By ancient tradition the Cambridge University Boat Club come to tea at the Bishop’s in Ely in January each year. They are out on the river here most days, taking advantage of the far quieter waters, and working hard for the big races ahead. (The 1944 Boat Race was raced on the Ouse at Ely, the only time it has not been held on the River Thames, when annoyingly it was won by Oxford.) As the Russells are preparing to move, the lot fell to us to host them at Lynn Road, which was great fun. Never in the field of human comestibles was so much eaten by so few! I was able to present the squad with an Eltheldreda Pilgrim Badge for their boathouse (absolutely no magical properties…) and was delighted to receive in return a copy of the excellent book “The Battle of the Blues”. As a graduate of both Oxford and Cambridge I have been known to wait to see which of my sides was winning on Boat Race Day, but faithfully promised to cheer Cambridge from beginning to end this time!
The Boat Race was the brainchild of two sporting undergraduates – Charles Merivale, of St. John’s College, Cambridge and Charles Wordsworth of Christ Church, Oxford, nephew of poet William Wordsworth. Friends from Harrow School, they came up with the idea of a battle of the blades during a vacation meeting and both took part in the inaugural event at Henley in 1829. Both Wordsworth and Merivale went on to achieve high office in the Church of England. Wordsworth became Bishop of St. Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane and Merrivale was Dean of Ely Cathedral for 24 years. You can still visit his grave in the Cathedral plot in the City Cemetery.
Thanks to Richard Heathcote (Getty Images) for the picture.
Filed under: Uncategorized, Cambridge, University Boat Race
