Let me introduce myself, my name is Caroline Bone and I am the new Alumni and Information Officer for Monkton. I met JMB at a wedding recently and let slip that I did a spot of rowing whilst studying for a Sports Science degree in Bedford and he asked me to write a few words for your magazine.

Having sailed for many years and then having canoeing and windsurfing as parts of our course I thought I would add to my water sports adventures by giving rowing a try. Once I got used to travelling backwards and having to concentrate more on my oars than the passing scenery the only thing to distract me was the occasional flock of swans. We had all been warned that these creatures were not always too pleased to share their space and that unwitting rowers trying to avoid their advances had been known to capsize their boats!

Happily our boat always remained upright but alas my rowing career was short lived with so many sports to choose from and an injury to my lower back I was lured to other pursuits. However one of my nieces took up rowing whilst at Cambridge and spent a lot of her four years there on the river. Who knows if the next generation after her takes it up maybe we will have a serious competitive rower in the family.