(bow E Olding, J R H Ormand, T Davies, J P L Morris, R G Davies, S D Williams (Captain), A J J Perry (Secretary), Str N P Weldon, cox J R A Douglas. Coaches : Mr G W Bishop, Mr J M Bewick, Mr B S Mawer)
Clearly, the 1994 season was going to provide a different pattern from previous years with JMB supposedly 'away' on sabbatical and LAAR holding the reins as Master i/c. After a succession of years where there had been strength in numbers in the senior squad we were now reduced to ten trialists from which to choose a IstVIII. However, after a disappointing season in 1993 it was clear from the outset that Stephen Williams as Captain, along with the remaining Colours, was set on instilling a determination into the squad which would more than compensate for other deficiencies. I accepted the responsibility to coach the crew confident that something unexpected could be achieved with such a committed group. Through the two rowing terms a number of my non-rowing colleagues commented on the cohesiveness and dedication of the 1st VIII who, to my mind, demonstrated just what the sport can provide for those who engage in it. The crewmanship developed was second to none - it generated a keen sense of purpose, strong bonds of friendship, a great deal of enjoyment and took the VIII through to a number of unexpected victories and not least straight into the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley for the first time in many years.
Rowing has been an important part of Monkton life for well over a century. Because the school is not near the Thames or does not have grounds which sweep down to the Avon there is always a danger of 'out of sight, out of mind' but those who either followed the 1994 boat throughout the season or who merely saw it at National Schools' or Henley wouldn't have failed to be impressed by the qualities which it demonstrated. All those who rowed in the boat made sacrifices but would, I'm sure, testify to the considerable benefits which they gained from being in the crew, including a wealth of experience which was not anticipated beforehand. The wider Monkton rowing community which stretches back to eminent pre-war Blues through to rising stars such as Jeremy Hepworth (Captain in '91 and a G.B. under-23 international in '94) will be heartened that Monkton can still produce quality crews and we can only hope that within the Club itself there will continue to be a sense not only of that tradition but also the will to uphold it. Although now retired from full-time schoolmastering, JMB continues to support not only the 1st VIII but through his stewardship of Bluefriars the welfare of the whole Club. Without the help of LAAR, JMB and BSM my task would have proved impossible and I believe that the 'team' approach to coaching is a good formula.
The last few weeks of the Michaelmas term 1993 had seen an increase in the support for and intensity of land training by 1st VIII trialists and the Lent term began with only ten serious contenders for seats in this year's boat. Clearly, there was not a lot of weight amongst the trialists nor any senior points in open competition with the exception of the Captain's. Initially, trials were held in matched IV's at Saltford which helped to spot where the relative strengths and weaknesses lay and also provided the necessary flexibility during the inevitable absences through the A-Level Mocks so that considerable progress and a reasonable mileage had been achieved by the first outing in Richard Blake on 22nd January leading to the culmination of trials at Stourport HOR on Saturday 29th. January. The Captain and Coach agreed to racing two different orders in the morning and afternoon divisions where the only real competition in VIIIs was provided by a well-advanced Shrewsbury senior squad. The morning combination rowed a solid race at a steady rate and proved marginally faster than the afternoon crew who approached the road bridge three abreast with Shrewsbury 1st and 2ndVIIIs rowing some five strokes per minute higher in rating but not moving so much water. Everyone agreed that it had been a worthwhile exercise going to Stourport and it was very useful to make a final selection on the basis not only of trialists' profile in training but also on the evidence supplied in race conditions.
The crew selected placed the heavier oarsmen in the middle of the boat with the two lighter pairs in the stern and bows. At only 16 years of age Nick Weldon must be one of the youngest selected to stroke the boat for a number of years whilst Rowley Douglas thankfully remained light enough to enter his third successive season coxing a senior boat. There was strong support for continuing all training on the Saltford stretch of water. The need to cover as many miles as possible in the Lent term has been heightened of late by the tendency of other schools to train their senior oarsmen for three rather than two terms and a timetable at Monkton which further restricts the number of outings each week. The constant turning and fast water conditions at Monkton make long 'steady state' work virtually impossible whilst at Saltford the crew was never prevented from boating despite constant rain throughout the term and outings averaged more than ten miles in length.
