News & Events
Update to the update 9th June
9th June 2015
Now with race times for BMI on Saturday Full Draw Race Timetable
Alas no oppo for Neil at Mas.C 1x (again!), nor for Bates & French at Mas.B 2-,
but that's more than made up for by:Mixed IM2 4+:
09.38: Cream Puffs vs Gooseberry Fools
14.50: Knickerbocker Glories vs Jam Roly Polies
18.26: FINAL
Nov 4+:
11.01 Semi-final vs Parrs and RUMS,
13.15 FINAL.
IM3 4+:
12.04 Semi-final vs Putney Town and Imperial Medics,
14.14 FINAL.
Nov 1x (Guy, oh yes!):
10.34 Heat vs Putney Town,
15.28 Semi-final,
16.54 FINAL
Mas.E 1x:
11.33 FINAL vs Quintin and Medway Towns.
BBLRC have also got at least a Nov 8 and two Nov 1xs racing
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Sunday 7th Jun 2015
7th June 2015
Good evening,
Focus this week is looking to Saturday's Barnes & Mortlake Regatta (13th). Draw not confirmed yet, but thanks all of you that confirmed availability and flexibility, as a result of which we've got over dozen Cygnets entered in 10 crews. So fingers crossed that as many as possible of the following crews get a race:
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Cream Puffs]: cox Ania W, 4 Sharon L, 3 Cris, 2 Tom B, 1 Rachel H.
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Gooseberry Fools]: cox Anna, 4 Sue, 3 Stu, 2 Jez, 1 Sian K.
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Knickerbocker Glories]: cox Neil P, 4 Dave F, 3 Clare SA, 2 Jo B, 1 Robin H.
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Jam Roly Polies]: cox J Mee, 4 Matt B, 3 Orla, 2, Karen G, 1 Sid.
Nov 4+: cox Sue, Nick R, Robin, Cris, Mike E
IM3 4+: cox Sue, Sid, Matt B, Nick R, Mike E.
Mas.B 2-: Dave F, Nick B
Mas.C 1x: Guy
Mas.C 1x: Neil P
Mas.E 1x: Jez
Given that there should be lots of us around for bits of the day, we've decided to move Neil's boat-fixing Masterclass to Saturday 13th, when people are around the boathouse between races at BMI Regatta. Please make the effort to watch and learn if you possibly can. When Neil moves away, the loss of his boat-mending skills will leave a significant hole (if you'll pardon the pun.
This week
Tues evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
This week's erg: 2 x 6k no higher than r22 - focusing on technique (Rock - opening and closing hip not bending back; Keep shoulders behind hips - when thinking of direction of travel during leg drive; Straight arm leg drive; Keep muscles in shoulders and neck relaxed).
Thurs evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
Thurs evening - post-outing food, tbc
Sat morning - unlikely to be set outings, given BMI Regatta during the day.
Sat - Neil's boat-fixing Masterclass - see above.
Sun morning - outings.
A few brief reminders
Do please turn up on time for outings, and remember that 'on-time' means at least 15mins before the stated on-the-water time. With our current faffing-quotient getting up beyond 15minutes, it's important to turn up promptly so that everything is ready to head off on time, and it isn't all left to the few punctual ones.
There's the Cygnets Bungalow working party starting on Monday 15th, for anyone that can. Please let me or Derek Bush know if you can help out.
And finally, there's still time to put your names down for the House of Lords reception on Friday 17th July. All details are on the website as is a simple booking form. Do it now (although of course, if you miss out on this, you'll only have to wait a quarter of a century for the next one...).
That's all for now.
D
Chris Gates
6th June 2015
Christopher St John Gates - 1934 to 2015
Every successful club needs both energetic and determined oarsmen and also an equally committed team behind them to provide the support to enable them to get on with winning races. Chris Gates, who died on 21st May, was definitely in the latter group - a very committed supporter of Cygnet RC yet one who never sought to be a member of a regular racing squad.
Chris Gates was introduced to rowing during an overseas posting with the Department of the Environment to Ndola in the copper belt of Zambia and was joined in this by his wife, Margaret, who although coming from a rowing family had not rowed before going to Zambia. There were not many opportunities for competition but events were held in conjunction with the rowing club in Harare, then in Southern Rhodesia. This led to rowing on the Zambesi River, which saw then rowing along the international border, requiring crews to carry passports!
