Yesterday, alongside CUBC and CULRC, CUWBC flooded the wet dock at the site of our new combined boathouse in Ely. The plans for the new combined boathouse are a world away from the facilities, or lack of, that Vicky Singh, nee Markham, CUWBC President 1973 and 1974 remembers, in her memories below. I'm also pleased to say our weights and ergo training has progressed since then and I don't have to spend time cycling around Cambridge looking for coaches (although they have been known to sleep through their alarms).
Vicky Singh's memories:
When I was President of the CUWBC there were no ergos in
Cambridge. In 1971 we learnt how to row in a dark blue bank tub moored outside
Trinity 1st&3rd boathouse where our boats were then
housed. We only had two, one a clinker eight and the other a shell eight, given
by a former President’s mother. They were called Persephone and Marguerite.
Canon Duckworth at Churchill coined the phrases, 'Perspiring Persephones' and
'Sweaty Betties'. (There had been a major controversy in the sixties as the
CUBC wanted to ban women from rowing in the same Bumps division as men as there
was a widely held feeling that it provided a ridiculous spectacle. Canon
Duckworth had led the successful campaign in support of the women.)
At first we had to change in the open bike sheds at Trinity,
but from 1973 were allowed upstairs to a small room that contained a toilet, some hooks and a
couple of metal beer barrels. Anyone remember the bemused boatman, Frank?
My friends and I in
Newnham were recruited as first years by a dark haired sporty looking Newnham
graduate who came round the rooms. The mature club members who were all post
graduate and who had been very successful rowing together needed to recruit
undergraduates or women’s rowing was heading for disaster. I don’t remember the
Boat Race in 1972 but we were running women’s rowing soon after it. The big
development that changed the history of women’s rowing at Cambridge came in
Michaelmas1972 when Clare, Churchill and Kings took female students for the
first time. There was then a situation where girls had access to their own
College equipment, boats, boat house and coaches. We started boat clubs in
Girton, New Hall and Newnham that were separate from CUWBC and held a Fours
Regatta in 1973. The increase in numbers was a natural development from there.
I can’t remember trials being an issue in 1973 as it was a
question of finding eight women and a cox who were prepared to arrive
punctually for 7.30am outings without the benefit of mobile phones to remind them. And they were always there. This
was the beauty of Cambridge rowing where rowing as a women’s sport seemed to be
self selecting so that only the highly motivated and efficient, usually busy
scientists with a 9.00am lecture, came forward. The crew that year was made up
of 3 Newnham 1st years, 3 2nd years, a 2nd
year from Girton and a New Hall post graduate (Jane Kingsbury).
There had been very little socialising between the men and
the women but I was fortunate enough to have a good friend going out with the
President of CUBC, Chris Baillieu, and so we were invited to his CUBC tea
parties and fraternisation began. I remember a lot of time was spent cycling
around Cambridge trying to find last minute coaches for various crews. We
managed to persuade, David Maxwell, an Olympic silver medallist, to coach the
Blue Boat. His friend , Philip Howard, wrote for The Times and came to the 1973
boat race which was held in Cambridge.. We beat Oxford in 4 mins 7 secs on the
Cam and our picture was on the home page of The Times. (Who was President when
women’s rowing became accepted as a sport and made the sports page?)
It was decided that
some land training would be a good idea and we went to Fenners which was a very
basic gym owned by the university. The male coaches were so nervous about
straining us that we were started off with empty bars and no weights.
The 1974 Boat Race was held at Oxford, as they alternated
between the two rivers, and again , we beat Oxford in 4 mins 8 secs. The crew
in 1974 had 2 Churchill 2nd years, 3 Clare 2nd years, 2
Newnham 2nd years and 2 Newnham 3rd years. As competition
between the Colleges intensified the need for objective trials became
necessary. But still no ergos, training
trips to Ely or financial support from Corporations .
Congratulations to all those who came after and have
achieved such incredible heights of international excellence and gender parity.
 |
| The current squad at the Ely break through |
