CHAIRMAN’S VIEW

By the time that the edition of The London Roar is issued Henley Royal Regatta will be underway for the first time in over 26 months. It has been a long and challenging season and it is of great credit to the Club and particularly to our Captain, Mark Lucani and Coach, Stu Heap, that we have been able to enter a strong squad of men and women this year. I would also like to thank everyone who has continued to follow the COVID restrictions and routines for keeping other Club members and our racing squads safe. I look forward to seeing as many members as possible at the Regatta and to cheering home the London crews.

During August, your committee will be taking time to reset our plans and ambitions for the coming season. We have come a very long way over the past year but have more work to do in various areas. None of this could be possible without your support. The fact that we ended the 2020-21 financial year in a similar cash position to the previous year despite the loss of our events income is testament to the generous support of the membership. With a new events team in place, fewer COVID restrictions and a busy order book for the coming year we will start the year in good shape. We can even now row through Hammersmith Bridge.

Finally, you will be interested to hear that at the end of July we reached the milestone of 800 members. This could not have been achieved without the support of Jessica Salter, our membership secretary, whose hard work goes unseen by many but is so important to the Club. I would like to record my thanks to Jessica and congratulations on driving the Club through the 800 barrier.

Simon Harris
Chairman, London Rowing Club

ROWING REPORT

The Squad

Uniquely for the 2021 Henley Royal Regatta build up there have been some opportunities to race on the boomed Henley course at regattas that traditionally come after HRR. The squad spent a long weekend training and racing on the course with Henley Town and Visitors’ Regatta happening on the Saturday.

With HRR crews effectively finalised (more on that later) it was a great opportunity to get some racing against crews from the same event. If the results are anything to go by then things are looking bright for LRC.

Two wins came in the form of the women’s 8+ that are contesting the newly introduced Wargrave as well as our men’s 4- that are contesting the Visitors. The women’s 8+ dominated their event throughout the day. Nobody could get within 2 lengths, as they saw off Mortlake, Blue Star (which contained Olympic athletes) and Tideway Scullers. This was a huge confidence boost for the girls who have pre-qualified and will start racing tomorrow.

The men’s intermediate 4- found themselves in an event that was dominated by London entries. No less than 5 of the 8 entries were either London or London composite crews. There was a good tussle in the second round when they faced the Wyfold A crew with the lead changing late and an eventual winning margin of 1/3 length. They would go on to deliver justice to LRC when they beat Henley RC, a crew that had beaten the Wyfold B and a London and Medway composite to reach the final.

A number of crews also reached the final. The Britannia A crew raced well to face a Prince Albert (student 4+) contender in the final who got the better of them. Meanwhile, the Thames A crew faced an impressive Eton College in their final. Both crews progressing well, losing to crews that are not contesting their respective events at HRR.

Elsewhere, the women’s 4x did extremely well to defeat a number of crews that have pre-qualified for the women’s 4x at HRR. They would eventually come unstuck when they faced the might of Oxford Brookes. The Britannia B crew faced Marlow’s top boat, losing out marginally in the end. The Thames B crew made great progress to the semi-final before facing a formidable University College Oxford crew. Last but not least Sean Blake took on a strong 1x field coming away with good experience in the lead up to qualifiers.

From the weekend’s results, it is clear that the Club has great potential in all of the events that have entered at HRR.

Millennials

There was a strong Millennial contingent at Henley Master’s Regatta. The BM8+ lost in the semi-final, although it would have performed much better if it had contained its core member, Basil Amin at 5 seat. At short notice, JSB had to sub in because Basil’s wife went into labour! Congratulations to Basil and Jennie on the birth of Ettie Amin.

Elsewhere at the Regatta, the C4- of JP, James Brown, Jonty and Dan Marret (Taurus) took the win.

*The victorious C4- at Henley Masters’ Regatta.*

Meanwhile, the C2x of Richard Benton and Matous Michnevic reached the final after some fantastic racing in their quarter and semi-final races.

