CHAIRMAN’S VIEW

It is a great relief that we can now see a route forward out of this lockdown and can afford to start thinking about rowing and even racing this summer. I am looking forward to getting back on the water and to meeting up over a coffee or a beer after the outing. We are now making plans to reopen the clubhouse to members and to kick-start our events business over the coming months.

Many members will be aware that throughout the lockdown work has continued on repairs to the clubhouse. The roof over the Long Room has been repaired and the capacity of the gutters increased to avoid problems in torrential rain. The Resis have new showers and the showers in the new men’s changing room are being repaired and a new, larger, drain installed. I am very grateful to Eddie Markes, Peter Halford and the building sub-committee who have overseen all of this while keeping on top of other works associated with an old and historic building. In parallel, work is underway to research the history of the club house in readiness to celebrate its 150th birthday this year.

We will hold a further general meeting on 14th April to present the club accounts to the membership. The accounts cover the 18 month period from 1st February 2019 to 31st July 2020, embracing the decision to change the accounting date to align with the rowing season. This has been an eventful period so there is a lot to cover. Please make a note in your diaries for another Zoom call.

Simon Harris
Chairman, London Rowing Club

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Another month on, and I am very pleased to say that donations to help the Club through these difficult times have now topped £105,000, over 88% of our tough but vital target of £120,000. These have included a couple of members who, having already been very generous initially, have come back to increase the amount they are giving.

There does now appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel, with the Government indicating that there may be a relaxation of the entertainment rules in late June, sufficient to enable us to get some of our hospitality business going - but as one of the Downing Street advisors put it, don’t confuse the light at the end of the tunnel with being out of the tunnel. We still have a long way to go, with a lot of uncertainty on the way, and it will be quite a while before we are fully back in business.

So the message is, thanks for all the marvellous donations so far, but we can’t relax. The Club is going to need the support of its members for some time yet.

Mike Baldwin
President, London Rowing Club

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

See more detail for these events, visit our Calendar of Events…

IRREGULARS’ REPORT

We are all looking forward to getting back on the water albeit for the moment in singles.

Thought this month I would highlight one of the many recreational/explore rowing trips in which we have taken part. Tricia Carré kindly wrote the piece below about the the Traversee de Paris. This is one of the many trips that we get involved with - The Vogalonga, explore trips on the British Waterways, discovering the tulip fields and Amsterdam being just a few of possible sorties. If anybody in the club would like to be involved in ventures such as these please do get in touch with the writer.

Eddie Markes

TRAVERSÉE DE PARIS

Every September, when there is not a pandemic, the 28k Traversée de Paris rowing event hosts about 200 boats, some are rather rare types.

If not exactly a race it is the ultimate way to view the iconic sights of Paris.

At the crack of dawn approximately 1,000 rowers make their way to the île de Monsieur Park at Sèvres, grab a coffee, juice and croissant at the ‘nautical village’ then wheel, using old bicycle wheels made into dollies (could the LRC adopt this?) their boats to the pontoon where an army of well drilled, young, volunteers help ensure efficient and timely boating.

Once afloat coxes are directed to the left bank and head off upstream in semi darkness under the first of 33 bridges. Safety launches make sure the rules of navigation are followed. As the sun rises the Eiffel Tower

The view from the river of sights such as Notre Dame add a certain je ne sais quoi to the privilege of rowing on the Seine.

At the île de St. Louis there is a brief pause for water and a quick bite of energy bar before making the circuit round to head back downstream.

When boats have been de-rigged and loaded onto trailers huge pans of paella welcome tired and very hungry rowers. In the queue the LRC kit never fails to be recognised and many conversations, friendships and invitations follow.

Thanks to Jonny Akehurst for taking the photos and Frank Ter Voorde who galvanised us into combining forces with his Amsterdam rowing club and for organising the trip.

Tricia Carré

THE MEMBERSHIP SUB-COMMITTEE

The membership sub-committee’s work involves defining what we offer our members, working with the main committee and other sub-committees to deliver this and to maximize membership numbers. Our group is around 10 strong and we meet once a month to work on several initiatives to improve the membership offering and communicate this to the Club and outside world.