It was decided to split the crew into pairs for the purposes of land training so that outside the boat (three to four outings per week) it was possible to get in at least two other sessions including 30 minute or 4,000 metre work-outs on the ergometer, steady-state runs and carefully constructed weights circuits. The benefits of this rigorous land-training programme became quickly apparent. By 5th February the crew had taken delivery of a new Aylings VIII to replace the flawed Titfield Thunderbolt and so for a while further concentration was needed to cope with a much finer craft especially as the conditions at Saltford seemed to deteriorate outing by outing as the westerly winds and heavy stream combined to produced mountainous waves in places. Morale remained good and it was clear to everyone that good progress was being made. On balance it was thought more beneficial to have a good rest for most of half-term rather than proceed with further training but the crew gathered together at Henley on Wednesday 23rd. February and quickly got back into form.
Unfortunately the Head season did not start on Saturday 26th February as hoped owing to the cancellation of Henley Schools', but thanks to the quick action of LAAR a very worthwhile training session was organised with The Oratory School for the whole Club. It was somewhat ironic that we were able to race The Oratory on The Thames quite safely only a few miles above Henley but we live increasingly in an age where bodies outside the sport decide whether or not it is safe to compete. In a ten minute row we proved equal to The Oratory whilst in a final 750 metre race to their boathouse we came out the winners by 1/3 of a length. This was an encouraging result against a crew that was unchanged from the combination which had pipped the '93 Monkton VIII in the Henley Qualifiers and had had the benefit of training through the Michaelmas term. It was gratifying to see the crew steadily improve against The Oratory through the Heads despite their attempts to beat Monkton on each occasion.
The fillip provided by the success against The Oratory was obvious in the following week's training at Saltford leading up to Reading University HOR on 5th March - one of the classiest events of the season (organised this year by Justin Mumford (OM), who has just been appointed President of RUBC) . It was good to see so many OMs rowing, including two in the Oxford Brookes crew which finished third overall). The crew rowed superbly, overtaking Latymer Upper 1st VIII and fighting off a strong challenge towards the end of the course by the Eton trial crew (which eventually finished result and a great encouragement to the crew who had fought hard from the first stroke. At the City of Bristol HOR the following day the crew finished fifth overall and set a new record for School VIII's despite the rapidly worsening conditions through the day which made comparison between the divisions a nonsense. It is a shame that the event cannot be organised so that all crews in the same category race at the same time but to press this point would sound too much like sour grapes, I'm sure. The fact of the matter was that in virtually impossible conditions (especially for a lightweight crew) the VIII still managed to achieve a creditable result.
In the interim between City of Bristol and Kingston the crew continued to battle away in mad March winds and rough water, putting in the mileage and keeping morale high despite cold, wet weather which would keep most 'normal' people inside. The worst conditions were experienced on a late afternoon outing with the University of the West of England. Having established a good rapport with this crew it was a true test of guts when at the end of the first five miles (during which time UWE proved their superiority through weight and experience into a squall of a headwind) the crew turned round for a second dose of the same medicine but gradually showed that they had a higher level of fitness so that after ten miles of being lashed by wind and drenched by waves there was much less between the two crews.
The crew now moved into the final phase of the Head season: Kingston on 19th March; The Schools' on 23rd March and The Tideway on Saturday 26th March after the end of term. Kingston produced a very encouraging result: starting 72nd, the VIII finished 32/96 crews and 2nd. in the Sch/J category behind Winchester. It was a warm, sunny afternoon and a great spectacle to see Monkton overhauling the crew ahead of them within the first minute of the race. The next crew to fall was a German VIII which had obviously not understood the rules of the race and it was not until the Monkton cox had unflinchingly placed his boat to the immediate right of their stern that finally they moved to left and allowed the crew to pass and proceed to overtake three more crews down the four mile course. Things looked well placed for the Schools' the following Wednesday.