*Richard & Matous boating for the final at Henley Masters’ Regatta.*

Both the B4- of Ben Adams, James Brooks, Marko Vucemilovic and Jeff Tomasi, and the D4x of Bob Silver, Paul Mascaro, Evan Grace and Colin Christie faced stiff opposition in the first round, but no doubt had an enjoyable day’s racing.

In other racing news, the Millennials enjoyed good days out at Molesey Regatta, coming away with wins in both the C4- and the C4x. The group also went on to pick up a win the C4x at Henley Town and Visitors Regatta.

*The winning C4x- from Henley Town & Visitors’ Regatta.*

Gregor Maxwell
LRC Squad member

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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

ENJOY WATCHING THE HENLEY FINALS AT LRC

For those members who will not be at Henley for the finals this Sunday, why not come down to LRC and enjoy watching all the races in the company of other LRC members and their families and friends?

There will be a large screen in the Long Room to enable you to watch all the races live.

We are delighted that after all the precautions that had to be taken to protect the crews and coaches taking part at Henley, we will be open to all members to come to the clubhouse on Sunday.

We anticipate that the racing at Henley will start at 11.00am, so the bar will open then and will stay open while people are still there.

Members are encouraged to bring their partners/spouses, children and friends. Please remember that, as members, you are responsible for your guests and should not leave the Club before your guests. There will be no charge for entry.

All drink consumed must be bought from the bar. Food will not be provided but if you want to bring your own food, feel free to do so, but please also bring your own plates and cutlery and ensure that when you have completed your picnic you either take your litter home with you or use the litter bins that will be provided.

This should be a great event. Do come if you can and encourage as many other members as possible to come too.

Chris Goodfellow
LRC, Honorary House Steward (Events)

NEW MEMBERS

We thought it would be appropriate to start to include in TLR each month a list of all members who have joined us since the previous edition. We would like to welcome you all to the Club and hope you will enjoy being part of the London Rowing Club community.

The new members this month are:

Mr Charles Bird
Mr Max Bird
Miss Sophie Bonnor
Miss Emily Bowden
Miss Georgia Francis
Miss Aisling Green
Mr Tyler Martin
Mr Carlo Ramirez and his sons,
Mr Edward Ramirez
Mr Giancarlo Ramirez
Miss Nicole Seredenko

We are always happy to have more new members so, if you know of anyone who you think might like to join the Club, please either let us know or encourage them to get in touch with us themselves. There is information on becoming a member on our website: https://www.londonrc.org.uk/membership-enquiries or you can contact the Club’s Membership Secretary, Jessica Salter, whose email address is membership@londonrc.org.uk.

Andrew Boyle
Honorary Secretary, London Rowing Club

HIDDEN HEROES

Jessica Salter joined the Club as Membership Secretary in 2013 and, by her own admission, accepted the job with very little idea of what it entailed. She was placed, however, under the expert tutelage of Christopher Grainger (Assistant Honorary Secretary at the time) who coached her gently and with precision. When he felt she was ready for the next challenge he would peel off the layers exposing yet another facet of the enormous job that she had taken on! Needless to say, she relished these new hurdles with gusto and tackled them with enthusiasm.

It is hardly surprising that she immediately took to the role – her background is in Information Graphics, having been to Art College, before later gaining a Law Degree - there is no end to her inquisitive nature, her willingness to communicate and her determination to get results. You need this when you are dealing with members subscriptions, race fees and a broad spectrum of enquiries from existing and prospective members, as well as arranging for aged members who have no email to get a hard copy of the TLR! Oh, I nearly forgot, she assists Miles Preston with editing this journal as well! There is much else, I am certain.

LRC unwittingly gained a gem in 2013, who freely gives over that she loves the Club, its history and the comings and goings of all the members that are part of the London family. She is a member of that family herself.

I was especially grateful to Jessica at the start of the pandemic last March when we wanted to contact (mostly by phone) all the over 65 members to check their well-being, wherever they may be. Many of these members had not visited the Club for some time but would know Jessica as their point of contact. She provided lots of helpful information including some amusing anecdotes, which made the communicators’ job that much easier.

