Somewhat unexpectedly, after a 10 year gap, I found myself as coach of the 1st VIII in 2004 - the 25th I had been responsible for. A little digging in the Minute Books has brought a few memories to the surface which may be of interest to some of the oarsmen involved since 1970 (For each year the captain is shown).
1970 - (Coach 1970-1993 Julian Bewick) - Chris Overton
I entered the 1st VIII for the Novice event at Hereford. "It was quite obvious from about the fourth stroke that we were going to win despite not being quite ready when the Umpire said 'Go'. Embarrassingly easy for a 1st VIIII, and I vowed that I would never enter a Monkton 1st VIII for a Novice event again. I've stuck to that!
1971 - Charles Mitchell
Won Gloucester Head in record time. Lost to Eton I by half a length at Gloucester Regatta. Rowed at Holme Pierrepont in the Summer holidays - one of the first crews to do so on the new course. We had to clamber over fences and through mud to reach the water. I was knocked unconscious at Northwich regatta when my bike found its way into a ditch while I was following a race.
1972 - Tristan Bertie
Hugh Whitfield was Guest at the Bumps Supper. Rowing friendships last a long time - we rowed together in Cambidge, and he and his wife have since hosted Monkton crews at Henley. 1st VIIII beaten at Reading by a Radley crew coached by Peter LeRoy.The Junior Colts VIII was the first Monkton crew to reach a final at NSR for eight years.
1973 - David Lea-Wilson
Came 9th at the Schools Head and were the top non-tideway crew; won Bristol Ariel Head and Avon outright. New Quarter Mile record - 1:10.75. Won at Chiswick Regatta, beating Westminster and Tiffin. Half a length separated the crews in a thrilling race.
1974 - Phil Counsell
Three VIIIs won events at Avon Head, all in record time. 3rd at NSR (before the days of Bronze medals). Beat St Edward's at Henley by 1/4 length.
1975 - Graham Carruthers
New Concrete rafts arrived. 1st VIII won Bristol Ariel Head outright; 3rd VIII won Schools Division. 6th at Schools Head, 55/350 at HORR. Coached at Cambridge training camp by Alf Twinn. Filmed at Henley for Nationwide TV programme. Sunday scullers found a body in the river. Mile Record 5:15; 500m 1:30 1/4 Mile 1:10.25. J Forbes awarded full colours for sculling. 1st VIII tour to Athlone Regatta, Ireland, where we won two VIIIs events and 'Skulls', according to the local paper.
1976 - Richard Gordon
59th at HORR. Captain noted on 3rd May: "JMB in a bad mood, v. noticeable, thus people were nervous about the outing. Balance very bad. Sloppy attitude. JMB got in to cox. Not much better. Went in. JMB dashed off to a Masters' Meeting. Instant feeling of relief throughout the boat." Beat King's Canterbury at HRR, then lost to St Paul's. Won at Bedford in record time, then to a camp and win at Metropolitan Regatta in Dublin
1977 - Dave Marr
1st IV in the summer. Kept losing to King's Worcester. Coaches fault because the rig was wrong. 4th At NSR. Didn't race at HRR.
1978 - Benjie Leach
One of several years we stayed as guests of the Ashton's in the Church Hall at Parsons Green for the Schools Head. Eleanor's breakfasts were legendry. "Quite the slowest 1st VIII that the coach has been responsible for."
MCSBC Centenary: 9 OM VIIIs took to the water; WGRML spoke at the Dinner; Dick Hole's History of the Boat Club was published.
1st VIII trip to Bad Ems in Germany, getting there in one Range Rover only, and greeted by local TV. The Germans were amazed to see a sectional VIII as theirs were all one-piece.
1979 - John Davison
Came 58th at the Head of the River, winning the Senior C Pennant - the first-ever win at a national event. Beat Oundle at Henley, then lost to Pangbourne, when we could have won. Coach noted "No race is decided until the finishing post. and it is absolute folly to pre-judge results".
