12 October 2025

By Tim Koch

Three weeks ago, when reporting the passing of Chas Newens, I noted that:

Sometimes clichés are unavoidable and the sad loss of Charles George Newens must be described as “the end of an era”, Chas being the last of the old school Putney boatmen and watermen.

The eulogy was given by Jeremy “Rass” Randall, a former Master of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames.

Here, I will intersperse pictures of Chas’ cortege with extracts (in bold italics) from Jeremy’s splendid tribute to his friend of half-a-century.

Rass Randall:

I should start by saying that I received strict instructions from Julie that I am not here to make you sad, but rather to share memories of one of life’s happiest people. 

I don’t want to be the cause of any heart attacks either, as looking around this church today, I see that many of us are swirling round the same plughole.

I have known Chas for fifty years, many of you have known him longer. His was a great life, and it was a surprising life. It takes a great life to fill a church like this….

Charles George Newens, better known to us all simply as Chas, was born on the 10th February 1942 to Charlie and Sally Newens at Kingston Hospital… 

After the war, father Charlie returned to oar and scull making, then got a job as Boatman to Imperial College BC, a role he held for 42 years. Mother Sally, was employed to look after the building, but we are told often mothered the students as well…

Chas was no academic star; his education was cut short at age 16 when he had to take over his dad’s role at Imperial. Charlie had been stoking the boathouse boiler when it backfired, inflicting serious burns putting him out of work for over a year. As the family lived in the boathouse flat, Chas had to take over to preserve the family home.

Thus, a young Chas got to know all the boatmen along the Embankment, and this began his relationship with rowing, not only as a skilled boatman, but also for his knowledge of the river and notably the start of his experience with the Boat Race.

When (father) Charlie was able to resume his duties at Imperial, young Chas and a mate set up a business moving racing boats. This was long before sectional boats and trailers, when boats travelled to regattas on trucks. It did not prosper, and various jobs followed, notably selling biscuits, and later furniture polish…

(Later) Chas became the European Sales Manager for Chrysler Marine which introduced him to power boat racing, for which he blamed his damaged knees…

In March 1978 Chas was… asked to fix an outboard for the Civil Service RC, when he returned the engine, a young club member, Julie, who knew a bit about engines, was delegated to meet him, and give it a test run.

Whilst on the river a storm forced them to shelter under Barnes Bridge. Eventually returning to shore, scruffy mechanic Chas left, and Julie went on her training outing… On her return she was met by a scrubbed-up Chas who arrived in his fancy red sports car and asked her out for a drink. 

In September 1978 Chas and Julie, now ‘an item’, set up Chas Newens Marine, mainly trading in boats, outboards and engine repairs. Julie still worked for the police and helped with the business in her spare time, and they took over the iconic Edwin Phelps workshops on the Embankment.

Chas and Julie married in Richmond in October 1979, and as life and business partners set about building up the business. They gradually took on more responsibility for the Boat Race facilities, picked up ever more film jobs, and expanded the retail business….

The business meanwhile went from strength to strength although Julie reports that they had very different approaches…. Chas being the entrepreneur, left Julie to figure out the details! 

It was during this period that Chas demonstrated his entrepreneurial skill in setting up Crown River Cruises with his old mate Bob Prentice. A wonderful example of Watermen’s heritage, as their two fathers had been great friends and their two sons were well-used to each other’s ways….

Away from work, it will come as no surprise that Chas was a very active Freeman of the Company of Watermen & Lightermen of the River Thames, later joining the court and being elected an extremely popular Master in 2001 

Chas was also very proud to be elected a member of Leander Club way back in 1997, and he crossed quite the hardest hurdle, qualifying under the undefined ‘Services to Rowing’ category and who could deny his amazing service to our sport. He had some awesome support, his proposer was Oxford President Duncan Clegg and his seconder Cambridge President Mike Sweeney. Chas started out driving the press launch.

Those of you who knew the rowing correspondents of that era will understand just how well he fitted into their, let’s just call it, good living culture. He ultimately graduated to driving the umpire’s launch and with a world-wide audience of millions, many of whom were self-declared rowing experts, I never heard a word of criticism about the course of the umpire’s launch….

Chas was in the words of Mike Sweeney “inextricably involved with Henley Royal Regatta, where three of Chas’s launches Majestic, Panache and Pommery gave service as the iconic umpires launches.

Chas had endured many health challenges, always with fortitude… Sadly, he never completely recovered from his second knee replacement three years ago…

Julie, we all know how much you loved Chas and the care you gave him, you must know that he was terribly proud of you.

We have now lost Mr Tideway or Mr Boat Race as he was affectionately known, and Chas will go to be buried alongside his beloved parents at Putney Vale Cemetery….

The last words should be those of his great friend and colleague of over forty years, Bobby Prentice: The great thing about Chas is that if you needed him, he would be there.

At one end of London’s Long Room, a TV screen played a series of pictures from the Newens’ family album. Here are just a few.

Finally, the proverb written on the sundial on St Mary’s 15th-Century tower applies to all of us, but it seems particularly appropriate for Chas.

Chas was well-known for all his work on the river, but he was also concerned for local causes, and left instructions that anyone wishing to make a charitable donation in his name would be invited to support a local food bank covering the Putney and Roehampton area: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rod-murray-1