Thanks to the warm hospitality of the Perry family, the crew were able to rest and eat well before both of the main Heads. Sometimes the placing in a start order has a major impact on the result and this was certainly the case for Monkton this year at the Schools' H.O.R. where an inept Canford 2nd VIII (why on earth were they placed in the 1st VIII's starting order?) baulked our crew in the early stages of the race and the Eton crew which finished rhythm at a crucial stage in the race before Hammersmith. To finish 30th of 125 VIII's was a slightly disappointing result but the spirited battle down the last reach with Winchester Ist.VIII showed that the crew would not give in after early setbacks. There was a general acceptance that luck had not been running Monkton's way when it was most needed.
The last day of term saw the crew back on the road to Guildford to pick up the trailer from in front of chez Perry and then to the Tideway on the eve of the Boat Race and main Head. Regular stroke Nick Weldon was replaced for this event by former Captain of Monkton and Brasenose College, Oxford, Peter Askew, who gradually converted those behind him to a considerable change of rhythm during the course of long outing between Kew and Putney. Morale was high before the race and it was possible to experience the Boat Race atmosphere at Putney before boating from Chiswick. It was a wonderfully sunny afternoon and the reconstituted crew did exceptionally well to catch the Swiss VIII ahead of them and move up from 213 to a final placing of 168. More importantly, it was a really enjoyable week's racing with a fine crew spirit both on and off the water.
JMB and BSM took the crew to France for the usual Easter training camp. Lots happened! On the way out by Ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo, some of the crew got in conversation with a group of Scottish Rugby players, who had a butterfly knife that seemed worth playing with. No harm was meant, but in an accident one of the crew suffered a deep cut to his thumb, which needed a couple of stitches. The ship's sickbay was already occupied by another young man who was very much the worse for wear, having drunk too much, so the ferry captain was none too pleased. He was considering diverting to Caen because of the drunk man. I was not woken up (even though my cabin number was known) and the school later got a phone call saying "badly cut boy - ferry nearly diverted". It sounded as if the MCS crew had been rioting, but in fact they behaved excellently throughout the trip, apart from one incident when training rules about bed times were not adhered to - of which a little more anon.
The road trip to Nantes was finished speedily, so we were there in time for a picnic lunch, sorting out of accommodation, and a rest before going on the water at tea-time. The weather was cold and unpleasant throughout the week, and outings were made less than usually useful by a strong northerly wind which kicked up unpleasant conditions on the Erdre. Most of the training was taken up with learning technique over long distances. Suce was visited twice (only once in most years), and the crew made good efforts throughout their stay.
After the outing, we returned to the houses to cook an 'at home' supper of pasta and bolognese, which had been prepared and frozen in England. During this exercise, we suffered the second of our upsets. The cooking arrangements are somewhat primitive (as expected in a holiday cottage), and one of the electric rings we were using turned out to be faulty, so that it tripped the earth leak switch in both the houses and an adjoining lecture hall. One would have thought that it would be easy to find the fuse box, but in the end we were defeated and asked Lionel (our host) for help. On this occasion, as on several others, he was with us in minutes (even though he lived about 5 miles away), and he came attended by the President of the club and the man responsible for the houses. One of the two houses had no switches, but we discovered a very large electric distribution box in the drive - the sort that you need an act of parliament to open in England. All our French helpers were defeated like we were until someone just opened the distribution box which was unlocked, and threw the switch giving us light again. Supper followed in relays, using just one pair of rings rather than two.
The following morning, the whole crew (a clean bunch) decided to shower. A fatal error! The shower was upstairs, had a very small tray and had no curtain. The bathroom floor leaked. Net result, water everywhere, and fairly quick grumbles from the 'guardian' of the house. (Meanwhile JMB and BSM - in the other house - had also taken showers, but years of experience of French plumbing together with a quick mopping up kept us out of trouble.) After that, the crew showered at the boathouse, and the coaches took occasional very careful showers at the house.
