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T he T rusty S ervant
Winchester Match: on Saturday 17 th
June 2017, the sun shone brilliantly
over New Field, resulting in a fine
display of panama hats and red faces,
and guaranteeing an excellent day of
entertainment for parents, OWs and
even the boys, who manned a huge
number of stands, sang, played different
instruments or exhibited their art. This
fifth Winchester Match ran extremely
smoothly, a testimony to the hard
work of Giles Munn, Master in Charge
of Sport, and Kim Larcombe, Head
Groundsman. Lords and 2nd XI both
won their matches against OWCC, by 45
and 49 runs respectively.
CCF Parade
Winchester Match 2017
Fathers v Sons Boat Race
Robert Killian-Dawson reports: it was at
Monkton, on the Avon towpath, that I
first tried to chase my son’s boat on foot.
Not a good idea, even with a novice
J14 crew! Breathless, I stopped after 50
yards, committing myself to what are
euphemistically referred to as lifestyle
changes.
Four-and-a-half years later, early into
Winchester Match, I was sitting at
number four in a Boat Club VIII. There
were six dads, plus one mum as cox.
Not only was she the only woman; she
was the only one of us to have sat in
a competition rowing boat prior to a
handful of Sunday-morning practice
sessions.
Above: New fellow Stephen Cobb
Top right:
Viv Nutbeam with Rob and Ann Tillard
Right: Stuart Watson with Jane Hands
Beside us the 1 st VIII looked on
incredulously as we adjusted our shoes
and blades. Our only hope of winning
was for them to capsize from laughing.
We were in for a taste of what they had
gone through to become one of the top
schoolboy crews in the country, but
we had a trick or two up our sleeves.
Perhaps as a practical lesson in the
power of cultivating contacts, we had
inveigled OW Olympic Gold Medallist
George Nash into our boat, alongside
US under-23 Silver Medallist and team
coach Dara Alizadeh. Sometimes one
takes whatever help one can get.
Above: Patrick and Margaret Stables
Right:Alastair Stobart and Robin Fox
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