BBC at Henley 1973

[Alistair]

This is a proper documentary - despite the title, to their credit, the BBC make a very good job of investigating the regatta from all angles. It's worth putting into context that the UK in 1973 was a complete disaster, a stygian stink-hole that no sentimentalising can extinguish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrR2MOzkg6U

[John Greenly]

On Monday, November 10, 2014 4:37:08 AM UTC-5, Alistair wrote:
> This is a proper documentary - despite the title, to their credit, the BBC make a very good job of investigating the regatta from all angles. It's worth putting into context that the UK in 1973 was a complete disaster, a stygian stink-hole that no sentimentalising can extinguish.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrR2MOzkg6U

What a great film, thanks for posting it! I expect a fair number of you here at RSR have rowed at Henley. I never will, and it's fun to get some sense of what it's like!

John

[magnus....@gmail.com]

Just watched this. 10-15 years before my time, but v interesting to see some people I knew, rowed with or got coached by when they were young men. And how little the regatta and its atmosphere have changed, a credit to how it's been run over the years.
A shame we couldn't have seen how it looked "down the towpath" though, that is horrendously more different now than then I fear.

Magnus

[John Mulholland]

John, you can row nearly half the course at Henley Masters the week after Henley Royal. There is no qualifying standard.

[John Greenly]

Wow, that would be fun! Maybe some year I can come over, borrow a boat and do it!

Cheers,
John G

[Chris A]

One thing you will see that;s different is the distinct shortage of piles in the fist half of the course. That's because the regatta's finance were in such a parlous state, the regatta having returned a substantial loss in 1972. Perhaps because of the rampaging inflation caused by the Stygian sink hole Alistair refers to above

[Carl]

Many thanks, Alistair. That was an object lesson in TV reportage, in
letting stories tell themselves. Good to see & hear the dignity of
those taking part, not least from Tony James (now of MAABC). No hype,
no trash talk, no "giving it 110%" garbage. Interesting haircuts,
beautiful women. Incredible accents - some almost incomprehensible!
Diplomacy and good manners.

Was the UK in '73 that Stygian aperture? Not exactly. We had problems,
not least the miners' strikes, but November's unemployment was at a
record 3.4% low - half today's level & <29% of '84s peak - & that's
before governments had manipulated the stats to remove many previously
included, before the advent of zero-hours contracts, with a younger
population, before school leaving age rose to 17+ & long before ~50% of
school leavers were induced into university courses which too-often lead
to debt, unemployability &/or no-job jobs.

Recalling the vibes of the time, the UK in '73 had a more equal &
possibly a happier society. As for the regatta: don't forget that you
could still park your car at the top of Remenham Hill, bike down to
Remenham church & cycle to the Barrier with races on the Friday of the
regatta. And there were, IIRC, none of the "corporate" infestations we
see now.

Cheers -
Carl

--
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[Carl]

And the underlying causes of the UK's ~9.5% inflation in '73 were, to a
significant degree, worldwide, including (but not only):
1. Oil price crisis (remember that one?)
2. Collapse of Bretton Woods Agreement

Yes, UK miners wanted more pay. But how many of us have worked at a
time of full employment in that dangerous environment at their pay
levels? Not many miners had much time for rowing, either.

[Carl]

Of course you can!

[usbrit]

Does anyone know more about Jim Clark's comments about Thames Tradesmen's DSQ a couple of years beforehand?

[Chris A]

On Saturday, November 15, 2014 12:52:11 PM UTC, usbrit wrote:
> Does anyone know more about Jim Clark's comments about Thames Tradesmen's DSQ a couple of years beforehand?

It was 1970

From Burnell
"The Regatta ended on an unhappy note when Thames Tradesmen were disqualified in the final of the Wyfold Cup. Leading all the way from Trident Rowing Club, South Africa, Tradesmen were several times warned for their steering. Then, when Trident challenged along the enclosures, the crews collided in neutral water. Had they been able to disengage and race on to the finish the umpire might well have let them go, but they did not, and Thames Tradesmen were disqualified on the basis of their previous and repeated infringements. There followed an unseemly protest by the crew and some spectators, who were evidently ignorant of the Laws of Boat Racing."

Sounds rather like this year's Wyfold.

[Carl]

On 15/11/2014 00:55, Carl wrote:
> Recalling the vibes of the time, the UK in '73 had a more equal &
> possibly a happier society.

The greater equality of those times is documented in multiple economic
surveys. IIRC, it gave us a wider range of social backgrounds at
regattas than we see now. And this link to a very recent study may
further underline this case:
http://tinyurl.com/nrv6scr

Rather than the hackneyed allegations of Henley being socially
exclusive, perhaps we should better look long & hard at how & why rowing
(with its unique ability to give non-athletic people fitness & purpose &
to put all participants on an equal footing) has been & is progressively
being sucked away from the poorer sectors of community, which are
exactly those which would have most to gain from this most valuable of
sports?

[John Greenly]

On Sunday, November 16, 2014 10:35:02 AM UTC-5, Carl wrote:
> On 15/11/2014 00:55, Carl wrote:
> > Recalling the vibes of the time, the UK in '73 had a more equal &
> > possibly a happier society.
>
> The greater equality of those times is documented in multiple economic
> surveys. IIRC, it gave us a wider range of social backgrounds at
> regattas than we see now. And this link to a very recent study may
> further underline this case:
> http://tinyurl.com/nrv6scr
>
> Rather than the hackneyed allegations of Henley being socially
> exclusive, perhaps we should better look long & hard at how & why rowing
> (with its unique ability to give non-athletic people fitness & purpose &
> to put all participants on an equal footing) has been & is progressively
> being sucked away from the poorer sectors of community, which are
> exactly those which would have most to gain from this most valuable of
> sports?

I'm sorry to hear that! I don't know the US rowing world very well, but it seems to me that there is a lot more rowing in the US at the high school level than there was when I was a kid. Last year when I did a head race in my hometown, I was happy to see that my school and several other districts in that area have rowing programs. I'm sure none of them did when I was a student.

Cheers
John

[John Greenly]

On Friday, November 14, 2014 8:18:58 PM UTC-5, Carl wrote:
> On 15/11/2014 00:22, John Greenly wrote:
> > On Friday, November 14, 2014 6:37:41 PM UTC-5, John Mulholland wrote:
> >> On Monday, November 10, 2014 5:17:51 PM UTC, John Greenly wrote:
> >
> >>> What a great film, thanks for posting it! I expect a fair number of you here at RSR have rowed at Henley. I never will, and it's fun to get some sense of what it's like!
> >>>
> >>> John
> >>
> >> John, you can row nearly half the course at Henley Masters the week after Henley Royal. There is no qualifying standard.
> >
> > Wow, that would be fun! Maybe some year I can come over, borrow a boat and do it!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > John G
> >
>
> Of course you can!
>
> Cheers -
> Carl

That really would be a wonderful adventure!
I would certainly learn a lot, too-- for instance, I could work on pronouncing the word "rowing" with only one syllable, the way they did in the Stewards' Enclosure.

I've been trying, but not quite getting it... maybe after a sufficient quantity of "strawbrys" and champagne it gets easier ;-)

Cheers,
John