Göran R Buckhorn writes:

On 20 May HTBS posted an question from Paul M., who was asking for information about boat builder and oar maker G.F. Winter of Eton and Windsor. One of HTBS’s most loyal reader, Malcolm Cook, replied to me that information about Winter could be found in an obituary about Winter published in the 1911 Rowing Almanack and Oarsman’s Companion. Many thanks to Malcolm, and here follows the obituary:

Mr G. F. Winter, the Eton and Cambridge boat builder, died on Aug. 13 [1910] after a short illness in Princess Christian’s Nursing Home at Windsor [see image of the building here], at the age of fifty-nine. Mr Winter was apprenticed to the boat-building business at Messrs Searle’s [sic!], Lambeth, and afterwards went to Cambridge. He went to Eton about a quarter of a century ago, and his premises were largely used by Eton wet-bobs, many famous oarsmen boating from his rafts. He took the times of the Eton races, and had a good deal to do with Lower Boys’ boating. He was much missed at Eton. During 1909 he was in failing health, and went to Bath to take to the water for rheumatism. He seemed much better afterwards, and was at business until short time before his death, which came rather suddenly. To Etonians “Winter” was an institution at the riverside, and his knowledge of the Thames and boating was very complete. When he went to Eton there was an old bouthouse owned by Tolladay. This was pulled down, and the present extensive premises were erected by Mr Winter, which he always placed at the disposal of the executives at the Windsor and Eton Amateur Regatta, the Eton Excelsior R.C., and Eton and Windsor Humane Society swimming and diving races.