute it by email in future, and to make it available to members to read online or to download from the Club’s website. This will save the Club a considerable sum in printing, postage (which has just risen again), and stationery costs, and this in turn helps the Club to focus as much as possible of its resources on rowing. There are other advantages. We shall be able to make more use of colour images, and use a more flexible format. We will eliminate a portion of the time (about a fortnight on average) which now elapses between an edition leaving the Editor’s computer and arriving in your letterbox, and it will save the Hon Secretary the business of recruiting a team of volunteers to carry out the necessary stuffing and stamping exercise. Newsletters will be in portable document format (pdf), opening with Adobe Acrobat Reader (universally available free), and you will be able to print your own copy at home if you so choose. If all this fills you with alarm and despondency because you are not online - possibly you have no intention of ever acquiring a computer and undertaking the immense fag of learning its foibles and those of the Internet - please do not despair. We will produce a small number of printed copies to send to any genuinely technophobic member who wishes to continue to receive one. Please call the office or write and let us know if this is the case.

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In the LW4x, Steph Cullen and Laura Greenhalgh were International rowing in contention at halfway but could not make enough of an impression on the Chinese in third to climb into the medal World Championships, , New places. Zealand, 29 th October - 7 th November In the LW2x Sophie Hosking with Hester Goodsell met decidedly choppy conditions and trailed Germany and The LM4 with Rob Williams at 3 reached its final having Canada off the start. At halfway four seconds covered the won both heat and semi in some very close racing. Having field and they moved up into fourth; but in the last quarter been within a half second of the lead, and having started the Australians got past to leave GB in fifth place. to raise their rate at 1200m, GB hit the front with 500 to go. The last 200 was agonising to watch as Australia and Despite the disappointments (the M4- was a notable Germany attacked; and China, moving appreciably fastest, casualty along with the LW2x) this was the best pipped the Germans to take bronze a mere 1/100 th behind performance ever produced by a GB team; and we should Australia. GB’s winning margin was 7/100 ths . celebrate our athletes’ performance. Every LRC athlete reached their final, and we send our congratulations and With the return of Debbie Flood and Frances best wishes for the future. Houghton, Annie Vernon took over the stroke seat in the GB W4x. In the final GB lined up alongside the Ukrainian world GB Trials, 3 rd Assessment, 12 th February champions who started fast to lead by half a length at 500. With a dubious weather forecast for the scheduled From then, GB reeled them in to row through Ukraine second day, these trials were compressed by combining shortly after halfway, and continued to build their lead all open and lightweights. Stephen Feeney excelled, the only the way to the line. lightweight to force his way into the A final of the men’s The GB M8 with James Clarke at 2 had been improving singles where he was up against the cream of GB all year and hopes were high that they might upset the heavyweight sculling talent. German favourites. In the event the Germans got out very In the women’s event, Sophie Hosking took fifth place fast and managed to hang on while Australia and GB closed in the B final to be fastest lightweight woman. the gap. GB got past the Australians in the last 500 but at th the line the Germans still had 0.6 sec in hand. GB were GB Senior Trials (by invitation), Dorney, 16 - coxed by Phelan Hill who remains a LRC member despite 18 th April frequenting the Pink Palace these days. The following eight athletes have been invited to take Bill Lucas in the M4x was part of the first GB crew to part: Alex Cawthorne, Steph Cullen, Richard Dunley, reach a World final in this discipline since 1982. They Stephen Feeney, Stuart Heap, Sophie Hosking, Bill Lucas, fought bravely to stay in contention, and were still in touch . These trials take place as this edition goes with 500 to go, but although they moved up from sixth t o fifth, to press, and we’ll report on their progress next time. In they yielded further ground to the leaders during the r un in. the meantime congratulations and good luck to all eight. 4 needed good internationals and was prepared to invest in Foreign adventures the coaching and other skills that clubs needed to produce them, as it had with London. It was for clubs like London to Splashes and Crashes in Boston, MA provide, as a mixed club, athletes’ aspirational needs It was a happy and expectant crew of 9 x Vets (@60.3 supported by a strong history. Steve O’Connor, in a speech years) who formed up at Boston University on a sunny, of reasonably modest length, summarised the past season breezy Friday morning, 22 October 2010. If there was any and its successes and listed his plans for the months ahead, trepidation about it may have been from those who had not announcing that a firm order had been placed for an tackled the Head of the Charles before, but equally it may Empacher heavyweight VIII. In a bid to shorten the number have been from those who had. “Weeks Bridge” seemed to of speeches and as an innovation, Steve also proposed the be an ogre to be conquered, mounted or just generally health of the Club’s guests at the dinner. avoided. Superbly boated by the University (brand new The proceedings were rounded off by an entertaining Vespoli etc), we checked out the course from Start (by the reply on behalf of the guests by Jonathan Steel, President boathouse) to the Finish. The stiff head wind tested our of Remenham Club. He reminded us that he used to be a jet-lagged muscles and seemed to be strengthening all the member of the club in the 1960s/70s before migrating up time. This was amply confirmed after our return to the to Molesey BC, and recalled stories and encounters with Charles River Basin as we practised the warm up and Peter Coni and George Plumtree. The greatest surprise of marshalling below the Start. The “breeze” was now flicking all, however, was when he picked out of his