On their return to London in 1973, Chris joined Cygnet and Margaret CSLRC (the forerunner of BBLRC). Chris was the epitome of the "casual oarsman", willing to turn his hand to anything and happy to construct scratch crews around whomever was available on the night. Such qualities did not go unnoticed and Chris was soon inveigled into becoming Deputy Captain in 1982, a post he held until 1985. The photograph below was taken later in the 1980s on the occasion of a president's supper with Chris pictured second from left.
Cygnet has often been regarded as a club of administrators first and oarsmen second. Chris Gates was very much of this mould and he was soon in demand as Chairman of the Boathouse Executive. As with rowing, so with managing the boathouse, Chris's conciliatory yet firm approach got things done. However, his rowing days were far from over and the late 1980s found him running the Business House Head, an invitation event for business house rowing clubs including the clearing banks, major oil companies, utilities and London Transport. It was he who arranged for a (victorious) Cygnet veteran Vlll to row as number 100 in 1990 (out of a field of 30-something) on the occasion of the club's centenary.
Chris Gates' move to a DoE posting in Bedford in 1988, to escape the London rat race, was much regretted by the Cygnet casual squad. However, never one to let the grass grow under his feet, he and Margaret were soon immersed in St Neot's RC, where those in authority sought him out to run St Neot's Regatta, an event much-loved and well-attended by Cygnet. Under Chris's five year stewardship, a competitor-friendly atmosphere coexisted with an efficient running order that took challenges such as multiple 'doubling up' by participating crews in its stride.
Even after Chris had passed on the reins of St Neot's Regatta, he and Margaret remained regular visitors, always keen to meet visiting members of Cygnet and BBLRC, until illness precluded his attendance. A memorial service for Chris Gates will be held at St Neot's Parish Church on Thursday 11th June at 2.30pm, with light refreshments afterwards at the nearby Chequers Restaurant.
Phil Brown and Paul Rawkins
A Personal Recollection
As another of the regular "casuals", I was often in contact with Chris. A frequent evening outing was 5 oarsmen in a IV+, with cox and stroke changing halfway. This was not always appreciated by the other 3 as just when they were beginning to dream of a gentle return to the boathouse for a pint a fresh stroke could set a challenging pace. One memorable outing with Chris was in "Non-Sequitur", we fitted well together, neither working very hard, and soon had this light pair skimming over the water. My last outing with Chris was a composite IV- from St Neots RC, when we were joined by Margaret and Rubina Curtis.
It was through Chris that I rowed in a St Neots crew in the Head of the River. One of his crew had not turned up and Chris spotted me settling down in the bar to enjoy watching the race. A plea that I had no kit was answered with "we will find you some", as indeed they did with the final item (a pair of socks) being tossed over as the boat pushed off from the hard.
When Chris moved to St Neots he handed over the running of the Business Houses Head to me. This gave me several year's of pleasure with the opportunity to meet crews from far and wide. It was really rather easy as Chris had established a well organised process. It was from Chris that I learnt the art of organising the draw. To make matters more interesting we set up local matches rather than a strict adherence to the results from the previous year - London Transport (District Line) were not worried where they came, as long as they "beat the buses" (London Transport (DRS)).
The Head gave rise to a useful little earner for Cygnet, probably devised by Chris, - the pennant factory. Having set up a process for cutting and sewing the felt and someone prepared to print the artwork, it was possible to expand the production batch by taking orders for other local heads, notably from CSLRC (as it then was) for the Pairs Head. Clearly this was too lucrative market to continue as Cygnet was undercut and the market was taken over by others.
On winter evenings, Chris took on another task, that of timekeeping for the Club run, which was run on a handicap basis. Once the last (ie quickest) of the runners had left, Chris would set off on a short run of his own, to return in time for the first of the returning runners.
For a number of years, Rubina and I made the pilgrimage to St Neots, to support our respective Clubs and to meet Chris & Margaret. There was Chris at the centre of the organisation and Margaret helping out with the refreshments. Often we ended up in a local hostelry for a meal. Sadly in recent years, Chris' health made it difficult for him to get to the Regatta. The tradition will continue, however, and we have already accepted an invitation to meet Margaret at this year's event.
Phil Brown
