2 February 2026

Interview with Hugh Maltby

Rowing is often said to be “in the blood,” and that is certainly true for one family whose connection to the sport spans four generations. Bedford Rowing Club President Hugh Maltby shares his family’s remarkable story, which dates back to the nineteenth century and includes success both on and off the water – with four generations claiming victories at Henley Royal Regatta.

Hugh explained to HTBS that his great-grandfather, Harry Nisbet, was part of the Pembroke College, Cambridge crew coached by the legendary Steve Fairbairn, which won the Ladies’ Plate in 1886, beating Eton College in the final by half a length in a time of 7 minutes 17 seconds. This was the first time the College had savoured victory at Henley. It was also the first occasion on which the ‘New Course’ was inaugurated at Henley, with two crews rowing side by side, starting on the Buckinghamshire side near the bottom of Temple Island and finishing at Popular Point.

Harry’s son, and Hugh’s great-uncle, Robert “Archie” Nisbet, was a prominent member of the Putney rowing fraternity during the 1920s. Archie rowed for Pembroke and occupied the bow seat in the eight that lost to the Thames Rowing Club in the final of the Grand Challenge Cup in 1923.

In 1924, after leaving Cambridge, Archie joined London RC and soon became Club Captain. In 1927, he teamed up with Terry O’Brian to win the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup at Henley. The following year, Archie and Terry were selected for the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, where they claimed the silver medal behind the German crew in the pairs event.

The 1920s and 1930s marked a golden era for London RC, following Steve Fairbairn’s departure from arch-rival Thames. At Archie’s invitation, Fairbairn moved to London, and the club soon achieved spectacular results at Henley winning the Grand Challenge Cup four times in the 1930s, the Thames Cup three times, and the Stewards’ Challenge Cup twice.

Although Archie didn’t row in the Boat Race, he coached the Blue Boat in 1935, when they defeated Oxford by 4½ lengths. The Cambridge crew included Ran Laurie who would become Olympic gold medallist in 1948 and father of actor Hugh Laurie, who himself rowed for Cambridge in the 1980 Boat Race. Archie was undoubtedly instrumental in the success of both Pembroke and London RC, with each enjoying considerable achievements during his involvement. One of Hugh’s most memorable moments was receiving the Jackson Trophy from Archie in 1992, after his Bedford Rowing Club crew recorded its highest-ever finish at the Head of the River, finishing ninth overall.

Archie’s sister, Nancy, married Olympian Charles Rew, a stalwart of Thames Rowing Club who was in the Thames crew that beat Archie in the final of the 1923 Grand Challenge Cup. Charles was coached by Fairbairn and rowed with the legendary Jack Beresford at Thames. Charles won the Wyfold Challenge Cup in 1920 and 1922, and the Grand Challenge Cup in 1923. Charles’ Thames eight was selected for the 1924 Olympics, where they finished fourth behind Italy, Canada, and the USA, who won the gold medal.

Archie and Charles’s nephews, Richard and Michael Maltby, who were both educated at Bedford School, followed Archie and their grandfather to Pembroke College, Cambridge. Richard arrived at Pembroke at the same time as his school companion James Crowden, who would later go on to represent Great Britain at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, while also recording wins in the 1951 and 1952 Boat Races before coaching Cambridge for the next 20 years. While at Pembroke, Richard won the Ladies’ Plate in 1951 and the Visitors’ Challenge Cup in 1952 and was awarded a Trial Cap for CUBC, although he was not selected for the Blue Boat.

Michael went up to Pembroke in the autumn of 1956 and soon established himself in the first eight. Henley 1957 saw his Ladies’ Plate eight win the event, and later in the day, half the crew won the Visitors’ Cup – a rare double. Michael would often tell Hugh that in those days’ crews were able to keep the trophies. Unfortunately, in an act of exuberance, Michael dropped the Visitors’ Cup from the balcony of Leander to a fellow crew member, who promptly dropped it putting a dent in the 110-year-old trophy. Apparently, thereafter the Stewards kept a much tighter grip on the trophies.

Following his success in 1957, Michael came to the attention of the CUBC coaches, and particularly Crowden. He trialled for the 1958 Cambridge crew and was selected for the Blue Boat in the stroke seat. The towpath pundits expected a Light Blue victory, and that’s exactly what happened, with Cambridge winning by five lengths in the second-quickest time recorded since the start of the Boat Race in 1829.

