Before I ask our guest to respond to what the Captain has had to say, I will, if I may, interject with a few words about Bluefriars and about the Internationals whose success we are remembering today.
I am tempted to say that Bluefriars has always aimed to support Monkton Rowing. I sometimes find that always can often mean in the time of the present Government. Let me assure you that a few things did happen in the not so dim and distant past!
You may have noticed on the list of guests that I sent you earlier this week that all our names were mentioned in alphabetical order. The output of someone with a computerised mind, you might have thought. But it was quite deliberate that the parents, grandparents, current crew, old boys, supporters are all on one list, because they all have their various and different parts to play towards the success of the enterprise. All are Bluefriars - young and old, subscribing or not - though I never miss a chance of saying to those still at school and benefiting from Bluefriars funding that they should sign up, even for a few pounds a year. 'Only when you are rich and famous' (to quote myself) might you consider donating more. I hope the young generation is grateful that older folk have rallied round over the years, and since the Trust was founded have given capital and regular donations so that the Bluefriars Trust now has an income of several thousands a year, which will be used to support youth rowing.
The fund will of course continue to support rowing training at
Monkton as it has done since Charles Grimwade founded it in 1964. I can
announce tonight that the Trustees have decided to offer help by way of
occasional bursaries at Monkton. Details are yet to be worked out. As
well as that we are strengthening links with local rowing clubs, and
encouraging their youth sections. OMs can also benefit from the fund.
I made a rash promise a few years ago that I would always be on the bank to support any Monktonian who rowed for his country. Little did I realise that in 1998 this would entail journeys to Italy for the Coupe where I saw two gold medals won, Austria for the Junior Worlds and a bronze, and Germany for a final in the World Championships - and I had to send my apologies to our man in Greece at the Under 23 event. As well as those successes, one Monktonian was World University Champion in Pairs and high up in World Cup ratings, and another won the Pairs Head Race.
It was only when I came to the annual task of preparing the Bluefriars Newsletter a few months ago that it struck me how very remarkable it was that little Monkton should have helped to produce seven recent internationals. The tradition runs very deep, and goes back to the five Monktonian Olympians of 1948 and before. Last week, I was delighted to receive a letter from Graham Oliver, who rowed in the 1927 MCS 1st VIII. He sent his greetings to the club. We stand on the shoulders of these giants - we should be grateful for our heritage and do our bit to nourish it.
It used to be my custom to send personal end of season letters rather than school reports to parents of members of 1st VIIIs - these were frank, praising where deserved and also sometimes critical. Tonight I break with a longstanding habit of not talking about individual oarsmen openly, to say something about our internationals.
Malcolm Atkins
rowed for England in the European Games in 1954. He has been a faithful supporter of Bluefriars and of these regular dinners, and we are delighted that he is with us tonight.Richard Ireland
has a string of Henley Medals and rowed in the Four for GB at World champs in 1985 and Commonwealth Games in 1986. I always remember him as one of those people who seem not to notice pain - he could switch off external sensations and have a single aim, maintained over a period of years, rather than the flitting from one thing to another which is generally the rage nowadays. I suspect he hasn't lost that characteristic - just catch his determined look, and you will see what I mean. Richard and Elizabeth - thank you for being here tonight.John Davison
- Big John - was captain of the Monkton crew that won a pennant at the Head of the River Race - it is often said that all the other entries sank. Not true! He went on to row at UL and in the GB VIII at World Championships in 1985. He is the gentle giant of this crop of internationals. Like many fine oarsmen, he understates his achievements, and to this day is quiet, jolly, and gentle, except perhaps when he is wielding his knives, saws and hammers at the operating table - and it is with glee that he tells me what fun it is to hack people about! It's good to have him here tonight, as well as Tina and his parents.Jeremy Hepworth
can't be with us tonight. He rowed in the GB Under 23 Eight in 1994 in Paris. He is of a newer generation, who train on the wretched ergo for hours on end, and who have to discipline their bodies to work to modern extremes. He is single minded, and focuses on the job in hand. At international level this focus has to be there throughout training and not just the few minutes before racing. I hope it's still fun! Jeremy is now coaching at Emanuel in London, and he tells me that he is now training not more than once a day, rather than two or three times. Still seriously, if I know him!Rowley Douglas