pocket a large white horses into cox’s face and making the river akin to whipped tea. However any worries about the rowability were unfounded as by 9.28 the next day the sun was out and the breeze was just (!) a gentle head wind. Starting off No 36 out of 40 in the 'Senior-Master Men's Eights 50+’ section, we steadily crept up on No 35. Their evasive and erratic steering was to no avail and we made a very positive bump on them by about the 2½ mile mark (- isn’t that what you are supposed to do?). Having re-started key which, for reasons unknown, Tom Phelps (the Club’s from a dead stop we then had an interesting clash of then much respected waterman) had presented to him on blades with No 40 before leaving a peaceful river behind us his 21st birthday at a party in the same room. This turned to the Finish. The result: we held our position. It was out to be the key of the original boathouse which the Club pleasing to see that No 35 received a 1 min penalty for built and used between 1856 and 1870, before the their antics. The general consensus (when we could clubhouse premises were constructed. Presumably the key actually draw breath and speak again) was “Better row had been kept by successive watermen in the workshop. It than last time.” “Was the rating really 36 all the way? was duly formally handed over, or ‘returned’, to the (Answer no, 28½ - 29, with bursts of 31)”, or at the jovial grateful Club members and space will now be found to party later that evening, “I really needed that 2 hour sleep display it in the clubhouse. this afternoon.” Crew: Robin Hulf (bow), Andrew Keat, Patrick Wilson, Jeremy Hudson, Stuart Suckling, Bill Lewis, Simon Porter, Alan Foster MET helpers wanted (stroke), Julie Campbell (cox) As ever, the Met - scheduled for 4th and 5th June - needs your help. Last year’s regatta was the biggest and Annual Dinner best yet; among the biggest and best regattas in the country in fact. This year’s Annual Dinner was held once again at its now customary venue of the clubhouse, on 28 th January. Get in touch with Jasmine Calvert-Ansari (email: Silver trophies on the top table comprised the Princess [email protected]) if you can give us all or part of Grace Challenge Cup, the Vernon Trophy, and the handsome either or both days - we look forward to seeing you there. Horton Cup from the Met Regatta. On Steve Feeney’s table was the formidable Blackstaffe Scullers’ Head Trophy, Casamajor which graced a annual dinner for the first time for some 50 years. Altogether 91 attended the We have been trying to track down the original design occasion and once again it was good to see so many of the drawings of the launch “Casamajor” which seem to be current squad present. missing from the Club’s archives. If any Member knows of The proceedings started with the unveiling of the their whereabouts, we’d love to know. And if anyone has a latest names for 2009 and 2010 on the international copy of them, we’d be most grateful if they could get in honours board. It was a pity that training commitments touch. Contact Ben Helm c/o the club. only allowed James Clarke and Steph Cullen to represent our current group of international representatives on the evening. Casamajor Club David Tanner CBE, in his capacity as Performance Director of the sport’s governing body , was Recent winners once again invited to propose the health of the Club. David October: J Mamak, A M Ivey, H J H Wheare (who is also of course a longstanding member of the Club) November: T G H Foster, J C R Hudson, G B Chichester emphasised how important it was for internationals to December: V Chichester, S J L Wright, A C Poynter enjoy their own clubs’ support and to encourage athletes December Star Prize: T Leek to ‘grow’ to top level. He cited as examples the careers of Feeney, Clarke, Cullen, Hosking and Williams amongst January: P A H Fitzwilliam, P A Rayner, D G Ainslie. others, of all of whom LRC could be proud. British Rowing February: J T Evans, S S Newman, J Clarke. 5 medals, kept carefully in storage since he passed away in Congratulations 1988, have been presented – his 1931 Grand and Steward and 1933 Grand medals (with boxes) and the Wingfields ...to Simon Barker Q.C. on his appointment by HM the Sculls medal and clasps he won in 1948 and 1949 (also in Queen to be a Specialist Chancery Circuit Judge assigned to their box). the Midland Circuit with effect from 27th October 2010. Simon was called to the Bar in 1979 and took silk in 2008. He was appointed an Assistant Recorder in 1995, and a Recorder in 2000. He still sculls regularly and was part of the Masters F crew in the Vesta Veterans Head. ...to James Lindsay-Fynn on being appointed to be a member of the FISA Athletes’ Commission; which, through its Chairman, is represented on the FISA Council. ...to David Hosking , skipper of Team Hallin, on rowing across the Atlantic in the world record time of 31 days, 23 hours, and 31 minutes. You can read more about this at: www.teamhallin.co.uk The Club’s collections As many members will be aware, the Club is very lucky to have a fine collection of trophies, artefacts, decorated oars, paintings, shields etc plus extensive archives. This is doubtless something that comes with age, but we are fortunate to have had, too, in the past a coterie of members who are interested in maintaining the history at large and acquiring objects to illustrate it. Farn Carpmael’s medal and clasps The collection continues to grow and the last several months have seen some important acquisitions. First, as reported elsewhere in this newsletter, the key to the The Club is always glad to receive any trophies and original boathouse used from 1856 to 1870 (on the site of medals for its collection. Sometimes these come up on E- the present clubhouse) has returned to its rightful home, Bay and recently we were able to purchase a plated tea after an absence of several decades, an artefact if there caddy awarded to a crew member of the winning trial ever was one. Secondly, the four 1930s blades won by R J D eights crew in 1865. At times however the prices on E-Bay Forbes, donated by him shortly before he died in 2008, are simply well beyond our reach. have been beautifully restored and put up in the Members’ If any member would like to inspect the latest Room, where they look very fine – a project financed by additions to the collection, please contact the Archivist and the 6s & 7s Club. Librarian, Julian Ebsworth, via the office.

