Time: 14.30. Date 25.04.09. Place: Leander Club, Henley. Event: Monkton Bluefriars R eunion Day in celebration of Steve Williams' and Alex Partridge's Beijing achievements.
First off: the big race! Alex Partridge had invited a formidable OM line-up to challenge the 1992 2nd VIII to a race over the last 500 metres or so of the Henley course. Getting the '92 2nd VIII together was no mean feat in itself - Duncan Gambrill flew in especially from Houston, Texas (where he now lives and works) whilst Henry Cutmore did the same from Nice, France. In a pre-race huddle on the Leander lawn together with this ageing coach, nine other teeshirt (printed for the event by Nick Cross and provocatively proclaiming the still held '92 2nd VIII school 500 metre record on home waters of 1.25.625) wearing thirty somethings with wives and children in attendance. Olympic champions Steve Williams and Rowley Douglas had been junior (5th and 4th form respectively) members of that '92 2nd VIII and despite their subsequent successes, the pre-event spate of e-mails between them, other crew members and coach, not to mention the broad smiles all round on the day itself, seemed to belie the seventeen years since they last rowed together. In another huddle, Alex Partridge (current world champion) with a collection of generally fitter looking and heftier chaps plus a female French cox (Alexandra Girard from OUBC and Nantes) were going through their own race plan.
With JMB as umpire all would no doubt be well. On the pre-race warm-up, the 2nd VIII disappeared from view whilst Alex and his crew grew increasingly restless at the start. 'Typical delaying tactics,' grumbled the Partridge VIII, little knowing that an over enthusiastic four man (Rob Mitchell) in the 2nd VIII had already tested the breaking strain of his rear rigger stay by catching a whopping crab in a practice start above Temple Island. The aid of a canoe borne and rather churlish (anti-rowing) river warden was sought to ferry spanners across the river and the two crews eventually lined up for the start some twenty minutes late. The 2nd VIII (disabled rigger notwithstanding) went off with their traditional flying start and took about a third of a length, Rowley Douglas tried sending Alexandra Girard for a closer inspection of the Bucks bank but she was having none of it and her heavier crew began to pull back. The race then developed into a ding dong battle with both crews taking the lead in turn and finishing (we DO believe you JMB!) in a 'Dead Heat'. Frenzied cheering from the many supporters and onlookers on the bank, exhausted (save for Steve and Alex) but grinning faces in both boats - a great result to a much anticipated contest and a great curtain raiser for the evening ahead.
Video screening of the aforementioned race in the Leander bar allowed participants to share their race anecdotes with guests arriving for the dinner later. Sixty plus Bluefriars then sat down to an excellent dinner with guests of honour: Di Ellis CBE (Chair of the ARA), Steve Williams OBE and Alex Partridge. On display were five Olympic medals won by four Bluefriars present: Mike Lapage ('48 VIIIs - silver); Rowley Douglas ('2000 men's VIIIs - gold); Steve Williams 2004 and 2008 (men's coxless IVs - gold); Alex Partridge '2008 (men's VIII's - silver). A highlight of the dinner was the presentation by Di Ellis to Julian Bewick of the ARA certificate and medal of merit in recognition of his lifetime services to rowing. Steve Williams regaled guests with a witty recap inter alia of '92 second VIII memories, putting ex-'92 1st VIII man, Justin Mumford 'on the spot' though he took it all with good humour.
The extra spice provided by the pre-dinner racing and the camaraderie of old crews getting together helped to make this a hugely enjoyable and memorable occasion. 'Definitely a pattern to be repeated,' was the general consensus.
'Really looking forward to it - should be a fantastic day. Best Steve.' (e-mail from Steve Williams before the event).
'Thanks to Steve and Rowley for making an old crew look not too bad at all.' (e-mail from Rick Britton afterwards).
Finally, a huge thank you to Steve Williams for arranging everything at Leander and to JMB for organising the whole day. May future Monktonians have similar cause for such reunion and celebration.
A lasting memory: Mike Lapage standing on Henley Bridge early on the morning after the dinner and looking wistfully down the Henley reach: could he have been reliving that '48 Olympic race one wonders? Probably. Godfrey Bishop