has coxed in the Under 23s and is now coxing the senior GB VIII. Oarsmen have given him the greatest compliments that could be given to a cox. I was told recently by one of them that many words of wisdom from coaches are ignored completely by crews (some of us are used to that), but if Rowley is in the stern, they will always come off the river having learnt new lessons after a training outing. And another oarsmen said that if Rowley is in the boat the crew it confident that it will go faster. That is real leadership, partly one hopes taught by his various coaches, but undoubtedly partly natural talent. We wish him all the best in his steering and encouragement of the GB VIII. Rowley has rushed from training camp in Nottingham to be here tonight - thanks for making it.Steve Williams
was an outstamding oarsman from an early age, and was an inspirational Captain of Boats at school before going on to Oxford Brookes, like many of our best oarsmen in recent years. From there he has gone from strength to strength. Under 23s, World University pairs champion, finalist in the World Champs, and now firmly in the GB Squad. Good luck to Steve as he prepares for World championships and Sydney. (See article in the current OM Gazette for more details.)I first met Jamie Cox at an ISIS exhibition in Bath about seven or eight years ago. It happened to be my duty spell on the MCS stand, and we had of course fixed that as the only rowing school in Bath, the Boat Club photo had a prominent position, emphasising one of the school's strengths and trade-marks. Jamie was an easy catch: he was small, spirited, and he liked water sports. He was taken with the idea of coxing at Monkton. He has coxed the 1st VIII for three years, and last year went to Italy for the Coupe in the GB Junior B team. His two gold medals were won in exciting races where his encouragement of the crew was a vital ingredient. I hope he makes it to the A team this year, even if the politics of selection is not easy for someone from a small school. Apart from being highly proficient, which must be taken for granted in any cox, he feels for the successes and failures of his crew more than any non-cox can ever comprehend. Jamie - Well done so far, and good luck in the years to come.
Alex Partridge
was a gangly Junior Colt, much bigger and taller than the others in the J15 VIII which I coached in the outings leading up to NSR four years ago. It was difficult for him to get in a full length stroke when others were grabbing only tea-spoons of water, but his talent was clear from early days. He went from there direct to the 1st VIII; then to a medal at National Championships, National trials, where he worried more than the selectors did, because they had spotted him early on. Last summer, he represented GB and won a medal in the coxed pairs (a gruelling event) at Linz in Austria.His parents work in North America, but they came to join a small Monkton supporters' contingent. It can't be many parents who see their son rowing for the very first time in a World Championships! I'm delighted that his mother has managed to be here tonight, having flown in from Newfoundland this morning. I have mentioned tenacity and sheer hard work with the other internationals - Alex shares these qualities - but he also has a sense of excitement and thrill when he is in a fast boat - good luck Alex, both this year in Bulgaria, and perhaps in even in Greece in 2004.
I'm sure you would all join me in congratulating all these internationals on their achievements; we hope that those who have hung up their oars have happy memories of their time on the water, and we wish the current ones all the best as they prepare for world championships, Olympics or whatever. We will be with you in spirit, and maybe even in the grandstand later this season.
So to our guest:
David Prichard
taught at Monkton Combe School BC (Before Cuthbertson), BM (Before Meredith) and even BK (I leave the translation as an exercise for listeners), so he is from well before time began! Before then he had trained with Brian Mawer at Oxford - one of them got into the Blue Boat and the other into Isis. At Monkton he coached the 2nd VIII, whilst one of his colleagues, Philip Denny was coaching the 3rd. Philip sends his best wishes to us tonight, as does Irving Steggles, who was very disappointed not to be here.After Monkton, David ran Port Regis School for 25 years before going on to Wycliffe as Headmaster. Under his reign at Wycliffe, their Boat Club thrived with his active and enthusiastic support (probably beyond that which any Bursar might be comfortable about). Wycliffe is now definitely on the rowing map, and I was delighted that fellow rowing coaches have recently marked this achievement by electing the master in charge of rowing at Wycliffe to be a member of the Kitchin Society of school rowing coaches.
David is an inspiring and encouraging leader of people, and I have no doubt that you will get a bit of that buzz when you listen to what he has to say. David, we are delighted that you and Elizabeth are with us this evening.
The Captain has already toasted our guests, so I will ask you to raise your glasses to Monkton Combe School Boat Club.