Obituary

William (“Bill”) Thomas Robertson, CBE, MC Bill Robertson, who passed away in Canberra on 2nd January at the age of 93, was the last surviving pre-World War II Henley medal-winning member of the Club, and Vice-Captain in the first full season after the ending of hostilities. He was elected an Honorary Member in 2003. Away from the river, he saw distinguished military service and after the War was instrumental in the re-establishment and running of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS). Bill Robertson was born in Melbourne in 1917, the fourth generation of a family that had emigrated from Thirdly, another item to ‘come home’ is the 1978 Head Scotland to Van Diemen’s Land (as Tasmania then was) in shield from the HORR which has been mounted on oak, 1820, later moving to Victoria. His father, William St signwritten with the crew’s and the coach, Ron Needs’, Leonard Robertson, was also a London member who rowed names, and installed in the Fairbairn Room. Fourthly, and at Henley in the Grand and Stewards in 1886 (a splendid not least, a very special trophy is an inscribed silver-plated photograph of his fathers Stewards’crew with steam tankard awarded to J Paine, a member of the Argonaut umpire’s launch in attendance is reproduced in the Club crew which won the in 1856 (the history on p. 110). Bill attended Melbourne Grammar club had only just been formed in the Spring that year and School where he remembered the visit by the unbeaten were unable to compete as ‘London’ under Henley rules); LRC crew in 1934, making detailed notes of its Fairbairn this tankard therefore becomes the oldest trophy to be style which he retained in his family papers. He then awarded to a London member. Lastly, Farn Carpmael’s followed both his father and grandfather (who were both 6 Oxford blues, in 1886 and 1861 respectively) to Wadham 18th January (on line) - set out vividly the fraught political College, Oxford, where he was captain of boats. He joined climate in which he worked at the hands of the Prime LRC in 1937 in order to row in the vacations. Minister, Gough Whitlam, at the end of his career. He was Bill’s Wyfolds win was in 1938 – a hat-trick for the Club advanced to CBE following his retirement in 1975. in that event, and a year in which the Club also won the Robertson remained an Abroad, or Overseas, member Grand (the last ‘club’ crew to do so) and reached the final throughout the last 64 years. He retained a keen interest in of the Thames Cup. The IV comprised two Australians and what was going on at LRC, and paid regular visits to the UK a Rhodesian (all up at Oxford) plus the Captain, A B until quite recently. He kept meticulous records. Election (Arthur) Fraser, who had modestly decided to relegate as an Honorary Member gave him particular pleasure, and himself from more senior crews. They only started training, he was delighted by the return visits at the time of two LRC all on the river, some time after the end of the university squads to Melbourne, and later a courtesy call to his home spring term. Robertson rowed at 2. They had four races, by the 2004 captain, Mark Watkin. He marvelled at the three being comfortable wins including the final, but their training programmes inflicted upon today’s squad semi-final against Clifton RC by 4 feet was a much closer members. Having learnt about the Fairbairn style from affair. The Times described the IV as being “in its class just London in 1934 he was quietly pleased that, 70 to 75 years as outstanding as Leander in the Stewards’ Cup”. Three of on, the Club should have come full circle and recruited two the four crew members, including Robertson, entered the Australian coaches in Paul Reedy and Phil Bourguignon. Wyfolds again in 1939 but were beaten by Tigre BC, of the Argentine, in the first round. Hostilities then intervened, Robertson returning to John Michael Page, MC Australia to be commissioned with the 2/8th Australian Infantry Battalion. He saw