1980 - Nigel Burrows
As usual, the 1st VIII entered Bristol Ariel Head under Bluefriars colours, allowing other Monkton crews to go for the Schools event. Seven MCSBC VIIIs took part, and three (1st, J16 and J15) came home with penants. Another trip to Germany, this time in two cars. BSM's coaching invaluable this year as in many others. Nearly got lost on the German Autobahn system. One crew man seriously injured by run-away launch.
1981 - Dan Reynolds
1st, 2nd and 3rd VIIIs all won at Bristol Ariel. Fastest time in the first round at NSR, then confidence melted away amd we were 4th in the final.
1982 - Simon Arliss
Record for Internal Head Race 6:15 (still stands). Won Exeter and Bristol Ariel Heads outright. 9/20 in timed race at Henley, so missed the proper race by one place.
1983 - Tim Murray Threipland
Won two Head Races and four regattas. Beat Eton I at Kingston (They had won the Queen Mother's Cup and the PE!). Crew reached Senior A status.
1984 - Chris Askew
Won the first ever Bristol Docks Head Race, rowing Elite. 1st VIII had 13 outings in a six and a half week period of the Lent Term, and other crews had just as much difficulty getting adequate training.
1985 - Duncan Hanton
Won SB VIIIs at Burton, beating the course record. New Empacher VIII bought by the school. Lost to King's Canterbury at HRR in a good race. Won at Burton on Trent during end of term tour, as other MCSBC crews have done.
1986 - Duncan Smith
Two trial VIIIs raced at Saltford. At Henley, 1st VIII stayed level with Eton till Fawley. Won SB VIIIs Bedford and Burton. Richard Ireland rowed for GB in the World Championships.
When was the Great Storm? 1986? 1987? The wind was so strong at Saltford that the VIII was lifted bodily from the water onto the raft while the crew was fetching its oars. Miraculously, no damage done. The ensuing outing was exciting, to say the least.
1987 - Peter Askew
Last year of Easter training in Cambridge. NSR cancelled. 1st VIII beat Eton I at Marlow and got through two rounds at Henley. Pete Askew and Adam Howard rowed in the Trireme, designed by John Coates.
1988 - Owen Lort-Phillips
Off the water for 3 weeks because of 'flu. Easter training at Macon. Won 3 events at Burton in record time. MCSBC won a prize of 2,000 for promoting TSB VISA cards.
1989 - Damien King
1st VIII and J16 VIII both won at Laon (France). Lost to Oundle at Henley by half a length in fastest 1st round heat by 9 seconds.
1990 - Jonathan Salisbury
The last House Bumps Races. Training in Nantes for the first time. Won Sch/J at TVP, beating St Edward's by one foot. Coach remarked that this was no surprise, having seen the Teddie's haircuts. Won Sprint VIIIs at Bedford. Steve Williams was Captain of J14A VIII, which won at Avon, beating St Paul's, Winchester Radley, etc. They reached the final at Nottingham.
1991 - Jeremy Hepworth
Lots of very cold weather in the Lent Term. BSM built a new boat - Neomorph. A snowball went through the bow canvas within days. Rowley Douglas was Captain of the J14A crew. Captain of Boats won S3 sculls at Bedford; 1st VIII lost a final there after a dead-heat.
1992 - James Pitt
Cox was heard to say at a start to 2nd VIII cox (Rowley Douglas) 'Watch and learn'. The 2nd VIII never looked back, and to this day keep in touch with each other. Brasenose College joined us for training Camp in Nantes. New boat bought for us by a supporter. New records: Mile:5:12, 500m: 1:30. Bronze medal at NSR. Half a length separated 1st from 5th. Silver went to St Joseph's Galway, with a young Gordon Reay on board.
