8 August 2020
By Lionel Bailey
In his show-and-tell piece, Lionel Bailey remembers some of Tideway Scullers Greats, and maybe not so great oarsmen of a past decade.
Göran Buckhorn’s request for personal rowing memorabilia has left me strangely reticent. A, hitherto, unknown modesty has come over me regarding my own trophies, but the above photograph is very dear to my heart and may ring bells in other oarsmen of a certain vintage.
The photograph was taken in November 2015 and shows many of the great, and not so great, Great Britain International oarsmen of the late ‘60s. Some were my contemporaries, others my schoolboy heroes. All of us, predecessors of Bob Janousek’s illustrious squad but, in our own eyes, just as worthy. This, annotated, framed photograph, hangs in pride of place in my home and, I believe, another is to be found in the Tideway Scullers School clubhouse.
Hello Scullers, does anyone remember your eight practicing 500m sprints at my Grandfather’s timber yard in Southall on the Grand Union Canal. This I arranged between myself, Wayne Smith and Lou Barry. Mid sixties would be the time!
Yours in anticipation Stephen Wise. Thames Rowing Club.
Stephen,
I well remember the outings on the Grand Union, though I don’t recall the wood yard but, it was 50 odd years ago !
My memories are , in the summer of ‘69, rigging the eight in a field off the A312 , manhandling same across to the canal, then rowing 500 metre pieces so Lou and Alec Hodges could time us and see how we fast we were on still water conditions. Incidentally, have not seen or heard of Wayne for ages. Last reports were of him living in Australia.
Regards ,Lionel Bailey .