United Universities Women's Boat Club
Biographical Display
Possibly a speech (written by Eleanor Lester) to the United Universities Womens Boat Club 21st Anniversary Dinner on 28th March 1953.
Provided by Tim Lester, Eleanor Lester's son, 16.04.2011.
"In May 1932 there appeared in the Agony Column of the Times and Morning Post an appeal to any ex University Women who were interested in forming a Boat Club. Some twenty people attended the first meeting when the club was founded and Miss Marjorie Last of Liverpool - author of the advertisement - was elected the Club's first President. Unfortunately not all those who attended the meeting were able to row but regular weekend practices began at Green's Boathouse (Chiswick?) and by the end of the first year the Club had 16 active members, drawn from London, Liverpool, Oxford and Cambridge. The standard was not high and styles were very mixed but what was lacking in skill was made up in enthusiasm.
1934 began well for the Club for it moved to more comfortable accomodation at the CS (Civil Service) Boathouse. It also bought a shell VIII during the year and changed to swivels.
In the following year we entered for the first time for the Head of the River and won it in record time. In the July we inaugurated the "Henley Weekend" which became an important annual Club event until the war. Almost the whole club embarked in skiffs at Maidenhead on Friday evening and camped the first night at Marlow. We reached Henley in time for the first race on Saturday morning, spent the night at Henley and returned in east stages to Maidenhead on Sunday evening.
In September of the same year an invitation from Dartmouth to row in the Daily Herald Cup Regatta. We found only four adventurous spirits and left Paddington at Friday midnight, arriving at Dartmouth at about 6.30am. Fortunately we wre able to borrow a coxswain from Torbay. This trip was so successful that the club made an annual pilgrimage to Dartmouth where they spent a week and rowing in the Torbay Regatta, which takes place two days before Dartmouth, as well. In 1937 we presented Dartmouth Royal Regatta with a perpetual Challenge Cup for the Ladies IVs champions.
1937 saw the club going from strength to strength and was the most successful year. We won the Head of the River for the 3rd year in succession - the WARA senior VIIIs and senior IVs, junior senior fours, junior sculls, senior sculls and style cup for rowing and sculling.
In the following year two of our members Cyriax and Gait were chosen for the WARA IV which went to Australia and won all four races. in the autumn we achieved what we had been trying hard to do for four years - we won the Bourne VIIIs. 1939 saw the temporary eclipse of UUWBC. Its members were scatted in all directions at the outbreak of war. The boathouse was closed and its most treasured possession - a shell four specially built for us in 1937 was ruined by enemy action.
For 10 years the Club ceased to exist but thanks to the energies of Dr Cyriax we started again in 1949. Progress has been slow but the Club can now put an VIII on the river every weekend. In 1951 we again had the honour of providing the stroke of the VIII which went to Macon - Eileen McNally who is now Club Captain. We are entering the Head of the River Race this year, our first re-appearance since 1939 and we are determined that those read and black blades shall soon be once again in front."
UUWBC subsequently merged with Thames Rowing Club which had not previously had a womens section.
Provided by Tim Lester, Eleanor Lester's son, 16.04.2011.
"In May 1932 there appeared in the Agony Column of the Times and Morning Post an appeal to any ex University Women who were interested in forming a Boat Club. Some twenty people attended the first meeting when the club was founded and Miss Marjorie Last of Liverpool - author of the advertisement - was elected the Club's first President. Unfortunately not all those who attended the meeting were able to row but regular weekend practices began at Green's Boathouse (Chiswick?) and by the end of the first year the Club had 16 active members, drawn from London, Liverpool, Oxford and Cambridge. The standard was not high and styles were very mixed but what was lacking in skill was made up in enthusiasm.
1934 began well for the Club for it moved to more comfortable accomodation at the CS (Civil Service) Boathouse. It also bought a shell VIII during the year and changed to swivels.
In the following year we entered for the first time for the Head of the River and won it in record time. In the July we inaugurated the "Henley Weekend" which became an important annual Club event until the war. Almost the whole club embarked in skiffs at Maidenhead on Friday evening and camped the first night at Marlow. We reached Henley in time for the first race on Saturday morning, spent the night at Henley and returned in east stages to Maidenhead on Sunday evening.
In September of the same year an invitation from Dartmouth to row in the Daily Herald Cup Regatta. We found only four adventurous spirits and left Paddington at Friday midnight, arriving at Dartmouth at about 6.30am. Fortunately we wre able to borrow a coxswain from Torbay. This trip was so successful that the club made an annual pilgrimage to Dartmouth where they spent a week and rowing in the Torbay Regatta, which takes place two days before Dartmouth, as well. In 1937 we presented Dartmouth Royal Regatta with a perpetual Challenge Cup for the Ladies IVs champions.
1937 saw the club going from strength to strength and was the most successful year. We won the Head of the River for the 3rd year in succession - the WARA senior VIIIs and senior IVs, junior senior fours, junior sculls, senior sculls and style cup for rowing and sculling.
In the following year two of our members Cyriax and Gait were chosen for the WARA IV which went to Australia and won all four races. in the autumn we achieved what we had been trying hard to do for four years - we won the Bourne VIIIs. 1939 saw the temporary eclipse of UUWBC. Its members were scatted in all directions at the outbreak of war. The boathouse was closed and its most treasured possession - a shell four specially built for us in 1937 was ruined by enemy action.
For 10 years the Club ceased to exist but thanks to the energies of Dr Cyriax we started again in 1949. Progress has been slow but the Club can now put an VIII on the river every weekend. In 1951 we again had the honour of providing the stroke of the VIII which went to Macon - Eileen McNally who is now Club Captain. We are entering the Head of the River Race this year, our first re-appearance since 1939 and we are determined that those read and black blades shall soon be once again in front."
UUWBC subsequently merged with Thames Rowing Club which had not previously had a womens section.
