Contents The Cover Editorial Front 4 A Balancing Act Julian Bewick The Queen's Row Barge carried the Olympic 5 The Show Must Go On Matt Wells flame from Hampton Court for the Olympic Occasional Notes Opening Ceremony. 5 Bluefriars Dinner 5 The Boat Club appeal Inside front London 2012 During the barge's various appearances, its 6 Olympic Thank You Alex Partridge crew included three Monktonian Olympians - 9 Bitter Sweet Symphony Matt Wells Mike Lapage (1948), Rowley Douglas (2000) 10 Four Encounters Mike Lapage and Steve Williams (2004, 2008). 11 The Olympic Rowing Lake Mike Lapage, aged 88, who lives in Tavistock carried the Flame through St Austell John Langfield on 19 May 2012. 12 Hockey and Rugby Andrew Tapley From LOCOG Website: Michael Lapage is 12 Light at the end of the Tunnel an inspirational Olympian having competed in Tanya Ross the 1948 Olympic Games which was the first 13 Reflections from Weymouth Games after World War II, with very little support Peter Dixon or resource to do so. Michael was born at 14 Paralympic Commentary Shaftesbury, Dorset and after the war [he] was at Cambridge University and was a member of the Rhiannon Jones winning Cambridge boat in the 1948 Boat Race. 15 View From Above Julian Bewick He was a member of the British boat which won Articles the silver medal rowing at the 1948 Summer 15 News from the Itchen Toby Johnson Olympics in the men's eights. At the 1950 British 15 Who'd be a Coach? Chris Brown Empire Games he won the bronze medal as part 16 Boomerang Boots Alex Manley of the English boat in the eights competition. 17 Bluefriars Head Race Julian Bewick Michael became a Christian missionary and was ordained in Kenya in 1961. 18 Good Morning Vietnam Henry Kane 19 Thoughts from the Landing Stage Inside back Mike Lawrence The GB VIII: Bronze Medal London 2012. 19 Update from Dundas Mike Smith Bow:Alex Partridge. MCSBC 21 All Change Back 21 Andy Groves Mike Smith The Monkton IV: Bronze Medal National 21 Matthew Wells Schools Regatta. Bow: Rostick Zakharov, Sam 22 1st Four Josh Stupples Fawcett, Josh Stupples, Str: Mike Lawrence, Cox: James Dodd, Coach: Ben Tipney 23 1st Eight at HRR Josh Stupples 24 Girls' Rowing Roisin Cogan 25 J16 Boys Alex Leflaive-Manley Editor Julian Bewick 26 J15 Boys Zoë Patterson Assistant Editor Robin Harris 27 J15 Eight and Four Chris Fry Cover Design Joe Short (1st VIII 1990) 28 Novices to NSR Max Leflaive-Manley Printer Ralph Allen Press 30 J14 Boys Guy Hooper 3 A Balancing Act and happy enterprise. All members of the crew, including the coach, learn over a period of time Who did you support at the Olympics? to depend on each other. Supporters who are not Was it team GB, or rowing team GB or a members of the crew can certainly encourage it, particular crew or a particular athlete? either just by being there or perhaps by I enjoyed coaching the J16 VIII while we contributing some practical help - food, transport, were in France on training camp. During those etc., but they remain outside what is essentially a few days, I got to know the crew quite well. A closed group - the rowing crew. couple of weeks later, the crew was once again In some sports, the success of the team under the watchful eye of their regular coach, hinges on its strongest member, and at the end and they represented our region at the Junior of the game a 'man of the match' is announced. Inter-Regional Regatta. Two or three other That is almost unthinkable in rowing; every Monkton crews had also been selected. I was no member of the crew plays an important part, longer coaching, so I had no obligation to go all ensuring that all are 'strongest links'. the way to Nottingham to support. If I was going So we can support a crew in one of several to go, would it be to support the region, the ways. Our support of an individual must be to School, MCSBC or the crew I had coached? help that athlete to be a loyal and effective For me the answer was quite clear - I went member of the crew. If we have followed the to support the crew that I had helped out in progress of a crew through a season (or more), France, because in a sense I was part of it. Of we can perhaps claim to be part of it - even if at course I watched the other crews racing as well, a distance, and we can contribute a little to the but as an outsider without such a personal spirit on which it depends. We join a small band interest in their results. of what we might call 'friends and family' I have no