A while ago we asked members if there was anything about the Club they felt could be improved. One thing came out strongly: we have great facilities for events, boat storage and gym but we could benefit from a comfortable space in which members can relax, socialise and hold informal events. We were very lucky to receive a bequest from Dennis Ashton and it was decided to put some of these funds, along with a generous donation from Sutton Winson, into developing the crew room into a facility offering comfortable seating, refreshments and remote working as more and more people are not travelling to traditional places of work. The room is going to be called The Ashton Room.

Phase 1 of the development is to move the archive cupboard to the other end of the room to form a cloakroom, replace the floor, add heating and knock through a small access to the bar so that members can enjoy coffee and drinks. Later phases, when budget allows, will involve a reconfiguration of the bar with greater access to The Ashton Room and the opening of the upriver end of the room with an open-air balcony. The aim is to create a place both for relaxation where members can mingle and work remotely.

New members can take a while to find their feet so we have produced a new members’ pack, shortly to be signed off by the main committee. This is full of useful information and will be distributed in PDF format to new members and those who have joined over the last year.

We are looking at different membership categories and the growth in full and squad membership over the last year has been very strong. This is particularly encouraging given the difficult environment of the pandemic. We have also seen growth in junior membership and have continued interest. We are considering our offering in this area within the confines of equipment and coaching resources. We feel there is scope to increase the overall membership which now stands at around 750. Some lapsed members have recently re-joined and we are asking existing members to get in touch with friends from the past to suggest re-joining the Club.

On the communications’ side we have great internal communication in The London Roar and the Weekly Brief but we can ‘bang the drum’ more through social media and we have plans to send the LRC message more widely to the outside world. We are forming a group within the sub-committee purely to concentrate on communications.

The Club has lost revenue over the Covid 19 crisis and we are looking at ways of generating extra income including training camps for juniors and universities in holidays when school children and students are short of water work and coaching.

Bill Baker
Chairman, Membership Sub-Committee

ROWING FOR LRC FROM 1962-67

PART 5: A REMINISCENCE, 1966-67

The 1966/67 season was to be my last year due to the travelling, family, and a new job. Simon was our new captain who brought in some new rules. His first rule wasn’t implemented until 1968 for his second year namely, London would no longer enter a scratch eight for the Grand. We have won the Grand subsequently in 1979 with Thames Tradesmen and in 1984 with the National Crew rowing in LRC and Leander colours, when the rules were changed to allow two named clubs and multiple, club oarsmen to compete in one boat. He did however in the first year continue the old practice of boating the Wyfold/Stewards and Prince Philip fours as the Grand Eight and also developed two Thames Cup Eights, but no Stewards entry.

The Thames Cup created a problem because, until 1971, clubs couldn’t combine in fours and eights, and until 1984 a club could not enter two or more crews in the same event (“A”/“B”/“C”). So, to solve our problem the Metropolitan RC was resurrected and nine LRC men were made members, Simon Harris, John Steel, Lee Marriner, Chris Sprague, Bob Hague, Coni, Kenny O’Sullivan, and Sutton with Medhurst as cox. They lost by 2 ½ lengths to NP Bank RC, but it gave 9 more members the Henley experience.

I had by now been awarded honorary membership of Barclays Bank RC and was coaching the eight. This ensured I got to go out for a row. I also just happened to look at a May Bumps picture I had and guess who is rowing at 6 for Trinity Hall – Desmond Hampton!

*Here am I, rowing 5 in the Barclays Bank eight.*

Desmond Hampton is rowing 6 in the Trinity Hall eight and I am rowing 3 in the LMBC boat ahead.

