I had four years rowing at Monkton from the 1941 to the 1944 seasons and look back with very fond memories of my years at the school and on the river. In fact I was accused of spending too much time on the river and not enough time at my books. As I left in the summer of 1944 to complete my 'Higher Education' elsewhere, I was deprived of a final season with the Boat Club. I had made the 2nd VIII in 1943, the 1st VIII in 1944 and had been elected Captain of Boats for 1945 but had to forgo this pleasure.

Unfortunately in 1945 I went into the army and went out to India where I developed TB and so my rowing days were over, or so I thought. My organised plans had been that final year at Monkton and then to Cambridge (who knows I may have continued to row with Ian Lang) but finances prevented achieving my goal as my father had recently gone to Nigeria as a C.M.S. Missionary.

John Fooks

My time at Monkton included the last 18 months of the War, followed by two years and two months of peace. I left at the end of the Summer Term, July 30 1947. Manifold memories of joining the Boat Club in Lent Term 1944, leaving the club at the end of the Summer Term 1944. I joined the Cricket Club - a big mistake. I well remember learning the rudiments of rowing on the aqueduct which carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon. We rowed in skiffs and it was called Tubbing. Later on in Summer 1944, I progressed to a four, which was great. I well remember after a stint of rowing in the Summer of 1944, our boat hove to, giving us a well deserved rest. The main railway line to Portsmouth runs parallel to the river. A hospital train passed, bringing wounded servicemen from the D-Day landings on the Normandy Beaches. A few of the less wounded waved to us. I will never forget that sight. We failed in the "Bumps" to get into the Head of the River Race. I was in School House and we had a poor record for Rowing. Dick Hole had little respect for our ability. Being Farm Housemaster, naturally he was used to a very high standard.

My relationship with the Rowing Club terminated at the conclusion of the Summer Term 1944. Why, you may ask, did I leave the Rowing Club? Because of my great love for the game of Cricket. I wanted the best of both worlds; a combination of Cricket and Rowing. I still continued to watch the Head of the River Races, the Bumps and, after leaving Monkton, I did some rowing in hired boats on a Portishead Lake!!

Manifold memories of passing both parts of War Certificate 'A', proudly wearing the red star-shaped badge on the right arm of my battle dress. I served in the Junior Training all the time at Monkton. Another memory was the rendering of Merrie England in the Summer of 1944 by the Choral Society. It seemed to set the mood in 1944, as the end of the War against Germany came into sight. I celebrated the end of the War against Japan in Christchurch during the 1945 Summer Holiday. Field days were fun, we had packed lunches, but never succeeded in finding the 'Enemy'. Major Lace was so enthusiastic!!

Wartime rationing meant weekly butter and margarine in a brown pot, with sugar as well as one month's jam ration (this could be honey), two chances - either the sugary variety.

The occasional air raid livened things up. No bombs were dropped, but it meant a disturbed nights sleep. After the War, the fire in the middle of the night, which destroyed all the studies adjacent to the Quadrangle.

John Maggs