Memories
Some alumni have sent in their own recollections of rowing at Newcastle. Read on for some interesting stories and cracking anecdotes. Then why not send us some of yours?
Tony Gibbs
When I rowed at King’s, we used the brand new boathouse at Newburn, provided by the Central Electricity Generating Board who needed the site of the old boathouse to build Stella Power Stations. The River Tyne was far less clean than now, and the mud revealed at the base of the steps at low tide was malodorous (to be polite). The boathouse was used by King’s College Boat Club (KCBC), Kings’ College Women’s Boat Club (KCWBC) who were upstairs, Durham Medicals Boat Club (DMBC) who were a separate organisation, and Durham University Boat Club (DUBC). Membership of DUBC was by invitation, from the colleges, and King’s had no more privileges than the other Durham colleges. DUBC usually only boated one eight during the year.
The equipment we had was nearly all made of wood, whereas modern equipment is now made from carbon fibre. The blades (wooden of course) were between 6 inches and 6 ¼ inches wide. Since then two changes of blade shape have occurred. In the 1960’s the spade blade was developed at about 8 inches wide and in the 1990’s the cleaver blade which is asymmetrical and also about 8 inches wide. Modern blades are carbon fibre hence black unless painted to look like wood. The blade colour of King’s crews was maroon, and our rowing strip was white with maroon trimmings. No lycra one piece strip in those days. The boats were also of wood, and the same weight and shape as today’s carbon fibre boats. They had a more substantial frame but a very thin skin of cedar wood. This was light but fragile so we had to be careful not to damage it as small splits would develop which leaked water. Also the bow and stern areas which added to the buoyancy of the boat were covered by canvas, and if this was damaged water would fill the buoyancy compartment causing it to sink (not pleasant in the Tyne where it was said you died from poisoning before you drowned).
Rowing is an all year round sport. No doubt the weather is still as bad in winter, and we had to be careful of ice on the Tyne which would soon damage our wooden boats even if the ice was very thin. I remember one Sunday morning having rowed from Newburn to the Tyne bridges, on our return watching the ice form on the neck of the man rowing in front. Our winter rowing was to develop our fitness in between Christmas and Easter.
In the regatta season the college crews were to be seen at York, Leeds, Tees, Chester-le-Street and Durham regattas. No time for university exams in the summer!! We were not able to go to Henley in those days, but the very fast 1958 crew was invited which had not happened before.
Don Lloyd adds:
The name, Tony Gibbs, seems familiar, but alas I cannot put a face to him. We must have overlapped when at Kings, because I rowed from 1958 to 1961, progressively in the King’s Second Eight, the First Eight and then in my final year for the DUBC Eight. As Tony says, you were invited to join DUBC in those days, and there was some cachet attached to this. The DUBC consisted only of the University Eight and therefore could be considered a select club ! The situation is all changed from this now I understand. We had a good season in 1961, winning four trophies and finishing Second in the North of England HORR at Chester and I remember 31st in the London Head a week later, when Nottingham beat us by two seconds to take the University Trophy. It became an annual trauma, seeking permission from the Prof of Mechanical Engineering (Aubrey Burstall), to get the last week of term off, to train on the Tideway, as both King’s and DUBC did.
My favourite memory is being a member of the King’s First Four and winning the Senate Bowl at the University Regatta in 1961. We took “hard” arch through Elvet Bridge against the Medics with considerable damage to blades on a fast flowing stream, swelled by unseasonally heavy rain. Rowing Bow YT; 2 PEK Smith (Pete); 3 Tony Frost; Stroke Richard Wilson; Cox Earl Nuttall.
I have a photograph of King’s Boat Club for the 1959-1960 season with 23 faces and names on it, though Tony’s does not appear. There is not space to list them here.
Mention of the “new” boathouse at Newburn donated by the Central Electricity Generating Board (they knocked the old boathouse down to make way for the Electricity Substation at Stella South) causes a smile because it had no electricity supply for nearly two years ! It had to be brought over the bridge from the North bank.
Having loyalties to both King’s and to Durham gives me a slight problem when watching the annual race on the Tyne. I had better not declare who I shout for !
John Keen
Tideway 1989: The NUBC Men’s novice VIII had a guy in the TA nicknamed “Baby TWIAA”. Going for a paddle from St Pauls on the Friday evening before race day and upon noticing the gates were locked, the crew realised thy would need to pass the boat and themselves over the railings. Baby TWIAA shouted “Hey guys this is where your TA commando training really comes in handy”. To demonstrate, Baby TWIAA ran up to the iron (spiked) railings and using the railings as a springboard placed on hand on top of the railing, thus piercing his hand with iron in the process. Wonderful, needless to say a short notice sub was required!
