While there were many crews slower than this year's NOVICE A EIGHT, there were more than a few rather faster: the pattern presaged by the result at the Schools Head, 13th of 28, was, in spite of crew changes and good work in practices, that of the Summer regattas. Many heats where won but honours eluded us in the finals at Avon, Hereford, Shearwater and Reading Town; and but two or three crews were quicker at Reading Amateur and Birmingham. The 'centre 4', doubling up at Reading Town, in losing their final to a strong Clifton IV, showed possibilities and, as Blue friars, pulled it off at Bedford, beating our own'B' IV, a neater but less powerful crew, en route and knocking 8 seconds off the event record in the final. A happy reward for the VIII as a whole as well as the successful N at the end of a season -good, but not quite good enough.

The 'B' and 'C' VIII were perhaps a little disappointing this year, lacking determination to do much more than splash about in practice and finding little comfort in competition at either Hereford or Shearwater, although the 'B' crew was by no means outclassed - - " could have done better if . . ."