Henley 1952 saw the Boat Club's finest hour (so far!) when the VIII came within half a length of Radley in the final of the Princess Elizabeth Cup. With no rowing at all in the Michaelmas term expectations were high when rowing got under way again in January 1953.
The major event on the river was the Lent Bumps. These inter-house races took place over three days about seven weeks into the term and were rowed in IVs with fixed seats. The 1952 finishing order, with Farm 1 at the Head of the River, became the starting order for 1953. On a straightish stretch of water about ¾ of a mile downstream from the Boathouse a series of posts (made from old oars) were driven into the bank at intervals of 2½ boat lengths. Attached to each post was a standard length bung rope the free end of which was held by the cox.
Dick Hole, as chief starter, stood on a mound with a shot gun and fired first the three minute gun and then the one minute gun. At this point each coach who had been crouching on the bank with a firm grip on 2 or 4's oar pushed the crew out from the bank, with much touching from bow and two, until it was as far out from the bank and as far upstream as possible. Timing was all important as the last seconds passed until the start gun sounded and the bung rope was cast aside.
The crew then launched into their start "¾ - ½ - ¾ - full" and the first counted 10 and continued flat out in a supreme effort to close the length and a half gap on the IV in front, and at the same time show a clean pair of heels to the crew behind. The aim was to bump any part of the boat ahead and if this was achieved the vanquished cox had to acknowledge defeat by raising one hand, whereupon for those crews the race was over and both crews pulled into the bank. Epic battles took place around Bad Corner and past the Willow and even into the final straight below the Boathouse. One crew might overlap the crew ahead but skilful coxing could avoid any contact and that meant a safe row over.
On the subsequent day's racing, starting positions altered to reflect the bumps which had been made so giving the opportunity for a crew to make three successive bumps and win their oars. Day by day the results were plotted on the Bumps Chart.
Excitement built up through the week with inter-house rivalry at fever pitch. Lengths of ribbon costing twopence (School - purple, Eddystone - cerise, Farm - light blue and Grange - green) were on sale at the sewing room and virtually everyone sported a rosette. On the bumps afternoons the river bank was crowded and the cheering frenzied.
For the crews - oarsmen, coxes, and coaches alike - the nervous tension at the start was the equal of being on the stake-boat at Henley. Paul Witherington tried to calm School II by reading extracts from Winnie the Pooh and weak jokes were at a premium. Once the first stroke was taken all was well but those last seconds as each crew jostled to get that bung rope taut at just the right second were nerve wracking.
The exhilaration of making a bump was of course matched by the real disappointment if you were on the receiving end - but there was always the next day of the bumps to seek your revenge!
With the races complete the week concluded with the Bumps Supper in the Old Hall. And then on Monday up went the list for the Trial VIIIs - from fixed seats to slides and from IVs to VIIIs.
Ken Gibson (Stroke of School II)