We are delighted to report the safe arrival of Lily Gayner, a daughter for Adrian and Liz. Adrian has been seriously ill for some months, but between bouts of treatment he has been coaching and working in his new role as Boatman (rather than assistant). We wish him all the best as treatment continues.

Not many months after representing GB in the U23 match in France, Jeremy Hepworth broke his neck whilst in India. He came back in a metal collar, but it was not long before he had recovered enough to get bck in a boat. Latest news is that he is rowing with Imperial College, and is winning medals again.

We record our thanks to Mr Lindsey Reynolds, who coached in the club for four years, and was Master i/c, first during JMB‘s absence on Sabbatical Leave, and then for a second year in 1994/5. Lindsey rocketed from a complete beginner, via a Novice win in a Bluefriars Four at Hereford and within a few months he was the coach of the first ever winner of the J14 Octuple sculling event at the Schools‘ Head. That crew went on to win several trophies during the season. He has now gone to find pastures new outside teaching, and we hope that he has happy memories of his time at the river.

Peter Kirkpatrick died in October. Readers may have seen obituaries in The Times, The Telegraph or the Guardian. The articles reproduced on another page appeared in Regatta magazine. Peter was a great supporter of Monkton rowing. He spoke three years ago at the Bluefriars Dinner at Leander Club, and never failed to be present on the raft at Henley to wish good luck to the Monkton crew as it launched for racing. It was in 1954 (or thereabouts) that Peter entertained a colleague from ICI by taking him and his young family to watch the Boat Race. The son of the colleague (JMB aged about 11) had never seen the Thames or rowing before (having been brought up in a Rugby, Cricket, Tennis playing family), but a small seed of future interest was sown on that day. The Captain of Boats represented the Club and read the Lesson at Peter‘s Memorial Service, held at St Mary's Putney on 19th November.

Other OMs have been spied on the river during the year. As usual, this list is by no means complete: Justin Mumford was Captain of Reading University BC, Kyle Dugdale was rowing for his College in Oxford; Ed Olding, stroking his college boat at Oxford; Julian Coy in the Southampton University 2nd boat; Ben Webb at Royal Agricultural College; Richard Britton at King‘s College London; Edward Hodgson stroking Pangbourne College 2nd VIII; Julian Chalmers at Thames; Tim D‘Oyly at Pengwern. The 95/6 season has started well, with James Pitt rowing in his last year at Washington College; Steve Saunders starting at Reading; Jeremy Morris has been in trials at Caius, and the latest news is that he has a 1st VIII seat, and that his crew was second overall in the Head of the Cam. Fred Perry is at the Royal Agricultural College, where rowing is rather low key.

As has become customary, Oxford Brookes deserves a paragraph of its own: Stephen Williams rowed impressively in the engine room of their winning crew in the Temple Prize at Henley - a fine achievement in his first year there; meanwhile Jonathan Salisbury coached their development squad (helped occasionally by BSM). We were drawn to race them at Hereford, but they had to move up a class as they had too many points for Senior 3. Later, they were very unlucky that faulty equipment prevented them from qualifying for Henley. The latest sad (bad) news from Brookes is that they were disqualified from the Fours Head - rumour has it that they had still not acquired the ability to count their points properly. (JMB remarked that he had no sympathy, and wondered if they had read the comments on this subject which have appeared in the last two or three editions of this Newsletter.)

We were grateful for support from various OMs at regattas throughout the season: Paul Coggins, Alex Peters and Damian King came to the Tideway; Matthew Pearce came to Nottingham and Richard Mumford umpired there.

It was good to see OM‘s of several generations rowing under Bradford-on-Avon colours in the Bluefriars Head Race this month - Jim Dawson (‘65), Alex Maddocks (‘92), Pete Aylward (‘93), David Dickinson (‘69)

Gifts

We gratefully acknowledge generous gifts from supporters. Apart from the regular donations given by many, we have received help towards the new coxless pair recently acquired for training of potential Junior Internationals, and a substantial donation towards a much needed coaching launch engine.

Hosts

We are very grateful to the several families who have hosted crews at regattas during the past year, and our thanks are not only for bed and board, but the encouragement and support that all these families have given to crews: The Jacobs family at Henley, putting up both boys‘ and girls‘ VIIIs; the Perry‘s at Guildford, coping with crews at Head Race time; the Douglas family (1st VIII training week); Chris Askew who hosted a pair which rowed at the Regional Championships at Docklands; the Mildinhall‘s (for Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye); Monmouth School and Haberdashers‘ Monmouth School for Girls; the Whitfields for putting up the Henley crew. The Colts crew‘s morale was boosted at a difficult time for them by a splendid tea hosted by John and Jill Boggis on a glorious afternoon in late June.

Thank you, one and all.

News from Dundas

In Memoriam

We must record that the trusted Land Rover, which did such good service, is no more. It had taken to drink (oil and petrol) in excess, and it has been replaced by a white Mercedes minibus.

Steps

The steps from the boathouse down to the river have been widened and thoroughly renovated. Some older generations (boys and girls) will remember carrying down tons of gravel and cement to enable us to make earlier repairs and improvements; this time the job was done by contractors, and the result is a great improvement.

Reeds

The reeds seem to get worse and worse, particularly in a hot summer. This year, crews had to battle their way through, and full courses became difficult in May and June. A Bluefriars crew which rowed in August regattas enjoyed an afternoon of wading in a very low river, and at least one reed bed is now noticeably thinner!