Tony died on 11th May 2019 aged 88, at home, at the end of a long illness throughout which he demonstrated the same fortitude for which he was well known at LRC.
His rowing days began ‘up river’ at Reading and his prowess in the Autumnal Long Distance Sculling races was to prompt me to persuade him that he should come to LRC where we had a successful group of Veteran competitors.
Despite the problems associated with the necessary commuting, he enthusiastically decamped and for the next decade (largely the 80’s) he was to become a regular, wholly committed member of numerous Veteran crews, embracing VIII’s, IV’s and various sculls.
He became a very important part of the Four which was to win numerous National Champs medals, Tideway and upriver Regatta Cups and back to back ‘Fuller’s’ HoR Veteran Fours’ Pennants!
This same crew went on to win FISA medals in Prague (then still behind the ‘Iron Curtain’) in 1983 and Sweden in 1987. Tony was an ever present member of that crew drawn from Tom King, Richard Linning, Lea Mariner and Simon Rippon.
His illustrious CV also included innumerable wins at the National Vets Championships in IV’s and VIII’s as well as Veteran Pennants in the Tideway HoR – and, in the later introduced Vesta Veterans Head. He also crewed in the VIII which won a tough Boustead Cup race against its TRC counterpart.
Crews from LRC regularly made the pilgrimage to the Veteran regatta run annually in Amsterdam at the deHoop Club, and Tony competed in the year that LRC won the ‘Victor Ludorum’ Trophy.
Whatever the crew or event, Tony was a wholly committed and fearsome competitor – someone you would always want in your crew! Off the water he was equally good company and we enjoyed the social aspects of our many trips – especially the Continental forays.
His switched allegiance from ‘up river’ to the Tideway was also to reward him with a much greater prize when he met, and later, married Jean Rankine, a fellow ‘oarsperson’ from TRC!! A union made in and blessed by ‘Tideway Water’!
So!, Tony Hall, as we enjoined many times
‘Et Vous Pret’ - - - !?!
- and thanks for the memories of, as Steve would commend – Jolly Boating!
Tony Hall’s funeral service is to take place at Mortlake Crematorium at 2:00pm on Wednesday, June 19th.
Dr. Thomas King
