On reading the post on FHBCs record 13 bumps in 1962 which included Michael Bucher’s recollections Ken Drake had the following response:
Dear Dan and Michael
It was good to read the account of the record breaking 1962 Lents Fitzwilliam 3rd crew in the Billygoats Society Newsletter. Whenever I have an opportunity when chatting on the bank between the races in the Lents or the Mays or even the Town Bumps which take place in July I explain that the record for these races is what which was achieved by this incredible crew. Another of its members was Robert Perkins who joined the Over 60s Reunion Crews I organised until recently and it was great for me to get to know someone who was actually in that boat and to hear his tale.
He told us that no one expected much of this crew and certainly not the overbump which happened during their first race. There was no one booked to act as bank party when the crew rowed again 45 minutes later and the then Captain, David Knowles, happened to be there and available so he took it upon himself to act as the Bank Party. He was, according to Robert, a real slave driver and he made the crew row flat out all the way in spite of the bumps which were taking place ahead of them. As a result they gradually got within reach of Lady Margaret VI and caught them to record the first ever triple overbump.
For the last of our Over 60s Reunion Rows we managed to get Robert and his bullying Captain, David, together and included in the account of the crew’s extraordinary records which was published in the Fitzwilliam Journal in 2015 you will find a photograph of them.
What I did not know until reading Michael’s article and enclosures was that this particular crew was the lightest men’s crew in the Lents that year. I was also unaware that the actual boat used by the 3rd VIII was really needed by the 2nd VIII but the 2nd VIII had to borrow one at rather short notice. My calculation of the distance made up by making a triple overbump is 16 1/2 lengths (7 distances between the boats of 1 1/2 lengths = 10 1/2 lengths and 6 boat lengths = 6 lengths) – that’s 330 yards (in old money) and that’s a very long way!
It is good to know the Christian names of the crew as well as their initials, surnames and weights which appear on the blade and in Michael’s article. All these details appear in this table.
Full name Name on Oar Weight Position in crew
George Beale G B Beale 11.10 Bow
John Brown J R Brown 10.7 2
John Parle J W Parle 10.00 3
Chris Fordyce C A Fordyce 12.6 4
Simon Davis S A Davis 12.2 5
David Latchford D J Latchford 10.10 6
Robert Perkins R J Perkins 10.10 7
Michael Bucher M J Bucher 10.8 Str
David Cuckson D M Cuckson 8.12 Cox
I wonder would it be possible to publish the names of the crew on the group photograph taken at the Fitzwilliam Museum (in the previous post)? David Cuckson is obviously at the front sitting on the grass but it would be nice to know the names of the back row from left to right and those seated on chairs from left to right. It is interesting that two of the coaches are wearing white blazers. They were certainly not white in 1957 so when during the five year period 1957-1962 were they introduced and why?
That crew was indeed the first ever to make a triple overbump, a feat which has been equalled and indeed exceeded since as in 2018 Mays the Magdalene IV crew did the first ever quadruple overbump, which meant that they moved up nine places in one day which is one less than the Fitzwilliam crew. That Magdalene crew made two other bumps but rowed over on the third day thereby failing to qualify for their blades if that college obeys the same rules which now appear to be common throughout most of, if not all, the colleges that you have to bump on each day to qualify.
What the article by Michael Bucher does not say is that there is in the College cafe bar an oar commemorating this wonderful achievement. It is like any of the other oars except that they bumped, overbumped and triple overbumped so many crews that instead of their names being on the blade they are inscribed on the loom.
Here are the photographs of the blade and the loom:
I have only just realised that there is an error on the loom. Can you see what it is? (update – I sent it to John Jenner and he found another error on the loom that I had not spotted so there are in fact 2 errors on the loom). As Loyd Grossman used to say in “Through the Keyhole” the clues are all there, or at any rate in Michael’s invaluable contribution to our knowledge of this extraordinary achievement. I wonder if the oars of those members of the crew who have them are correct or are as the one illustrated here?
Ken Drake
Let’s have a quiz: who can answer Ken’s questions about matching the names to the faces in the photo, when the white blazers were introduced, and the errors on the loom? Answer in the comments.
Hello, my Dad is George Beale who was the bow. Dad’s going to be 90 in the next few weeks and is still enjoying cycling and improving his house! An ongoing project. Best wishes, Nell
Nell, do give your Dad my very best! I’m going strong at 10 years less than him! I too cycle!
Bob Perkins
Hello Bob, I will do. Keep cycling !! Have a lovely weekend, Nell
Dad’s on the top left. The handsome one 😀
In 1961 we were all beginners with no rowing experience. We were still in the old Fitzwilliam House that year but we did have our own boat house. Our coaches in the rowing club were experienced rowing undergraduate students who were determined to make Fitzwilliam a top rowing college and with the support of the college. The coaching of the 3rd VIII by the students from the college makes them winners as well as the 3rd crew. It was the beginning of the rise of Fitzwilliam to Head of the Lents and the Mays 8 years later. Three of the 1962 Lent 3rd VIII rowed in the 1st VIII in the 1962/63 year.