Unfortunately, 1967 Henley was presaged by a tragic event for LRC and especially for the Thames Cup Crew. During the year they were coxed by a newcomer to the club, Michael Manning. On the Sunday before Henley (June 25th) it was the custom for our President to invite the Henley contingent down to his House ‘River Mead’ on the Thames at Goring for Tea and a Swim. Sunday was a nice day and after Tea we mostly went down to the river for a swim. After about half an hour we suddenly didn’t see Michael anywhere. There was a search but he was not found and we all retired back to the house very upset. It appeared he had dived into the river and got caught in something on the river bed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t found for over a week and that is why Chris Drury appears as the LRC Thames Cup Cox in the Henley Program with no replacement, as well as the Prince Philip four.

The Thames Cup eight was made up of Royle, Weyeneth, Mike Fothergill, Tim Cox, Rakison, Roger Vincett, Bell, and Chris French with Chris Drury substituting at cox. They beat Scottish Argonauts in the first round but then lost to Vesta BC by ¾ length.

The Wyfold four was Hicks, Rippon, Marks, and King who lost in the second round to Molesey BC by 2 ½ lengths. They joined the Prince Philip Four of Smith, Donald Grey-Wilson, Peter Harris, stroked by Desmond Hampton, coxed by Chris Drury, to form the Grand eight but with Weller at cox.

The Grand Eight were beaten by Club France, but the Prince Philip four easily beat Groton School USA in the third round, although they were then outclassed in the Semifinal by ASK Vorwarts, who then went on to beat Tideway Scullers School in the Final.

Colin Smith
LMBC & LRC

Part 6: ‘Epilogue’ will be published in the April edition of The London Roar.

LONDON ROWING CLUB’S WWII FALLEN

ADDENDUM

Some more information has come in about D G (Desmond) Kingsford who won the ‘immediate’ MC in Normandy in 1944. This is in an article published in Vol. 2, No. 21 of ‘Rowing’ in 1951. ‘Rowing’ was the leading rowing journal of its day.

Kingsford was at 6 in the winning Cambridge crew of 1936, as was a fellow Pembroke man, G M (Morley) Lewis, who rowed at 3. They competed together under London colours in the Goblets in 1937.

As fortune would have it, they took part at the same time in the invasion of Normandy in 1944, Kingsford in the 3rd Battalion of the Irish Guards and Lewis as a medical officer in the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards. Both battalions had reached the little town of Vire, south west of Caen, and they were able to lunch together at Lewis’ battalion headquarters on 10th August. Immediately after lunch, however, Kingsford was called away to lead his platoon in an attack on an enemy position, when he was severely wounded. He was brought back still alive to Lewis’ medical station, but died a few minutes later with Lewis alongside him. Kingsford had won his MC only the week before.

Lewis survived the War and later had a medical practice in London, and evidently contributed this information to ‘Rowing’s’ advisory editor, Hylton Cleaver. Cleaver was a leading rowing author and journalist, and LRC member.

Major Richard Wakeford VC JP
Whilst researching for the articles on the World War II Fallen, it was noticed in the records that a winner of the Victoria Cross joined the Club a year after the War ended.

Richard Wakeford was born in 1921 and rowed in Westminster School’s first VIII at Henley in 1938 and 1939. At the end of the summer term in 1939 he was selected to be ‘Head of Water’ (Westminster-speak for Captain of Boats) for the following year. As school records wryly note, this was something of a ‘barren’ appointment, as War was declared only a month later and the school had to evacuate London. Putney was deserted.

He abandoned the start of medical studies to join the Hampshire Regiment, and in 1943 he was Mentioned in Despatches in Tunisia. His regiment then moved to Italy and it was near Monte Cassino that he won his VC. Space does not allow the recommendation for the award to be cited in full. However, it summarises his actions over two days on May 13th and 14th, 1944, against strongly held enemy positions. Wakeford was wounded in the face, both arms and both legs, whilst continuing to organise and encourage his men. “His selfless devotion to duty, leadership, determination, courage and disregard for his own serious injuries were beyond all praise.” He received his award personally from King George VI in the field. He later became a temporary Lieutenant-Colonel.

