Doug Melvin (1928-2021)
A tribute by the President, Mike Baldwin
Doug, a much cherished, respected and highly regarded member, who rose to the highest offices in the Club after a national and international career as a sculler, oarsman and coach, passed away on 5th May at the age of 92.
Champion of the Lune
The story of how Doug came to join London in the 1950s is by no means the traditional one, and the path he followed was very much one carved out by himself. He was born in 1928 in Lancaster, weighing in at a mighty 13lbs. His father, who hailed from County Mayo in Ireland, had served in the First World War, settling in Lancaster in a district called Skerton; the family lived 100 yards from the John O’Gaunt RC clubhouse on the River Lune. As a teenager during WWII, Doug was intrigued by the rowing scene and asked if he could join up and have a go in a sculling boat. Self-taught, he found he had a natural talent for the sport, won his first trophy on the Lune in 1946, and was ambitious to progress.
Doug in his early twenties on the River Lune.
Having left school at the age of 14, he qualified as a journeyman electrician. One of his assignments with the NWEB was to call one day at nearby Hornby Castle, owned by a local and well-connected benefactor, Sir Harold Parkinson, in order to instal electric lighting for the drive. He was introduced by a colleague as ‘The Champion of the Lune’, and when hearing of Doug’s aspirations as a sculler Sir Harold offered to introduce him to rowing contacts in the south and to facilitate employment with the London Electricity Board. Trial entries to Reading and Marlow regattas followed, which confirmed Doug’s potential. Doug had married Betty in 1952 and along with 6-month old Janet the young family moved down to 56 Lacy Road, Putney, later on in 1953. His sculling boat is said to have come down on the roof of Sir Harold’s Rolls-Royce, but the story may be apocryphal.
The sculler on the Tideway
Doug started training with Eric Phelps, member of the famous Phelps clan, a leading sculling coach of the day, coach at London, and relative of Tom, the Club’s long-serving boatman and waterman. He was given time off by the LEB at lunchtimes to train on the river. In due course, Eric recommended to Doug that he should join London, where he was told all the ‘big boys’ in the sculling world belonged. He did so in early 1955, being proposed by Tony Fox and seconded by Farn Carpmael. He became a Life member in 1957.
Doug made an immediate impact. Initially, Doug was puzzled, if not amused, on stepping into a four for an outing with Farn and Bobby Carpmael and Edward Sturges, how Bobby addressed his father as “Pater” and wondered what sort of fraternity he had joined. Doug made his mark stroking the Club’s elite Scullers’ VIII – with Farn at 7, Fox at 6, John Marsden at 5, Sturges at 4, his long-time friend Graham Beech at 3, and John Pinches at bow. (The 2 seat was filled variously by Rob van Mesdag and others.) The cream of London’s sculling luminaries. The cox was Michael Howard-Johnson. One year they beat the club’s first VIII in the HORR, and decided to quickly rack their boat and make themselves scarce.
Doug’s record for the next five years, for someone so new to the Tideway, was impressive. After two years coming second to Tony Fox in the Scullers’ Head he won the event in 1957 and 1958. He won the Wingfield Sculls in 1955 and 1958. He competed in the Diamonds in 1954 and 1955 and in the Double Sculls with John Marsden in 1956 (losing in the final) and with Graham Beech in 1958. (In most but not all of these races he was in John O’Gaunt colours.) He represented GB in the M1x at the European Championships in Ghent in 1955. He was chosen to be spare man for the GB team at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956 but in an unforgivable episode the ARA withdrew his name, in favour of a university man, after his boat and blades had already been shipped to Australia. Undaunted, this did not stop Doug from borrowing a boat and winning the inaugural Weybridge Silver Sculls a few weeks later. In 1960 he decided to retire from competitive sculling to concentrate on his career, two sons John and Simon arriving around this time to increase the size of the family.
The coach and selector
But Doug could not be separated from the river and the sport which he so much enjoyed. He became an ARA selector in the 1960s after the defenestration of the entire ARA board at the prompting of leading clubs (including LRC). Above all, he became a successful and respected coach, preferring to operate from his sculling boat as much as he could; not for him tin fish. Some of those who benefited have written notes of appreciation which are summarised in an addendum. Highlights were the National Provincial Bank success in the Thames Cup in1962, and Bob Prentice’s and Martin Spencer’s Double Sculls win in 1976 at Henley. Undoubtedly though the success that gave him the greatest satisfaction and pride was his elder son John’s silver medal in the LM1x at the World Championships in Duisburg in 1983. His son Simon was also a GB lightweight representative on four occasions between 1983 and 1991. When time permitted, Doug took part later on in Veteran rowing with some success, winning his last pot in 2003 at the age of 75.
