Rowing reunion of QMC historians and mathematicians

11 June 2014

Time: 1:00pm
Venue: Burway Rowing Club, Laleham, TW18 1UQ

Trying to find contact details for contemporaries had the benefit of getting in touch with historian Michael Dunn, a ‘lost member of the 1964 Henley coxless four. He has ended up in Australia but was coming over to the UK to visit family this summer. As a result it was possible to set up a reunion afloat. Talking Michael into getting into a boat again after over 40 years needed a little persuasion.

Mathematician David Longley declared he was prepared to risk his knees and David McLaren was sufficiently keen to have a couple of epidurals to take part. On the 11th June 2014, the 1964 four took to the water again. Burway Rowing Club at Laleham provided the venue and the equipment though in a coxless quad rather than a four being less tricky to balance on the calmer up river waters than the Tideway waters of the old university boathouse at Chiswick. Given more recent boating experience, Jeremy Coke-Smyth took the bow steering slot and Michael the stroke seat.

A competing crew had been organised from the Burway nomads but unfortunately one of their number fell out leaving QMC to rule the waves alone. Michael’s and Jeremy’s wives had a launch to follow the boat – and offer first aid in event the strain was too much. However after a nervous start
the crew found they had not forgotten and paddled up to Laleham lock and back at a stately 24 strokes a minute.

Having got the rough stuff out of the way, the crew and camp followers retired to the Bell in Shepperton for a beer (it used to be part of the training regime 50 years ago!), lunch and reminiscence, including about the 1963 History tour to Greece amongst other things.