147
Bo r l a s i a n 2 0 1 3
Old Borlasians
Third Four circa 1947/1948. Roy Lovegrove, Peter Grace, Ron
Ives and Laurie Augur. The cox was David Allaway.
Taken outside the old boathouse. Note the variety of dress!
further, the polytechnics (and equivalent establishments)
provided other essential training routes – and let us be
in no doubt: the skills developed here were (and still are)
critical to the welfare of the nation.
But finally to somethingmore positive
vis-à-vis
a university
education, directed to those who might consider applying
to university. If the bottom line for you is to choosewhether
to go to university, or not, then I will always advise: go. It
may be a very different experience from the one of 50
years ago, but it is still exciting and mentally invigorating;
but do go because you have an eagerness to learn, and to
meet others who, similarly, wish to explore and enquire;
do study something that is worthy of you (and worth
studying in its own right). If you must limit yourself simply
to gaining a higher qualification, as a path to a good job, at
least be guided by what the country needs!
Robin Johnson (1955-’62)
Borlase Rowing in the Forties
(And HowThings Have Changed)
I first took to rowing at Borlase when I discovered that I
was no good at cricket and my part time jobs delivering
for Burgers Bakery and the Co-op Store in Station Road
Marlow interfered with playing on Saturday afternoons.
Truthfully though, I was only ever selected for the second
eleven (there were only two!) and my batting order was
always lastman in. However,mywild swings at a supersonic
missile shaped like a red ball meant it invariably ended
up somewhere in the Infants School or the outer regions
of the playing field and, in my enthusiasm to replicate, I
would be clean bowled during the second salvo.
Having been rebuked for the second or third time by Junk
Davies for not turning up for a cricket match, I remember
being asked by the great Russell Sage to try my hand at
rowing. As a Marlow boy and living very near to the river
Thames for most of my young life this seemed more
attractive and I was asked to attend for an “audition” if that
is the right word for an introduction session at the boat
house. I doubt if many school readers of this magazine will
remember the school boathouse on the Bucks side of the
bridge and would be horrified to compare our facilities to
those enjoyed by the rowers now. There were only three
clinker fours propelled by oars that nowadays would be
looked upon as antiques and we had a“tub”(is it still called
that?) in which we trained. Messrs Meakes very kindly gave
us the use of a shed for the boats and a changing room
at the back. Each boy was required to provide his own
clothing to row in and this resulted in a variety of vests
and shorts and even shoes! Bob Philbey always insisted on
wearing a blue beret and we were often asked if he had