Doug competing in the Head of the Charles in Boston, Mass., in 1998, aged 70.
D V Melvin & Co
Doug started his own firm of electrical contractors in February 1960, and it was well established by the 1970s. He had become increasingly disillusioned and frustrated by the unions’ hold on his work with the LEB and decided to take the bold step of breaking out on his own. At one time he employed some 10 staff. It was a true ‘family’ business at 275 Putney Bridge Road, with at times a ‘full house’ of Melvins all working away together front of house. Doug and his firm would willingly assist when required at the clubhouse, and he was the expert on the building’s voluminous wiring.
With his growing family Lacy Road became too small and it was as a result of a conversation with a member at the LRC bar that he was able to purchase 47 Hotham Road. So the club was able to do him a good turn, and this started off a small pocket of Putney real estate in the vicinity which was (and still is) owned and occupied by the Melvin tribe.
London Rowing Club
Doug rose up through the ranks at the Club. He never became Captain but served on the Committee and was influential behind the scenes. He was elected a Vice President in 1989, serving for 11 years before becoming President in succession to Jack Ormiston. Doug never sought the limelight and considered someone younger should be in post when the preparations for the 150th anniversary and Prince Philip’s visit were being made. In fact he confessed to losing sleep at night at the prospect of being the host in 2006, and accordingly stepped down beforehand, handing over to Mike Williams. He resumed as a Vice-President for some years afterwards into his early 80s. He had always kept both a sculling boat and a double in the boathouse; the latter was acquired by the Irregulars, who wittily re-named it Scullduggery.
Other positions
Doug was President of the Met from 1994, when he succeeded Peter Coni, until 2007. One of his contributions was to construct the novel traffic light starting system used first at the Royal Docks. He was President of his old club, John O’Gaunt, for very many years.
Doug at the 2010 Wingfields race (Photo: Tim Koch).
Doug filled the post of Honorary Secretary of the Wingfield Sculls race for 27 years until 1997. Wade Hall-Craggs, his successor, has told us that Doug steered the amateur event through difficult times when more and more competitors were seemingly taking on an almost semi-professional status. Through quiet consultation he was able to find suitable scullers to enter the race every year. Wade said he was truly committed, set high standards, had a deft personal touch, and kept the event alive.
Doug Melvin the friend of many and the family man
The abiding memory of Doug will be of a steadfast and true gentleman, a charismatic leader, to add to his earlier skills as competitor and coach. One felt drawn to him as a good friend. He was a very practical and generous man, helping many in the club. He enjoyed excellent health. He was especially a much loved family man, a husband of 69 years, father of three, grandfather of five and a great grandfather also of five. Above all, he was someone of great charm who in turn made many friends in the wider sport and world outside Putney.
Perhaps he had inherited the charm of the Irish. We shall miss him greatly.
Addendum to tribute to Doug Melvin
Adam Poynter
“Very sorry to hear this news. Even to irregular oarsmen Dougie was always a great source of encouragement. I was a latecomer to sculling, but he was full of inspirational Lancastrian wit. We had both rowed on the Lune. And he came with me when I bought my first sculling boat and brought it back to the club on the roof of his Granada. I have Dougie to thank for half a lifetime of the best sport in the world and send my condolences and very best wishes to John and Simon.”
Best wishes,
Adam
David Thomson
“I will always remember him as a marvellous source of encouragement to all and was grateful for his sculling tips.
He was a fine coach too and our coxless four in 1968 ( Dan Topolski, Bobby Carpmael, Donald Grey-Wilson and self) benefited hugely from his help - he worked us hard but it was always attentive and fun.”
Best wishes,
David
Bobby Prentice
(Bargemaster of the Fishmongers’ Company (since 2003) and before that Bargemaster of The Watermen’s Company for 19 years. Winner with the late Martin Spencer of the HRR Double Sculls 1976, sculling as LRC. Both were also winners of the Doggett’s Coat & Badge Wager in the early 1970s.)