We had two long outings on the Tuesday and the Wednesday, and good progress was made. The crew listened well, and tried to put some new ideas into practice. Thursday morning was left free. While the crew went shopping and having a wander round town, the coaches re-rigged the boat for plastic oars which were used in a short outing after tea.
We then suffered another problem. One of the oarsmen complained of a splinter stuck in his eye, which did not dislodge itself for several hours. Once again we called Lionel, and he was soon with us, along with a medical student-oarswomen who had a look at the eye, but quickly decided that hospital was needed. We arrived there at about 8 pm, and a few rowing connections soon got us past any queue there might have been. The offending piece of metal was removed, and the eye tidied up within the hour. Full marks to the French NHS. It is worth mentioning here that for the first time in many years most of the crew got down to some academic work on most days. It all goes to show what a common sense of purpose will do.
Friday was a full day again, and the crew was clearly wanting more work, not less. The afternoon outing took us to Suce, despite the bad weather conditions. The crew was on the water for about four hours, with a short break on the bank at Suce. Lots of technique learnt under the guidance of BSM. It was the Captain's 18th Birthday, so we went out for a 'posh' meal. Most crews are hesitant about eating French food, but this group took the plunge, and five of them had frogs legs, which were devoured down to the last morsel. Two bottles of good wine were appreciated by everyone, and it was altogether a very happy evening.
The first of our two regattas was held on the following day. Our race was against three university crews, and we came 3rd, not very far behind the first two boats. The weather was, for a change, pleasant and warm.
On that evening, the coaches took our host and his family out to supper, and then went to a concert of Russian music given by the University orchestra. The crew meanwhile had the evening in town. Six of them were safely tucked up in bed by the time the coaches got back from the concert, but three others were late back, which did not go down too well, as we had another regatta the next day. This was organised by the town club, who were kind enough to give us lunch. It was interesting to meet a crew from Libourne (which is twinned with Wansdyke) at this meal. Many of the races at the regatta were cancelled because of the conditions, but our race in Junior Eights went ahead. We came 2nd out of 3.The wind remained strong for our last day, and another outing to Sucé, and it was difficult to achieve very much. However, the crew battled against the elements, sometimes finding shelter near the bank and in shallow water - so shallow that we knocked the fin off halfway through the outing. Tidying and packing were completed quickly before a final meal out in Nantes. Up at 0500 the next day, and an easy journey to St Mato. The ferry produced an excellent meal ('eat as much as you like', which the crew certainly did!), and we arrived back at MCS at about 8 pm.
JMB and BSM continued with the coaching for the first two weeks of the Summer term, and took the crew to Wallingford before handing back the reins to GWB again.
After long distance and technical work done in France, the crew had an enforced rest from the eight for a few days immediately on return to school, when three of the crew went on a Biology field trip to North Wales. The first outing in term therefore took place just a week before Wallingford on Sunday afternoon, boating from MCSBC boathouse for the first time. (Training in the Lent term had been at Saltford.) There had been little time before this outing to think about starts and racing, so the whole emphasis of the day and the week was to think of rowing effectively at higher rates of striking. This transition from Head Race work is never an easy one, but the crew grappled with it thoughtfully. As usual, they listened well to coaching, and tried to apply the ideas presented to them. The crew did not find it easy to start at or maintain a high rate, so practices during the week saw only a gradual acceleration. Even by the time of Wallingford Regatta, they were not happy to settle at anything above about 34 - high enough, some might say, but not too early in the race. Monday's planned outing was cancelled because of various clashes, so the crew had useful individual tanking instead, followed by a crew tank and a long run. As usual, good efforts were the order of the day. BSM coached on Tuesday (JMB away in London), and he concentrated on technique, and the continual efforts that have been made to combat a droop down to stroke side which has been frustrating both crew and coaches for some time. Ill habits die hard, and this fault, which not only looks bad, but slows the crew, proved particularly difficult to eradicate.