doubt that the manager of the supporters, a group recognised at the Olympics. regional team was interested in how all the The vast majority of GB supporters sat on the region's crews performed; the Director of Rowing other side of the course; their contribution would have been interested in the performance became known as the 'Dorney Roar', which was of the Monkton crews as a whole; the parents certainly important and uplifting to the racing who drove all the way to Nottingham would have crews. The great crowd from many nations gone to support individual athletes. shouted for each and every crew as it came So , what about the Olympics? Many of us down the course. Was it support, or was it mostly were enthralled by superb performances by excitement at seeing close racing? teams and individuals, and took pride in results Many were proud of the achievement of obtained by Team GB. But who did we support? I Team GB as a whole. Members of the team, who had coached Alex Partridge in his early days at had worked for four years, eight years or even Monkton, and remember him winning a medal at longer can look back on 2012 with a genuine the National Championships in a pair with John sense of achievement. Those who watched from Mildinhall; then there were World Junior outside the team were just spectators. Championships at Lintz and Plovdiv, followed Monkton is not Team GB, but there are later by Olympics in Beijing. John joined me at parallels. The individual is important; the crew or Dorney to support his old crewmate Alex, and we squad is a group of people who depend on each sat with his parents for the race. other; the individual who chooses to be part of it So my support of team GB was incidental. surrenders some freedoms, but gains much in People are more important than teams. return; crew and club spirit are essential, and are Does that leave the crew and team out in the built over a period of time. The support of the cold, then? Not at all. wider school community helps the club, its crews By undergoing appropriate training, a crew and its members, and in their turn they can make becomes fit and competent; also 'crew spirit' is their contribution to the success of the school. built up. This is a vital ingredient for a successful Julian Bewick 4 The Show Must Go On at school from the mouths of past school heroes Using the words of the late great Freddie is truly inspirational to a kid growing up. To hear Mercury, the show certainly must go on, and with how you made successes of yourselves in your the smoke just starting to clear from Olympic and chosen career paths is information which no Paralympic flame leaving the embers of the most career advisor can ever give. successful British team at the Olympic Games Although I haven't started in the role yet, I ever. History has been made in London but that have been made to feel very welcome and I look is all it is - history, and now we need to move to forward to meeting everyone of you. Please feel the future. The Olympic flag has been passed on free to contact me at any time to discuss the to Rio de Janeiro and the change has started. future of the club and if you are able to help in Where is the next Steve Williams, Alex Partridge anyway. or Rowley Douglas? But on the note I started I will finish: the I have forged my way through international show must go on and in the not too distant future sport, sharing the experience with others; I feel I we'll all be singing 'we are the Champions'. am ready to take on a new challenge. The motto Here is to Monkton and Bluefriars for the of the 2012 Olympic Games was 'Inspire a future! nation'. For me the past few weeks have inspired Matt Wells me to want to transfer some of the enjoyment and success I have had in my sport for the past twenty years on to the next generation. Whilst growing up I was told by both my parents who had careers in education that I Occasional Notes should find another occupation as academia isn't what everyone says about the long holidays. Also while I was competing I always said to Bluefriars Dinner myself that when I finish I will have another About 50 people attended a dinner at career away from sport. Unfortunately following Leander Club in April 2012. Guests included an immense amount of career advice I have relatives of the late John Chaplin (Captain of returned to one of the most challenging roles I Boats in 1952, when the 1st VIII became the only could possibly have chosen to do.