(1934 – 2021)
John at Henley. (Photo: David Millbourn).
John Adrian Millbourn, who died on 10th June 2021 at the age of 87, was a member of LRC for 57 years. He was a teacher, rowing coach and administrator for the sport, amongst a wide range of interests.
His rowing career began at Cheltenham College, and following National Service with the Royal Engineers in East Africa, he went up to Trinity College, Oxford to read geography in 1954, where he was Captain of Boats. He was in the college’s First Torpid Eight in 1955, and in the college’s Summer Eight in 1955 and (see photo) 1956. He rowed in the Isis Boat in 1955-56. In 1958 he was a member of the Barn Cottage crew which won the 1958 Head of the River Race and included Christopher Davidge, Stuart Mackenzie and Sid Rand. The previous year he had joined London, having been proposed by John Pinches and seconded by Terence Boyland.
John in the 1956 Trinity College, Oxford, Summer Eight, standing at the left hand end, back row, with megaphone. (By kind permission of the college archivist).
Shortly afterwards, his work (for his father’s engineering business) took him to South Africa, but three years later he was back with his wife Sue and twins David ( George) and Anna.
A change of direction, prompted and encouraged by his friend Desmond Hill, of St Edward’s School and National Schools Regattas fame, led to a schools teaching and coaching career. He went back to Trinity College to take the Diploma in Education in 1969, and there is a record that he coached OUBC and “taught the current coach to coach”, although it is not quite clear when. His teaching career then began at Monkton Combe, and went on to embrace St. Paul’s, Emanuel and City of London. At the same time he became an indispensable part of the administration of the National Schools Championships as well as the Schools Head of the River Race.
At Emanuel he was part of a coaching team that was producing dominant crews, the success of which in no small part could be attributed to his introduction of winter 'squad' sculling training, in which he was always personally involved on the water. In 1975 he moved to City of London School, where, pretty much single-handedly, he resurrected the defunct boat club and produced competitive crews that boated from LRC.
This regular attendance at the Club made it possible for him to become firmly established in the LRC Veteran rowing squad - which included such greats as Doug Melvin, John Marsden, John Pinches and Edward Sturges. His regular partnership in a double with Dennis Mount, over many years, never failed to win a FISA international medal ! He also rowed in the Vogalonga in Venice a few times with his very good friend, Rob van Mesdag, and other LRC members.
His prowess as administrator and regatta official was recognised by HRR where he became a regular and important part of the finishing and alignment judging team. This latter continued through the 1980's and into the 1990's but his move to his beloved barn and farm in Ashmore on the Dorset/Wilts border inevitably brought an end to active competition. His sculling boat remained at the Club, though, and was taken out whenever a trip to London was possible. He was a member of the 6s & 7s Club. Eventually in 2014, upon reaching 80, he decided with great reluctance to step down from membership of LRC.
John was a good friend on whom both the sport and individual could always rely. A restlessly active man all his life! Someone of whom LRC can be rightly proud.
This obituary is largely the work of our member, Tom King. It includes some material from John’s son, David, and the archivist at Trinity College, Oxford, who have both provided photographs. The rowing website, Hear The Boat Sing, published an obituary by Robert Treharne Jones on 9th November 2021, see here.