Fitness had been improving during the week by short but gruelling gym sessions at lunch time, so Thursday's outing was delayed until about 3 pm. Starts, race technique, tens all had to be covered in one outing, and the coach at least felt like a teacher trying to cram keen students for an exam. The willingness was there in abundance, but Wallingford was only one outing away, and we were not really ready. However, it is always the same with the first regatta, and we loaded the boat knowing that there was much experience to be gained at the first of the Thames regattas. On the Friday evening before the regatta, a small gathering of OMs and parents met for dinner at Leander Club, and were glad of the opportunity of passing on good wishes of supporters to MCSBC through the Captain, who joined the party for a while. Speakers after the dinner were Jeremy Hepworth and Peter Alvis, who won at Henley last year.
The first race at Wallingford was at 1015, in Senior 3 Eights against Worcester College Oxford. Opposition at this stage of the year is variable and unknown, so we didn't know what to expect. Our start and the first 500 metres or so gave us a good lead of up to a length, but in the closing stages of the race, Worcester made steady gains. They were about half a length down when they passed the coaches about 300m from the finish, and were certainly a major threat. It was just the situation where an effective legs ten would keep us a way from trouble, and it seems from the bank that an attempt was made. However, despite valiant efforts, neither the rate nor the work appeared to improve when it was needed. (Perhaps the best analogy which explains why the efforts did not bring an extra turn of speed is the motorist who attempts to overtake another car simply by pressing hard on the accelerator. All that happens is that the engine splutters, and refuses to move faster. A change of gear must be made to increase speed.) Monkton stuck to its somewhat plodding row till the end, and got home in front with a third of a length to spare.
The next race was in Sch/J Eights about half an hour later against a crew from St Edward's Oxford. (Colts or 2nd VIII?). This was an altogether tougher contest, and we knew that on form the Teddies crew was the faster one. We were also faced with the second round of the Senior 3 Eights not long afterwards, so this race was an awkward one to plan. It seemed right to go off the start as fast as possible, and let the Captain, stroke and cox review the situation (as they always have to) during the race itself. In the event, Teddies had a very fast start indeed, and we were left behind immediately. After about 1000m we were two to three lengths adrift, but rowing quite well. It was a good opportunity to try a gear change legs ten to see if it had could gain us any ground. The coach was just about to succumb to the temptation of coaching from the bank when the cox ordered exactly the right move to give the crew practice in this technique. It worked, and despite losing the race, it had been a useful experience. There was then a short break at our usual watering spot just below Wallingford Bridge, away from the hussle of the regatta boating area before the Senior 3 race against City of Oxford, who were fresh from a bye through the first round. The coach went into more detail about gear change tens, and sent the crew on their way down to the start. By the time the race came into view, Monkton were just over a length down on Oxford, and rowing in their wash. The Oxford cox was, I think, incompetent rather than cunning, and steered across into our water. We could have taken a wide course, but the Monkton cox correctly stayed on station. A sharp and effective burst might well have given us a bump, and Oxford could then have been disqualified. At the coach's viewing point about 300 metres from the finish, Oxford had clear water, but had returned to their station. The Monkton crew had as usual taken in what the coach had said, and now understood more about gear change tens. They did a succession of effective bursts each of which gained ground. It is unusual for Monkton crews to have the gumption to come up from behind like this, and they deserve much credit for showing the determination to make this extended push to the finish. Half way down the course, it must have crossed their minds that they had lost. Passing the enclosure, it must have occurred to them that they might win. Never give up in a race; always row positively and assume that you can force a win.
Positive thoughts -
- do actually win races.
However, this time it was not quite to be.