1993 - Jonnie Dawson
JMB coxed the VIII on a day when Rowley Douglas was ill. A bad outing! Two men went down with Glandular Fever. Steve Williams and Jonnie Dawson went to trials at Chester. Lack of experience and a heavy boat did not help. 1st VIII did not win any event, for first time in 25 years. Jeremy Hepworth and Pete Alvis, rowing for Oxford Brookes, won Temple at HRR and rowed for GB in U23.
1994 - (Coach 94-96:Godfrey Bishop)
- Steve Williams
Captain had to brush up his French when helping me to find three 1st VIII men who had got themselves lost somewhere in Nantes. Took Steve to Oxford Brookes to see the Boat Club and told Richard Spratley that Steve would be a good investment.
Jeremy Hepworth and Steve Williams won Elite Coxless Pairs at the Boston Marathon in a record time of 3 hours 23 minutes, only 25 minutes slower than Elite Eights. The record still stands today. Most other records have been broken since 1994. Godfrey Bishop sculled the race.
1995 Nick Weldon
1st VIIIs of 1994 and 1995 took GWB out to lunch at Nightingales, after winning at Saltford and Bristol Heads. 'Rowley steered a brilliant course all the way'. 1st VIII beat the 1st XI at cricket. Missed qualifying for Temple Cup by 8 seconds, beating 13 university crews.
1996 - Anthony Prince
The Captain read the Lesson at Peter Kirkpatrick's funeral at Putney Parish Church. Missed qualifying for Henley by 3 seconds. Toby Jameson reckons he was the lightest competitor at the regatta. He is now European Champion in his age category in Duathlon.
199 - (Coach 1997-2003: David Conington) - Graham Mills
Alex Partridge and Toby Jameson ran in the Road Relay race. 2nd to King's Chester at Stourport Head. Crew got into trouble on trams in Nantes for not composting tickets. Serious head-on collision between 1st and 2nd VIIIs at Saltford with Cox Bros steering. Lost to Hampton at Henley.
1998 - Alex Partridge
Crew won at Monmouth while Alex Partridge qualified for GB trials in a pair at Nottingham and went on to win a medal in 2+ in Junior Worlds. Lots of mention of UT2 in the Minute Book. Crew trained hard.
1999 - Alex Partridge
Silver Medal at NSR. Lead Bedford until Fawley at Henley. Alex Partridge and Henry Bailhache on board. The Captain won Kingston Long Distance Trials, then three Gold Medals at the International Regatta in Munich
2000 - Henry Bailhache
Four internationals this year: Henry Bailhache (Junior Worlds - Final), Alex Partidge (U23 - Gold), Steve Williams (World Champion), Rowley Douglas (Olympic Champion). 1st VIII lost at Henley to King's Worcester.
2001 - Joel Jameson
Foot and Mouth as well as floods restricted rowing. Matt Wordsworth injured, and out for the season. Rowley Douglas coached the VIII for day. 2nd at Wallingford.
2002 - Paris Hearn
1st IV, rather than 1st VIII. J15 VIII was the only VIII in the club. They were coached at Wallingford by Steve Williams, but didn't listen!
2003 - (DMC's last crew) - Will Quayle
Four Injuries before Christmas in Senior Squad. 1st VIII, when it operated, was mostly a fifth form crew, but no 1st VIII for NSR or Henley. Captain rowed for England.
2004 - (Coach Julian Bewick) - Ollie Cantwell
Lower Sixth Crew. An outing in a blizzard, watched from the launch by Godfrey Bishop. Must rank as one of the coldest ever. Bow's head was white with snow, and 2, who had 'flu and was wearing a monk's hooded top, looked ghost-like as we (crew and coaching launch) battled through the Aqueduct before abandoning the outing early. Much injury and illness. Two excellent attempts at Internal Head (6:16). Quick in the Summer on home water. Missed qualifying for Henley by about a second.
Girls' Squad, and first ever Girl Captain of Boats, (Ellie Coates) won several events.