“I have been friends with the Melvin family for so many years. Both Martin and I started our rowing careers at Poplar in the early 1960s. It was some time in the very early 1970s that we both found ourselves at Hammersmith. I was sculling out of Auriol training for the youth championships and Martin was sculling out of West End boat house and racing for Argosies [The National Dock Labour Board’s rowing club, for which LRC provided a base].
At this time LRC was under renovation and a lot of the sculling bays had to be cleared including Doug Melvin’s, so he came up to Hammersmith during the renovation work at LRC. What a stroke of luck !!! At one of the local regattas I was introduced to him by the Captain of Poplar, John Skelton. John had so much cheek, he asked Doug to coach me. Thankfully Doug agreed to do so.
When LRC reopened Doug said he would still coach me but I would have to move down and join London, so I did. Martin still sculled for Argosies but used one of the London racks that Argosies paid for, so we trained together. We did some racing in a double under London and Argosies colours; this was quite successful along with our singles under the eye of Doug.
Come 1976 both Martin and I trained in the ARA Olympic squad under Mike Spracklen. I got dropped a long time before Martin. I will always believe that Martin should have gone to the Olympics at Montreal that year.
This is when it started properly. Doug got us together and said we have to do a double and go to Henley; “no doubling up in the Diamonds, just do the double under LRC”. We both jumped at it!! The rest is history really. We first raced in Doug's boat that he bought from Farn Carpmael; it was a big boat for us but we won all the major regattas in it that year; come Henley, Doug loaned Theo Nomicos's boat - perfect for us. I can assure you the final was far from easy we went just over a length down and did not take the lead until Remenham Club. I believe from memory the verdict was two lengths. I will say that Doug told us what would happen in that race and he was right!!!
Martin and I owed all of this to Doug and we never forgot that. That year we went on to win the Championships and Home international for LRC.”
Best wishes,
Bobby
Doug holding the HRR Double Sculls trophy at the 2014 Club’s annual dinner with his 1976 winners, Martin Spencer (left) and Bobby Prentice (right).
John Burnett
“In 1965 it was my good fortune to be coached by Doug in the Nautilus coxless four (Bow: Simon Rippon (LRC), 2: Martyn Sylvester, 3: Roger Hughes (LRC), Str: me). [Nautilus Club was the ARA’s experimental national squad in the mid-1960s.].
We won at Wallingford and Marlow and lost the final of the Stewards’ at HRR. Although we had all rowed before with some success, our first outings with Doug were in a tub pair when he took us back to basics.
We had great faith in Doug and did exactly what he asked. “That wasn’t bad” he would say after a piece of work. Then, as we were feeling pleased with ourselves, he would add “but it wasn’t good”.
In the early 1970s, Peter Hilditch encouraged me to join London as a Veteran and I enjoyed some high quality rowing in eights with the likes of Doug and Rob van Mesdag. I remember a particularly good row one year in the Fours’ Head with Doug, Martin Gaylard and Peter Hilditch. We each won an alarm clock.
He told me that he was honoured to be elected President but didn’t really like being in the limelight. He was greatly liked and respected so he deserves to be remembered.”
Best regards,
John
Hugh Dulley
(LRC member who rowed for National Provincial Bank RC in the early 1960s.)
“Doug knew everyone in the rowing world and, through time, built up a relationship with NP Bank and it was through his friendship with Roger Pope that he became our coach. He very skilfully moulded us into the crew that won the Thames Cup in 1962, breaking all the course records on the way and beating a number of American university crews. He subsequently coached NP Bank crews for a number of years.
Doug was a man to respect, not only for his great skills in boat propulsion but also for the fact that he was a true friend of our Club. He gave unstintingly of his time despite his own business and family commitments and had a great love of rowing as a sport. He believed it was greater than the individual, despite his own great success as a single sculler. He was a successful and honest man with impeccable ethics and could convey his enthusiasm with great warmth and passion. When we had a setback he would give us very positive feedback, which would inspire us to achieve better.
His relationship was greater than one of coach and oarsman, it was one of real friendship. He was special, and we shall always remember his pleasant manner and the natural gift he had to inspire others.
We admired Doug for what he had achieved in rowing. Through his love of the sport and his vital energy he was determined to give back what he had gained from it. As a result we all benefited from his coaching and knowing him as a friend.
As a Veteran he was a great competitor and he once said to me that he did not see the point of rowing if you were not competing.”
Best wishes,
Hugh Dulley (and NP Bank colleagues)
Warm appreciations of Doug have also been received from Tubby Bryant, Wade Hall-Craggs, Bernie Regan and others.