On reflection after the race, the coach wondered if we should have raised an objection, because Oxford's steering cost us more than three feet. Some clubs and some schools would have objected, but it was right that Monkton accepted defeat gracefully. So much had been learnt during the day, and winning is not everything.
The crew was eager for more work, so we loaded the boat, and went off to Henley for a quiet paddle. Hopes were to be disappointed, because the Royal Regatta landing stages and reach were littered with holiday makers and their boats. We retreated back to Monkton where the boat was unloaded and rigged in readiness for the following week's training.
After all this very positive and successful day, we arrived on the Farm Yard, where I spied what appeared to be a group of travellers who had taken up station just outside the library. They were watching (perhaps too positive a word) the idiot box (out of doors) on this glorious afternoon. Three times came the question:
The group turned out to be Monktonians. Maybe the question was answered by someone, but the answer if given was of little consequence, because we had a successful day in so many ways. Of course we would like to have won more than one race, but much had been achieved.
GWB took over the crew once again after Wallingford extremely grateful for all the work put in by JMB and BSM to ground better technique into the crew before the intensity of regatta training and racing. In the week before Avon County the crew both continued lunch- time fitness training and began interval training over 500 metres. From splashiness the crew began to have more confidence in its ability to connect in the right way and together and there were two rather good pieces in the last session before Avon County. At the regatta the VIII produced excellent, controlled rowing to dominate Bryanston II by completing the course at a much lower rating and two lengths ahead before disposing of Eton III (who had beaten Monmouth I in the first round) in the Final by three lengths. This was a very encouraging result and much appreciated by all who witnessed it.
After Wallingford the Captain and Coach increased the intensity of land training: 'Brassknockers' and drungs becoming a normal wind-down after even the most rigorous of outings in the boat plus pyramid circuit training in the gym at least three lunch-times per week. By Shrewsbury Regatta on Saturday 14th May it was clear that the crew was amongst the fittest on the circuit. On the water training moved to alternating 500 metre intervals with first 1,000 metre and then 2,000 metre pieces with a steady reduction in times despite the moderate stream and difficult wind conditions. After another early breakfast the crew wound its way to Shrewsbury for three hours to race in Senior 3 and School/Junior VIII's. With eleven strong crews in Senior 3 it clearly would not be easy to win the event especially with the presence of a strong Shrewsbury 2nd VIII on their home water and the fact that Monkton was also to row against the Shrewsbury 1st VIII which had come 4th in the Schools' Head as their semi-final in School/Junior. When double-entering it is important to try and maximise the rest periods between races so it was especially annoying when our first round opponents in Senior 3 (Stratford R.C./King Edward VI Stratford) were ¾ hour late for the first race thereby greatly reducing the rest period before taking on Shrewsbury I. In an average row the first round of Senior 3 was won by some 2½ lengths and then the crew had to decide whether to go all out to beat Shrewsbury or to conserve themselves for the next round in Senior 3. It was decided to 'have a go' at Shrewsbury and if still in contact at the half-way point to fight it out to the end. This coach could not believe his eyes when from the Kingsland bridge he saw the two crews round the first bend neck and neck with Monkton rowing at 39 strokes per minute with a power and rhythm not seen thus far. A conveniently placed photographer snapped the crew as it produced a strong 'Merak' away from the bridge and pressed Shrewsbury all the way to the finish, losing by only 1½ lengths: a magnificent achievement. Boosted by the standard of rowing they had now achieved the crew outclassed first Shrewsbury 3rd VIII beating them by 3 lengths and then Shrewsbury 2nd.VIII by 2 lengths to win the Final of Senior 3 and increase the points score in the boat from 2 to 10. The roller-coaster had begun with two successive regatta wins in the early part of the season. In the following week the crew entered the build-up period for National Schools, increasing the intervals from 500 to 1,000 metres. A diversion on Thursday 19th May was a very civilised boat-naming ceremony with Mr B as guest of honour and