We were delighted to hear of the Engagement of Liz Prideaux and our Boatman, Coach, Boat Designer, Grove House Tutor Adrian Gayner on 4th October. They are planning to get married in the School Chapel on 8th December.
(Seen pinned to the door of Bedford Modern School Boathouse 1st VIII Room.)
'We trained hard - but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation.'
One of our members, David Warren, is sponsor of the world's first ever all female Rally Team. The driver, co-driver, event co-ordinator and four mechanics are all women.
"What impresses me is that they take it extremely seriously, more so than some of the male teams. They are professional in their attitude and in the way they work."
Penny Mallory, the driver of the car, says, "It's the perfect starting point for us to learn the ropes and gel into a professional team. I am not interested in just competing. I am going to get to the top, and that means beating the men's rally teams fair and square."
Last January, a watercolour painting of the Dundas Aqueduct was commissioned by Mr.J.M.Bewick. This painting was then used as the master for a limited edition colour print which was published in June. Sales of the print have gone well so far and profits made will go to Bluefriars funds. Prints can be ordered for £25. Samples of four different frames, priced between £20 and £45 are on display at school.
The Aqueduct
Dundas Aqueduct is named after the first Chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company, Charles Dundas. Designed by John Rennie, it is a splendid example of the combination of utility and beauty. Built of Bath stone and opened in 1805, it carries the canal over the river Avon and the Bath to South Coast railway line. The boathouses of Monkton Combe School Boat Club are situated on adjacent land. The aqueduct was restored in 1984 by British Waterways with help from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and that section of the canal was then opened. The whole length of the canal was opened by H.M. the Queen in August 1990.
The Commission
In January 1990, Julian Bewick, who has coached the 1st VIII of Monkton Combe School Boat Club for the twenty-one years 1970-90, commissioned Charles Robinson to paint a picture of the Dundas Aqueduct. The sale of prints of this picture is being handled by Monkton Bluefriars Boat Club, one of whose objects is to raise funds which help members of the school boat club to take part in regattas and training expeditions during school holidays: any profits made through the sale of prints will go directly to this fund.
The Painter
Charles Robinson was born in west London on New Year's Day 1932. He studied at Ealing and Nottingham Schools of Art; then he started a career in graphic art during 1954. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's he worked as a freelance illustrator for both national advertising and publishing houses, specialising in figurative work and nature subjects. In the 1970's he began to concentrate much more on the fine arts.-He has painted and exhibited widely in England, specialising in landscape and bird subjects. He now lives in Bath and exhibits in a number of galleries. He works mainly in watercolour and acrylic.
The Print
The original painting, which measures 47cm by 33cm, was scanned electronically: this process resulted in the four plates from which the print was made. These plates were destroyed after the limited edition had been produced. The prints, which measure 39cm by 28cm, are on 230 Chromomat board. The printing was carried out on 24th May 1990 by Andrew Brown using a Ryobi 520 machine at the Ralph Allen Press, Bath. A numbered certificate will be issued with each print.
We were very grateful this year to several OMs and other friends of the club for letting us have unwanted Henley tickets which were used to take the whole of the 1st VIII into the Enclosure after they had raced; we were also able to entertain the hosts who put the crew up for over a week at the regatta.