The first head race of our season, Henley, seemed an auspicious start to the year, for although it was almost Andy Rae's first outing as stroke, the crew looked good and put in a very promising time. The resulting high morale was rather shattered when our erstwhile captain and member of the engine room, Robin Blatchford, was snapped up by the 1st VIII. However, we re-grouped under the captaining of Simon Austin, and started to re-build. Through an excellent effort at Bristol Docks, where very strong head wind gusts gave the 1st VIII an artificially larger margin (15 seconds) against our time; through the Schools' Head, where rain, snow and hail and a two-hour wait out on the water due to several postponements of the start, failed to freeze the fire of our performance, though a lengthy sortie out of the stream along the Fulham Wall affected our time; on to the Head Race, a superbly exciting and stirring event, as one of over 400 crews, a fitting climax to our Head season. Notwithstanding the problems with stroke's air tickets, morale was high – we stayed with the very hospitable Rymer family at Earls Court, very handy for the course – good food and a happy atmosphere - and come the race, we put in an excellent, tidy well-balanced row, the cox having learned from the Schools' Head, steering a near-perfect course. The only qualification of our satisfaction from this race was that the new member of our crew, Quentin Thomas, suffered a mysterious heart problem immediately afterwards, effectivly ending his season – thank God the prognosis is now good.

This meant a further crew change at the start of the Regatta season. One of our two reserves, Andy Maddocks, stepped in, and thanks to his dedicated training and wit, was quickly integrated into the crew. Although in terms of wins, cups and paper our season seems less than successful, actually it has been full of drama and some major achievements in fact.

The efficacy and devastating effect of our start, when it came together was seen at Avon county, where we eventually won the Junior C event, coming a very creditable ninth out of the sixteen crews of all categories, A, B and C with some very rousing and courageous rowing in four races. Our confidence and strength increased with each race, as did our placings. But it was at Wimbleball, near Taunton, that real excitment occurred. At this new regatta, over a 1500 metre course, the 2nd VIII led the 1st VIII by up to half a length over two-thirds of the race. In the Junior Eights event – at the end, strength, experience and weight all told, and the fists won – but it was a close run thing. An excellent performance and real nail-biting stuff! We also beat RGS High Wycombe decisively in the sprints – satisfying, as they had just beaten us over the 1500m course in Senior C.

At neither Worcester nor Birmingham did we win anything, watching King's School Worcester winning Senior 3 at both venues – but at Birmingham, in what must rate as one of our best races of the season, we beat Shrewsbury and pushed St. Edward's 2nds right to the finish, losing by little more than a canvas. The coach, always slightly volatile, lost his voice and his hair-piece on this race. What a tremendous crew! To close the season, we went to Reading Town, meeting three Henley crews on their warm up in two events. Our first event was unsatisfying, Two's rigger was falling off, and our start was anything but devastating: we were beaten by Pembroke College, Cambridge, beating Reading University in a rather slow time. However, in the second event, the School Eights, we met St. Edward's 1st VIII and Salisbury High School from Connecticut USA; we lost by 3 lengths, but it was the fastest race of the day, and we bettered our 800 metre time by nearly 8 seconds. A superb end to a most rewarding season.

The crew have been committed, courageous, tenacious and unbelievably strongminded – whilst always retaining a magnificant zany sense of humour. I have appreciated the season tremendously – sometimes feeling that I was on set with the cast of the musical 'Grease'

Particular mention must go to Andy Rae, a dynamic, witty, fun-loving but aggressive and tremendously fiery stroke – he's a natural... and above all to Simon Austin, the quiet modest Captain who has prompted, prodded, motivated and organised – surely the psychological centre of what has become a particularly homogeneous and unified crew – to all, well done!