Mrs Ball naming the new VIII after him. JMB clearly enjoyed coxing the crew on a ceremonial row past as the ceremony concluded and the light relief afforded by the occasion was a good tension reliever as the crew faced the challenge of National Schools. After a relatively trouble- free season so far, illness began to affect the crew in the few days before National Schools' and although it was only necessary to cancel one outing there was still a worry in my mind that it would be critical if any member of the crew was not on top form for the Child Beale Cup. For the first time ever, the Child Beale and Championship VIII's at N.S.R. were rowed over 2,000 metres: on the plus side this provided a better preparation for Henley but on the minus side it meant that the necessity to row the 2,000 metre races at either end of the day resulted in more than half of the best crews at the Regatta being knocked out before most of the spectators had arrived. It was also physically demanding to row two 2,000 metre races within an hour of each other: something which is not expected at international level. Anyway, Monkton survived the first round, qualifying quite comfortably behind Eton but alongside Bryanston and King's Chester with St.Peter's, York, eliminated. The semi-final proved to be a quality race but with Monkton drawn in the worst lane (6) in terms of keeping in touch with progress down the course. The race developed into two separate battles fought on either side of the course: Monkton 'winning' the fight between lanes 6,5 & 4 whilst Oundle fought off Emanuel and King's Chester in lanes 1,2 & 3 some 3/4 to 2 lengths ahead of Monkton. There was a feeling that the crew, in destroying Monmouth and overhauling the Winchester crew which had repeatedly beaten it in the 'Head' season had achieved considerable success in what was a fine piece of tactical rowing but I felt that the hints of illness had taken the edge of the power which had been demonstrated two weeks before at Shrewsbury at the expense of a possible medal. In the circumstances, the result was more than satisfactory and possibly good enough to avoid the pre-Henley qualifying races. From NSR, the crew moved to its half-term base chez Williams in Cheltenham for Monmouth and then Hereford regattas. It was on the journey to Cheltenham that two areas of sickness made themselves quickly and forcibly apparent: firstly Julian Perry whose vomiting had reached epic proportions by the time we got to Worcester and secondly the Land Rover which managed to leave a trail of black smoke behind it and consume oil almost as quickly as petrol. "Some have greatness thrust upon 'em" - one moment you're a Junior Colt anticipating a possible pot in J15 IV's at Monmouth and then, after an early-morning call from the 1st VIII coach to your Worcestershire billet, you're racing in the number 3 seat in the 1st VIII. It was disappointing to lose to a false-starting Monmouth crew, keen for revenge after NSR on their home water, by a mere length but it was a tribute to Graham Mills that the margin was not greater and that Monmouth did not realise until told later that Monkton had had to reshuffle with a J15 substitute on board. Despite a mammoth 14 hour sleep, Julian Perry was only just fit enough to row the following day at Hereford but with the crew having enjoyed the kind hospitality of the Williams as well a numerous games of croquet on the rectory lawn there was a general determination to come away from the bank holiday weekend with some reward. In the first round of Senior 3 VIII's the crew managed to struggle home some 1/2 length ahead of Thames Tradesmen but clearly more would be needed in the Final against Oxford Brookes. Not only the 7 man but half the crew were clearly unwell with considerable coughing and spluttering around the Monkton trailer. Here was one of those occasions where 'crewmanship' took over: with 7 determined to row the Final the others, well or not, determined to give something extra and that's just what happened two thirds of the way down the course where, countering a spurt by Oxford Brookes, the Monkton VIII raised and kept its rate of striking at 40 through to the Finish. Monkton won by 1/2 length; Oxford Brookes wondered what had hit them; Julian Perry was lifted from the boat - exhausted but ecstatic and the crew realised that they had moved up in status from Senior 3 to Senior 2. Surely this is rowing at its best, enjoyed by those who have learnt to take the rough with the smooth ? The crew now entered the most difficult phase of the term: examinations and pre-Henley training. The illness had undoubtedly taken some of the sharpness away from the crew and this was compounded by the difficulties of training through the examination period. After the first wave