service with the 6th Division in ‘Mike’ Page, who died on 24th October some three the Western Desert, where he was severely injured in weeks before his 94th birthday, did not join the Club until Tobruk, but was later able to rejoin his battalion as a he was 65 as part of the Far East contingent, but was a company commander in northern Greece just as the main keen oarsman throughout his life. Born in 1916, he went to German attack began in 1941. He took part in heavy Oundle School and then went up to Trinity Hall – both, as it fighting near the Yugoslavian border during the battle of happens, alma maters of our President , Mike Williams – in Veve Pass, as a result of which he was awarded the Military 1935. He was in the Hall’s Mays 3rd boat in 1936 and only Cross. The company embarked upon the last ship out of missed his oars when overlapping in the Plough Reach as Kalamata but the vessel was sunk by a German bomber and the coach had lost his whistle! He had no better luck in the Robertson was picked up by a British destroyer. After 1st Lent boat in 1937, being robbed of his oars on the first service in New Guinea, when he took part in the Papua night. campaign and was mentioned in despatches, he was In 1939 Mike joined the Honourable Artillery Company seconded to the British Army and took part in the and served with them through North Africa, the Sicily Normandy campaign, being appointed OBE (Mil) at the end Landings and the ‘Gothic Line’ where he was awarded his of the war and awarded the Légion d’Honneur in 2004. MC in 1944 during the attack on the village of Pideura, near Robertson was posted to Australia House in London in Faenza. On demobilisation he joined ICI Dyestuffs Division 1945, which enabled him to continue his rowing at the which posted him to India in 1948, where he worked in Club; he was elected Vice-Captain for the season and Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi. Whilst in Calcutta he joined rowed at 2 in the Grand crew at Henley in 1946. Such were Calcutta RC, when he won the All India Rowing Pairs and the privations of the day that the crew’s ‘Henley House’ was elected Captain. was a tent near Remenham Church, where they had to Mike returned to the UK in the mid-1950s and endure a violent thunderstorm the night before their first continued his executive career in textiles and later the Red round race; the race was lost, and with it the end of his Cross. In 1982 he was encouraged to join LRC by Mike campaign at Henley. Odling, a friend and former work colleague, and Iain In 1950 Robertson’s career took on a completely Laurenson, becoming a staunch supporter of the annual different turn when he was invited to join what was to Curry Cup race before moving to the West Country in the become the ASIS; this meant returning to the UK to study mid-1990s. He was very keen to participate in the Calcutta the intelligence role of MI6, and renewing friendships at RC’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2008 until ill health the Club. Obituaries for Robertson in The Daily Telegraph prevented him from travelling. Iain Laurenson says that he on 14th January - and to a lesser extent in The Times on will remember Mike as “a neat oar and a great gentleman”. 7 Rob Williams, with , and Chris Bartley crossing the line to take gold in the LM4- final at the Worlds in Karapiro - as seen by the photo-finish camera

James Clarke and Steph Cullen Mike Williams David Tanner with updated Honours Board Steve O’Connor Jonathan Steele

The LRC Senior Masters 50+ enjoying a sunny fall day in Boston at the Head of the Charles

Thanks to Iain Weir, Mark Ruscoe, British Rowing, Christopher Grainger, Anthony Jones for photographs

LONDON ROWING CLUB Embankment, Putney, London SW15 1LB Office: (020) 8788 1400 (answering machine) Club: (020) 8788 0666 Fax: (020) 8788 8643 Email: [email protected] Web: www.londonrc.org.uk House Manager mobile: 07976 671398

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