When I asked her what she thought the Club meant to members, she replied that “Primarily it is a creator of memories" and that she felt it was part of her job to make those memories as pleasant and long lasting as possible. Never a truer and more heartfelt sentiment!

Thank you Jessica and long may you continue to love the Club - the feeling is mutual!

Eddie Markes

DOUG MELVIN OBITUARY

A tribute by the President, Mike Baldwin can be read here

LRC AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Tokyo

The Club did not send any rowers to the just-completed Olympic Games in Tokyo, but two members – very well known to different generations of our rowers – were in the British Rowing coaching team: they were Robin Williams MBE (M4-) and Paul Reedy (W1x – Vicky Thornley).

Robin Williams joined London in 1982. He twice won the Wyfolds, twice medalled in the World Championships in 1988 and 1989, and later coached at the Club, and subsequently for 11 years with CUBC. His career as an ARA and BR international coach goes back as far as 1996 but he is particularly remembered for his successful coaching of women’s coxless pair crews (Helen Glover et al). He was awarded an MBE for services to rowing in 2013.

Paul Reedy, who rowed for Australia at international level, was recruited by LRC for appointment as Chief Coach, a position he occupied from 2000 until 2012. He was the architect of the Club’s Thames Cup and Wyfolds wins in 2004 and the subsequent Thames Cup win in 2006. From 2010 he was subcontracted to BR with the national team’s lightweight women. The highlight for him, of course, (and the Club) has been Sophie Hosking’s (and Kat Copeland’s) Gold medal in the LW2x at Dorney Lake in 2012; this has been followed by success with other LW crews in particular at World, World Cup and European levels in 2014 and 2015. In 2017 he was appointed Vicky Thornley’s coach, and she has come away with medals too.

London’s Olympians – a short precis

In terms of rowers, scullers and coxes, the Club has sent representatives to the Olympic Games going back for 113 years to London in 1908 (rowing was at Henley). The Club has sent 36 members over these years, six of whom have rowed at two Games, so 42 seats have been filled in total to date. Altogether, London members have won 20 Olympic medals (5 Gold, 11 Silver, and 4 Bronze).

A London scratch Vlll, started 83; finished 11th; time 17.58; (LRC I time 17.57) Bow. Nick Waters 2. M Billinghurst 3. Rob Norton 4. Dave King 5. Bob Potter 6. Rob Carpmael 7. Chris Harris Str. ? Morris. Cox. ??

Before WWII, apart from 1908, we were represented also in 1928, 1932 and 1936. All who raced in this period won either Gold or Silver. The first, in 1908, was J R K Fenning, who was our Vice Captain at the time (see illustration above). The best known perhaps was H R A (Jumbo) Edwards, who won two Gold medals in the Los Angeles Games in 1932 on the same day, in the M4- and M2-. LRC also provided the entire M4- crew in 1936 in Berlin, which won Silver, and their boat hangs in the Long Room. [There is a murky story that they found the baskets containing the doves of peace under the main stand during the opening ceremony and released the birds early to some consternation amongst the occupants of the VIP seating above.]

Post-WWII, LRC has been represented at the Games in 1956, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016. The largest group to be sent was nine members in 1980, who included the Bronze-winning M4- of Beattie, McNuff, Townsend and Cross. 7 of the 10 representatives in the last 25 years have been in the Lightweight class. Our other recent medallist has been R J (Rob) Williams in the LM4- in 2012. A proud feature has been the first three women in the list – Charlotte Miller (cox of the W8+) in 2000 in Sydney, Sophie Hosking in 2012 and Jess Eddie who won Silver in the W8+ in 2016 in Rio.

It is hoped to put the full list of Olympians on the Club’s website, in the History section, shortly.

Reverting to coaches, at present we have no honours board listing them, and perhaps there should be one. If anyone is interested in carrying out the research, they are welcome to contact me, via the office, where a note can also be left if preferred. We even have a spare honours board ready for the names to be entered on by our signwriter!