of examinations, the VIII double-entered Sch/J and Senior 2 VIII's at Bridgnorth Regatta on 11th June. Racing the Shrewsbury 2nd.VIII, beaten so convincingly when at peak fitness and form it was disappointing to go down to them by 1/2 length though they were clearly still on a 'high' after their gold medal win at NSR but there was revenge in the Final of Senior 2 VIII's which Monkton won in much more promising style against a composite Shrewsbury crew by 1½ lengths: thereby achieving the fourth regatta win of the season. In most years the next fortnight would have seen a number of attempts at records on home waters but unfortunately the combination of above-average stream and unfavourable winds made this impractical so no record attempts were made. This allowed the crew to concentrate on preparing for Henley whenever the examination timetable allowed. Obstacles below and above the 'A mile tree made the early part of the course difficult but consistently accurate steering by veteran Rowley Douglas overcame most of this handicap and increasingly promising times were registered in worsening conditions. It was a tremendous fillip to the crew to receive the news that it was not one of 13 crews being made to qualify for 5 remaining places in the Henley Draw for the P.E. so that after a Thames Valley Regatta which produced a win against King's Canterbury but defeat against Cheltenham and the American Brookes School VIII it was possible to move to the boat tents at Henley, enjoying the privileges of a 'qualified' crew. Once again, examinations militated against consistent training but benefiting from the unrivalled facilities of the Pitt household (James Pitt was '92 Captain and is currently rowing for Washington College, USA) the crew had sharpened up considerably when it was necessary to return to Monkton on the Monday of race week. The best piece of rowing in practice had been a fast Barrier time against old rivals U.W.E. although I had clocked rivals Bryanston going off the start at a rating of 50+ - clearly the start was going to be crucial and whilst Bryanston were able to stay at Henley on the Monday and Tuesday before the race, unfortunately Monkton had to return to Monkton for 36 hours with Julian Perry only completing his last A-Level examination with two hours to spare before the race. Once again, the crew were to benefit from outside hospitality for the duration of Henley provided at the peaceful home nearby of ex Monkton 2nd VIII and Isis oarsman, Fergus Murison, where a more aggressive form of croquet was pursued when not on the water. There is nothing quite like sitting on the stake boat and looking down the length of the boomed Henley course towards the enclosures and the church tower in the distance. Nor can one underestimate the nerves in the crew as the elegant umpire's launch slides into position for the start. Canford did rocket off at 50 but Monkton, though a length down by the 1/4 mile -signal, did not give in easily so that between the Barrier and the Mile marker boards little more than 1/2 length was gained. Monkton could have rowed a longer more powerful stroke but being behind tends to make a crew shorter and scrappier unless they are very experienced but even so Monkton pulled back on Canford between Fawley and the Mile. Typically, the crew threw everything into fighting the opposition rather than play for a comfortable-looking finish so that it was a crew which had raced to its limit that came in some 4¼ lengths behind against what turned out to be one of the strongest domestic crews at Henley, going out in the next round to the winners: St.Paul's Concord,U.S.A. In retrospect, the second phase of the Summer season didn't quite come up to the promise of the first but overall it was an unexpectedly successful year. The crew were unlucky to lose the rhythm needed for success at the highest level when illness and examinations made setbacks inevitable. Throughout the year though it was obvious that the whole crew was enjoying the experience of training and racing in the lst.VIII and no-one can take away from them the memory of the 'high spots' which will continue to stir their memories for a long time to come. It was typical too of JMB's loyalty to the Club that he had the energy and enthusiasm to take a Bluefriars VIII with only two changes from the Henley crew to row at Burton Regatta long after the end of term in the most relaxed and sociable of training camps provided by the Morris family at Denstone College in Staffordshire. Even over the August Bank Holiday members of the crew could be spotted rowing in the City of Bristol Senior I crew: when a sport begun at school becomes a true enthusiasm afterwards, then surely one of the main purposes of sport on or off the curriculum has been achieved.