After the War, and denied the profession of a surgeon by an injured hand, he went up to Trinity College, Oxford, to read law. It seems he was able to overcome his injuries sufficiently however to stroke Trinity to success during two seasons. He also joined London, whose clubhouse he must have walked past many times in his schooldays, as a Full Member in 1946, later taking out Life Membership.

He was admitted a solicitor in 1951, and practised in London. In 1964 he was appointed a Master in Chancery. He also presided over the Epsom Bench of Justices. He died in August 1972, after gradually worsening health from his wounds. His wife, Denise Corlson, whom he married in 1951, outlived him until the year before last.

An article about Wakeford, with illustrations, has been published on the website ‘Hear The Boat Sing’.

Julian Ebsworth
LRC Librarian & Archivist

A PROPOS OF NOTHING

I read with interest the piece from Colin Smith in The London Roar about the ‘60s era at the Club. It brought to life a memorable time and especially the Thames Cup race which we lost to Harvard. As I have very few photos of the time, it was wonderful to see the race shot again.

LRC has occupied a special place in my life and was a wonderful experience in my two impressionable years in London in the ‘60s, working in the City and travelling in the UK and Europe.

I had been stroke of my school and Sydney University VIIIs prior to coming to London and by good chance arrived just in time for Henley preparations. I had also just started work but when explaining to the Senior Partner of the opportunity to row in the Grand at Henley, he replied “My dear Moore, the firm would be honoured to be represented at Henley…of course you must go”.

Through my friendship with Hugh Dulley (Grand 1965) and his family, I have kept in touch with many of the personalities of the ‘60s. Peter Coni, in whose house I lived at Churton Place, made a trip or two to Sydney (Leander socks and plimsolls), and I would see him if I was visiting London; of course I made the trip to attend his Memorial service at Henley.

I also had contact with Simon Rippon (very good Creme Brûlée) and Desmond Hampton over the years and saw him on his fateful sailing arrival in Sydney. Single handed, sailing ’Gypsy Moth V (I think), Desmond was competing in a “Round the World” event and sleep deprivation ended his race when he crashed into Gabo Island and was rescued by the lighthouse keeper…... Giles Chichester drops in to Sydney occasionally. And I helped David Tanner with a Four he brought to Sydney, lending him a car for his trip, I think in the ‘70s.

David King, who was in the Grand VIII in 1965, was very kind in taking me to King’s Canterbury as I had attended The King’s School, Parramatta and it was wonderful to catch up with him and Colin Kester with Hugh Dulley at Henley in 2018.

I suspect I was the youngest member in the Grand crew in 1965 and losing David leaves few of us afloat, Coni, Marks, Rippon and King, as far as I know, having gone.

Colin made reference to my car, a silver blue Mini that cost me £240 in 1965, which seems to remain a memory for many. It passed to Peter Coni on my departure and I gather continued a colourful life under his ownership for some years. I preferred Simon Rippon's ‘Rover’ or ‘Citroen' or Peter’s rather snappy ‘Triumph Vitesse’ if we were taking longer trips.

When I came back to Australia at the end of 1966, few of my former colleagues were still rowing (too many doctors worrying about heart attacks), so I took to sailing and have been at it in a modest way ever since. Casamajor was an easy choice to name a boat and has been a constant reminder and source of many stories, of my rewarding two years at LRC.

*Casamajor under full sail on Sydney Harbour.*

The virus is obviously preventing travel at present but we hope to visit again as soon as we are able.

With best wishes,

Charles

Charles Moore
Honorary Member, London Rowing Club

REPORTING SAFETY INCIDENTS

All members are reminded that if you are involved in or witness a water safety incident, you are required to report it on safety@londonrc.org.uk

The Club will file any necessary reports on your behalf with British Rowing and the PLA. Members should not submit reports directly to either body.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this edition of the London Roar. If you have an idea for an article or would be interested in submitting a piece for inclusion in a future edition, please email me on miles.preston@londonrc.org.uk

Please do not submit an article without first liaising with me.

Miles Preston
Editor of The London Roar