Julian Ebsworth
LRC Archivist

JUMBO EDWARDS’S TRIPLE HENLEY WINS

This year’s Henley Regatta marks the 90th anniversary of a truly remarkable day. On an unseasonably rainy and blustery Saturday in July, 1931, Hugh ‘Jumbo’ Edwards achieved a feat that has never been matched since - he was victorious in all three Grand Finals.

That this should be achieved by Jumbo Edwards, a man who had collapsed in the Oxford boat during the Boat Race of 1926 and had been told never to row again, was equally astounding.

Jumbo had rediscovered his love of rowing with London Rowing Club after his collapse in the Boat Race. Under the mentorship of Steve Fairbairn, his coach at LRC, Jumbo was establishing himself as one of the foremost rowers alongside a talented crew. At the 1930 Henley Regatta, London finally regained the Grand trophy, 40 years from the date when they were last triumphant, and were also successful in the Stewards’. The crew were selected to represent England in the first British Empire Games that were held in Hamilton, Canada. They won gold in the coxless four and the eight.

For the 1931 Henley Regatta, the London eight defeated a talented Berliner RC in a thrilling semi-final in the Grand. Many years later the notable journalist, Sir Charles Wheeler, recalled that famous London victory over Berlin: “As an 8-year-old after seeing that race against the Germans in 1931, I knew we should win the Second World War and that Jumbo Edwards would play a part”. This victory over the Germans led to a final against their arch rivals, Thames Rowing Club. London were victorious by a third of a length.

*London Rowing Club accepting the Grand Trophy from the Duchess of York, Henley 1931.*

In the Stewards’, Jumbo and London Rowing Club had a rather more straightforward row - a three length victory over the Italian crew from Piacenza.

*London Rowing Club collecting the Stewards’ Trophy, Henley 1931.*

For the Silver Goblets, Jumbo had forged a winning partnership with his fellow Christ Church rower Lewis Clive. They had both rowed in the losing Oxford boat in the Boat Race of the previous year but their combined strengths led to one of Britain’s most successful coxless pairings. For the final in 1931, an understandably tired Jumbo relied upon the strengths of this partnership to row the Christ Church boat to victory by four lengths over Pembroke College, Cambridge.

*Lewis Clive and Jumbo Edwards victorious in the Silver Goblets, Henley 1931. The Duchess of York, when handing over the Silver Goblet to Jumbo, exclaimed “Fancy seeing you again”.*

The Edwards and Clive partnership would go on to defend the Silver Goblets in the 1932 Regatta with victory over Balliol College. A month later, at the Los Angeles Olympics, the partnership cemented their place in history with Olympic Gold in the coxless pairs. Within the hour, Jumbo had won a further gold medal as a late replacement in the coxless four.

For Jumbo, the love of flying soon replaced his passion of competing on the river. In November 1943, Jumbo, now a Wing Commander for Coastal Command, was the only survivor of his ditched Liberator after protecting an Allied convoy in the North Atlantic. With a punctured lung and broken ribs, he rowed his inflatable lifeboat overnight towards the Cornish coastline and was picked up by a British minesweeper.

When the Duchess of York handed to Jumbo his third winning trophy of the 1931 Regatta, it was the culmination of proving his doubters wrong. In five years Jumbo Edwards had escaped the depths of despair and humiliation resulting from the Boat Race of 1926 and rediscovered his love of rowing at LRC. The national press, and more importantly his rowing peers, had finally recognised and acknowledged that Jumbo was one of the finest rowers that the country had produced.

Ninety years ago Henley witnessed one of the all-time greatest performances by an oarsman. Surely this will never be repeated, and importantly it must never be forgotten.

Gavin Jamieson

Gavin Jamieson is currently writing “Water’s Gleaming Gold: The Story of Jumbo Edwards”. To find out more information about the book, and to support the publication, please visit www.lapwingpublishing.com or on Twitter (@gmbjamieson). Gavin was in conversation with Dan Snow on a recent HistoryHit podcast “Britain’s Forgotten Olympic Heroes”. Details on this are also available on the website.

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