EERC Annual Dance 1935

Transcript

Mr. Somerville on This Year’s Boat Race Prospects.

The Annual Dinner.

A very happy evening was spent at Messrs. Layton’s Restaurant, Windsor, on Saturday evening, the occasion of the annual supper of the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club, and the President (Alderman George Mitchell) occupied the chair.  During the after-dinner speeches there were happy allusions to the success of the Club during 1934 and the hope was expressed that 1935 would bring fresh honours to the Club which was established in 1851 and is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, on the Thames.

The President was supported by, among others: The Mayor of Windsor (Councillor G. E. Short), Mr. A. A. Somerville, M.P.  Messrs. G. A. D. Tait, T. Boswell, A. H. S. Cowley and E. C. Durant, Messrs. T. H. Hobbs (captain), F. W. Buck (vice-captain), Cyril Dyson (hon. secretary), J. V. B. Corps (assistant hon. secretary), A. Bellringer (hon. treasurer), F. Derry (coach), V. A. C. Wood, L. W. S. Howard, G. W. Corps, H. G. Prescott, D. Harrison, A. Sharratt, D. Bond, N. Mackett, E. Manson, R. Long, Beale, B. Sangster, Rawlinson. J. P. Powell, A. H. Baker, Messrs. S. A. Quarterman, and E. H. Hall (Maidenhead Rowing Club), Mr. Hawkes (Staines Rowing Club), Messrs. K. G. Stoyle (captain) and A. W. Atkinson (Ibis).  Apologies for non-attendance were acknowledged from the Dean of Windsor (Dr. A. V. Baillie), the Bursar of Eton (Mr. P. A. Macindoe), Messrs. Luff, D. B. King, Spearman and Tull.

After an excellent dinner, the PRESIDENT proposed the Royal toast, which was loyally honoured.

“The President and Vice-Presidents.”

Mr. Cyril DYSON proposed the toast of “The President and Vice-Presidents”.  The President, he said, took the very keenest interest in the Club and helped them in many ways, especially financially, while he had also given them assistance in connection with the holding of the annual dinner (hear, hear).  Their Vice-Presidents included Mr. Somerville who had come a long way that evening to be with them, but in connection with anything that had to do with Eton Mr. Somerville would go far.  They were indebted also to Mr. Tait for coming, but were sorry Mr. Blane was absent.  Mr. Cowley was a very old friend; it was wonderful that he had been able to turn out and be with them.  Another hearty supporter was his Worship the Mayor.  The Club had a wonderful list of vice-presidents to all of whom they offered their gratitude (hear, hear).

The toast was enthusiastically received.

The PRESIDENT expressed thanks for the kindness with which Mr. Cyril Dyson had proposed the toast.  He had got beyond the period when he could do anything much in the way of rowing or punting, but he still retained a love for the pastime which they all pursued, and he would continue, so long as he was spared, to assist them in any way that he could properly assist (applause).

Mr. A. A. SOMERVILLE thanked Mr. Dyson for the pleasant references he had made to the vice-presidents who, in relation to the Club were humble but, he hoped, useful creatures (laughter).  Windsor was very fortunate in having a man like Alderman Mitchell to take an interest in so many useful activities in the Royal Borough.  He congratulated the Club on the past successful season.  They had a very good average in being in the finals a great many times and they had won one pot.  The Vice-Presidents hoped they would be even more successful in the coming season.

The boat race this year was going to be extremely interesting.  It was a battle of styles.  Last year he had the good luck to go out one Saturday in the coach’s launch behind Cambridge and he had never seen so powerful a rowing machine, absolutely together; the power was wonderful.  An old Oxford Blue sat beside him and when they came in he said sorrowfully: “They are not pretty to look at, but they will be bad to beat”.  In any ordinary year Oxford would have won, but Cambridge were absolutely together and the leg drive was remarkable.  They had to have a very good crew to row that kind of style and what he was afraid of this year was that if they were not absolutely together they might get ragged and go to pieces.  Haig Thomas had been to see the Cambridge crew and had told the Oxford men that Cambridge were so far advanced that if the race were rowed at once Cambridge would win by a mile and a half.  He (Mr. Somerville) rather suspected it was a crafty move on the part of Mr. Haig Thomas to make Cambridge believe they had the race in hand already and to give Oxford a better chance.  In conclusion, Mr. Somerville repeated the well-known line, “Swing, swing together“.  He hoped they would do so this year and enjoy a very successful season (applause).

“The Club and Officers.”