In 1959, Michael once again won the Visitors’ Cup and was elected President of CUBC. A rebellion in the Oxford setup was sparked by a clash over coaching philosophy and leadership. After the loss in 1958, several returning Oxford rowers, led by Yale graduate Reed Rubin, pushed for adopting American-style training and even proposed replacing coach Hugh “Jumbo” Edwards. When Rubin narrowly lost the OUBC presidential election to Ronnie Howard, he formed a rival “pirate” crew, including top rowers and an Olympic champion, demanding autonomy and a showdown for selection rights. Howard refused, with Michael and Cambridge backing the official crew, and Oxford college captains supported Howard, leaving Rubin isolated. Ultimately, Rubin withdrew, ending the mutiny and reaffirming traditional leadership over radical change. Oxford went on to record a six-length victory.

Hugh told HTBS that he grew up with a picture of his father’s 1958 win on the wall in his study, but there was no sign or trace of any pictures of the 1959 race! Michael went on to coach Pembroke at numerous Henleys alongside Crowden, including the 1974 Visitors’ Cup win when Pembroke beat Christ Church, Oxford, in the final. Two years later, Pembroke reached the final of the Ladies’ Plate, losing to Trinity College, Dublin. After the 1974 win, Hugh recalls the crew throwing his father, fully clothed, into the Thames in celebration – something that, as an eight-year-old at the time, was difficult to fathom why! Hugh was taken by his father to watch the Boat Race in Putney each year. He recalls the optimism his father always had on the way down to London, which, between 1976 and 1985, was invariably punctured by the time Oxford came past London RC leading Cambridge – a rather depressing trip home invariably ensued!

Hugh followed in his father’s footsteps at Bedford School and in 1984 went to Reading, where he was hoping to become a member of the Leander cadets. However, his arrival at Reading coincided with a purple patch for the university, with Hugh’s 1984 crew reaching the final of the Visitors’ Cup, where they lost to the junior four of Shiplake College/Sir William Borlase. Two of the winning crew, Lance Robinson and James Blunt, joined Reading the following year teaming up with Hugh and Nick Strange. The four reached the final, meeting the much-fancied University of London, who stormed off the blocks and were two seconds inside the barrier record, equalled the Fawley record before Reading took the lead at Upper Thames eventually winning by 2 ¾ lengths – the first and only time a full Reading crew have taken home the silverware from Henley. Hugh said that his father had tried to follow the race on a bike but had been unable to go beyond the barrier due to the crowd. He cycled back to the Enclosure, fearing Reading had lost again, only to hear the unforgettable voice of his old school friend and Henley commentator Angus Robertson declaring victory over the Stewards’ Enclosure tannoy system for Reading. With his Scottish ancestry at heart, Michael smuggled in his own bottle of champagne to the Stewards’ Enclosure that he’d bought at Sainsbury’s that afternoon to celebrate what he hoped would be a win for Reading! 

Archie, Michael and Hugh have enjoyed giving back to the sport. Archie, longtime coach and representative member for London RC at the ARA became Chair of the Head of the River Race, coach to CUBC, and Deputy Chair of the then ARA. Michael enjoyed coaching both Pembroke and on occasions Bedford Rowing Club, and he became Chair of the Eastern Rowing Council and a longtime member of the Bedford Regatta Committee, alongside many of the well-remembered characters of the Bedford Rowing community. To celebrate Pembroke Boat Club’s 150th anniversary, he wrote a history of the club, highlighting its successes at Henley and profiling members who went on to row for CUBC.

Hugh followed in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps by becoming involved with the Bedford Regatta in 1994. Together, Michael and Hugh have contributed to organizing the event for more than 50 years, with Hugh serving as Secretary for the past 15 years. The good news is that his eldest son has now become the fourth generation to take part in the event’s organization.

Today, Hugh also serves as President of Bedford Rowing Club, where he takes great pride in welcoming new participants to the sport. Recently, he and Club Captain Ian Pendall launched an exciting initiative to engage the local community: the Bedford Ergonauts indoor rowing club. Hugh is equally proud to see the Club partnering with Love Rowing, a national charity dedicated to transforming lives through the power of rowing – a mission that deeply resonates with him. Through this collaboration, the Club aims to inspire and create opportunities for a new generation to discover and embrace the sport.