“Yorkie” was the novice coach at the time and his sergeant major approach to training (he made commands using a whistle) made new rowers think of him as a bit of a psycho. One new naïve novice even commented ‘He doesn’t even stop when there’s blood coming out of his hands’. (circa 1988)
Yorkie’s reputation went with him into many a drinking den where he would often confidently lead a game called “You sir/madam, drink your pint!”. On one occasion at Trent Head (1989) he picked on an unsuspecting Nottingham rower who duly polished off two bottles of ‘Dog’ simultaneously through both nostrils, thus silencing ever indulgent “Yorkie”.
Trent head 1989 – Men’s novice VIII in an old wooden boat called ‘Tenesmus’ finished 5/5 then just as the chips were down, cox ‘Jones’ steered into a scaffold pipe for an impressive sinking – lovely result.
A men’s senior 3 IV, 6am outing on the Tyne 1989. All very tranquil until a large fish jumped out of the river into the 2 man’s lap.
Kidnap of student from Durham University and subsequent parade around the Men’s Bar (Human Beer Trophy 1989).
One Wednesday training in 1990 – NUBC coach (full) on the way from King’s Walk to Newburn. The coach had just pulled onto the bridge when the men’s novice IV beside the landing stages decided to demonstrate, for all to see, the infamous NUBC ‘Eskimo Roll’.
Durham Regatta 1990 – Following lots of beer to celebrate some silverware, NUBC successfully procured the ‘Durham Ladder’ from the commentators footbridge box. When accosted and questioned by the constable, the offending Blue Star quickly stated ‘oh yesh oshifer don’t worry I’m from St Chads – jush taking it back ri’ now’. (To our delight the said ladder was still in the clubhouse when we revisited in 2002).
Durham Regatta 1990 – With the DU ladder safely installed on the minibus roof, that left plenty of room in the back of the minibus for a large barrel of beer (no guesses as to where that came from). Heading down the hill at Scotswood Bridge, 2 budding NUBC silver surfers decided to clamber out the back of the speeding van and onto the roof rack for some surfing practice. The first thing the driver knew was when the barrel rolled out of the back of the van, down Scotswood hill and into the curb causing a spontaneous midnight beer fountain. About 15 NUBC’s took the barrel to shoulders and in memory of the said event duly renamed the old bowloading blue carbocraft IV+ “Shoulders”.
Martin Coopland (President 88-89) adds:
As an addition to John’s description of the night of the bowling beer barrel, I remember it very well. Once we had our barrel back at the boat house we had no means of opening it, so we (No names!) borrowed one of Harry “the boat man” Wilson’s drills and drilled a neat 2mm hole in the barrel in order to access the desired liquid. It was after this that the barrel was dropped from the speeding minibus. The resulting 2mm jet of Federation lager was some thing to see, especially once back inside the mini bus.
I awoke the next day with the barrel sitting in the middle of my living room. Unsure what to do with it, I dragged it down the back steps of the flat in to the service alley and let it gently role down the hill.
The current history section of the website makes me smile, especially the though of Nick Scott rowing in a pair. Must have been difficult to row and keep his cigarette dry!
The Tyne 1990 – The girls were out training in VIIIs and a new guy nicknamed ‘Doug 2’ fancied his chances. The girls ‘easied’ by the stages for a breather. A topless ‘Doug 2’ came down the steps in green combats nad wellies, and grabbing stroke’s blade tried to pull the girls into the stages despite they were still mid-outing. In the end bow IV mnaged to get enough leg drive to pull him into the Tyne.p>
Nick ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Fletcher’s legendary ski-jump – Wearing bright orange fisherman’s waterproofs and drainpipes as ski’s, he successfully skied down the central slope of the landing stage before progressing to the jump and landing phase. This consisted of flipping forward from an already 45 degree forward lean to 0 degree lean lying face down in the Tyne. (Newburn 1990 and never attempted since).
The very same Eddie the Eagle ‘pulled’ at the NUBC summer barbi and after shower antics ended up with his prize dame in someone else’s sleeping bag. They located themselves just next to the small brick hut in the club’s ground. In the region 15 Blue Stars quietly carried the NUBC sofa from upstairs in the clubhouse and sat on the sofa for the perfect surreptitious vantage point. It took “Mr and Mrs Eagle” a good 25 minutes to rumble the other Blue Star’s game. (Newburn 1990).
Miss Harvey ‘funnels’ a whole bottle of red wine to show up all those new NUBC recruits who couldn’t even manage ½ pint lager (Freddie The Funnel (RIP), Xmas dinner 1991)
“Delson” makes his 2nd hole in the Tynemouth Sailing Club ceiling in as many years and gracefully accepts his lifetime ban (NUBC Xmas dinner 1991)