Mr. DURANT proposed “The Club and Officers”.  He had been connected with the Club for more years than he cared to recollect.  For their President he had the greatest admiration in more ways than one.  He believed Alderman Mitchell was the only man in the room who would walk out before breakfast smoking a strong cigar and come home and enjoy his meal.  He (the speaker) lived by the river and in his younger days was a more or less strenuous sculler and rower.  Those were the days when they sculled to Henley and did not go by motor coach, sitting in an armchair all the way.  In those days people were rather more energetic than at the present time.  He had great pleasure in proposing the toast of the Club and officers.  Mr. Somerville had already alluded to their successes on the Thames, and he sincerely hoped they would be even more fortunate in the coming season.  If they could bring back more cups, the Club and everyone in the town would be only too delighted to receive them.  No organisation would prosper unless it was well steered and in the Eton Excelsior R.C. they were fortunate in having excellent officers all of whom he complimented.  He coupled the name of Mr. Hobbs with the toast (applause).

Mr. HOBBS, who was accorded a warm welcome, pointed out that the position of the Club at the present time was very sound.  The premises and the boats were in better condition than they had been for the last twenty years.  This was due, they would all agree, to the excellent work of the Hon. Secretary (Mr. Cyril Dyson), the Hon. Treasurer (Mr. Bellringer) and the Vice-Captain (Mr. Buck), the most hard-working vice-captain he had known in the Club (applause).  They were greatly indebted to Mr. Derry for the tremendous amount of work he did last year and for the work he was still doing.  It was owing to his efforts that they won the Sandeman Cup at Reading last year.  If the members retained their keenness during the coming season and gave Mr. Derry the support he so well deserved they would be successful in attaining that measure of achievement the Eton Excelsior R.C. always merited (hear, hear).

“The Mayor and Corporation.”

Mr. BELLRINGER proposed the toast of “The Mayor and Corporation”.  He described Councillor Short as a man who was a good stroke, pulled his weight and steered a straight course; he was a sportsman.  Mr. Short and the Mayoress also were always ready to help the Club.

The toast was received with acclamation.

The MAYOR acknowledged the compliment paid by Mr. Bellringer and expressed his pleasure at being at the festive board.  He had been associated with the Club in many ways during the nearly forty-five years he lived in Thames Street.  He proposed inviting the Captains and Secretaries of the different Clubs in Windsor to meet him in order to see whether they could do something in connection with the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty.  He felt sure the clubs would support him and that they would not fail him in that respect.

“The Visitors.”

Mr. BUCK proposed the toast of “The Visitors” and said how delighted they were to have with them friends from the Maidenhead, Staines, London and Ibis Clubs.  They would shortly be finishing off their training for the head of the river races and he felt certain that when they went to the tideway the Eton Excelsior R.C. would be made to feel perfectly at home (hear, hear).  To those who represented the visiting clubs he expressed the hope that they would have good luck in the coming season.  They were also pleased to have with them visitors from the Windsor Rugby Club, many of whom were members of the Eton Excelsior R.C.

A representative from Maidenhead said the members of the Eton Excelsior R.C. would be welcome at Maidenhead any time they were able to pay them a visit and they expected to see them at the Maidenhead Regatta.

A member of the Staines Club looked forward to next season and to seeing the Eton Excelsior R.C. on the Datchet reach for the practice before the actual regattas began.

Mr. STOYLE was glad to hear that the Club were proposing to take part in the head of the river races.  The Ibis Club would be pleased to put them up (applause).

Mr. BEALE hoped Eton Excelsior R.C. would put up a good show in the head of the river events, and he advised them to take advantage of Mr. Stoyle’s offer.

“The Thames.”

Mr. PRESCOTT proposed the toast of “The Thames”.  If it were not for the river, he said, neither the Eton Excelsior R.C. or the Swimming Clubs would exist, and they might very well drink to such a toast.

The toast was received with cordiality.

“The Windsor Rugby F.C.”

Mr. HOBBS proposed “The Windsor Rugby F.C.,” coupling with it the name of Mr. L. W. S. Howard, the president.

Mr. HOWARD acknowledged the tribute.  The Eton Excelsior R.C. was, he believed, the oldest Club on the Thames, They wished it every success.  With regard to the clubs in general in Windsor, it behoved them to pull together and to hold out a helping hand to each other.  If they did this they would retain their place in sport (hear, hear).

During the evening the speeches were interspersed with songs by Messrs. Seymour and J. B. V. Corps, and Mr. Collings provided a series of clever conjuring tricks which set the seal upon a very happy evening.

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