Lady Margaret Boat Club

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The blade colours of Lady Margaret Boat Club
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The blade colours of Lady Margaret Boat Club

The Lady Margaret Boat Club (often abbreviated to "LMBC", and familiarly known as "Maggie"), is the rowing club for members of St John's College, Cambridge, England.

Contents

[edit] History

LMBC was founded in 1825 by twelve members of the College. In its original rules, the Club was to "consist of eighteen contributing members, besides honorary ones", and all members had to be able to row.

The greatest influence in the 1860s and 1870s was JHD Goldie, who raised LMBC to the "Headship of the River", won the "Colquhoun Sculls", and stroked Cambridge four times. The Goldie Boathouse, used by the university crews, commemorates his services to Cambridge rowing. Another important name in LMBC history is LHK Bushe-Fox who had a long career with LMBC, becoming President of the Club in 1897. One of the greatest influences of this century was Roy Meldrum who established the "Lady Margaret" style, which he detailed in his rowing books.

The Boathouse was opened in the May term of 1901. It was extended in the 1970s, and was the first boathouse to have a workshop for the boatman. In the early 1980s, when the college began to admit women, further modifications were made upstairs to create the women's changing rooms. The boathouse was extended further in 2000 to create more indoor training space, giving its members, some of the best training facilities on the campus. A shed is now being built to house the club's fours, which are currently racked outside.

The Club's heyday was in the late 1940s and 1950s. LMBC won the "Ladies Plate" in 1949 with a new course record. In 1950, they made 4 bumps to go "Head of the Mays", and stayed "Head" for five years (this run of Headships giving the LMBC the privilege of building a weathervane on the Boathouse). In 1951, Lady Margaret won the Grand at Henley Royal Regatta and had five members of the successful Cambridge crew, which also defeated Harvard and Yale in the United States.

Between 1975 and 1981, Lady Margaret were Head of the Lent Bumps for 26 consecutive days, the longest continuous defence of the Lent Headship.

[edit] Current traditions

Members of the Club are well known for their scarlet jackets, which gave rise to the term, blazer. Members with "First May Colours" are entitled to wear trim and gold buttons on their blazer, while "First Lent" or "Second May Colours" are entitled to wear silver buttons on their blazer. [1]

In the 21st century, the Club has moved from strength to strength, in the area of drinking ability, at least. St John's has the best Hall of any in Cambridge. The Club is known for its uproarious hall swaps and boatie love-in sessions (otherwise, known as "Boatie Hall Night"), and the termly "Boat Club Dinner" (often abbreviated to "BCD") is invariably a drunken mess, as well as being the only chance for many rowers to get laid.

The club is traditionally strong in the "Lent" and "May CUCBC Bumps". The "traditional" club cry (since 2003) of "Thunder Lady Margaret!", or more succinctly "Thunder Maggie!" is used to encourage LMBC rowers, as they go for those crucial lengths down the Reach; the traditional club motto (since 1825) of "Si je puis" ("If I can") is used for more formal occasions. The boat club song, Viva laeta, has a chorus that goes as follows:

Vive laeta, Margareta, Beatorum insulis; Si possimus, Fuerimus, Semper caput fluminis.

Sadly, no-one alive knows the tune to these beautiful lyrics (although the music is printed in the boat club's history), even though the song is sung at every BCD.

[edit] Recent Form

[edit] Lent Bumps

[edit] Men

A table showing the position of the men's 1st VIII since 1980

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1980 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1981 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1982 4th bumped by Trinity Hall bumped by Clare rowed-over bumped by Downing
1983 3rd rowed-over bumped Clare rowed-over rowed-over
1984 7th bumped by Emmanuel bumped by Clare bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped by Jesus
1985 8th rowed-over bumped by Pembroke rowed-over rowed-over
1986 8th bumped by Caius rowed-over bumped Trinity Hall rowed-over
1987 6th rowed-over bumped Clare rowed-over bumped Emmanuel
1988 3rd bumped Jesus rowed-over bumped Caius bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity
1989 2nd rowed-over bumped Downing rowed-over rowed-over
1990 Head bumped Pembroke rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1991 4th rowed-over head bumped by Trinity Hall bumped by Downing bumped by Jesus
1992 7th bumped by Pembroke bumped by Caius rowed-over bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity
1993 4th bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity rowed-over bumped Pembroke bumped Caius
1994 2nd bumped Jesus bumped Trinity Hall rowed-over rowed-over
1995 5th bumped by Trinity Hall rowed-over bumped by Queens' bumped by Christ's
1996 7th bumped by Caius rowed-over rowed-over bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity
1997 4th rowed-over bumped Queens' bumped Christ's bumped Caius
1998 2nd bumped Trinity Hall rowed-over bumped Downing rowed-over
1999 2nd rowed-over bumped by Caius rowed-over bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity
2000 4th bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity rowed-over rowed-over bumped by Emmanuel
2001 4th rowed-over rowed-over (cancelled) (cancelled)
2002 2nd rowed-over bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped Emmanuel rowed-over
2003 4th rowed-over bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped by Downing rowed-over
2004 6th rowed-over bumped by Trinity Hall bumped by Emmanuel rowed-over
2005 4th rowed-over bumped Trinity Hall bumped Emmanuel rowed-over
2006 5th bumped by Jesus rowed-over bumped Jesus bumped by Jesus

[edit] Women

A table showing the position of the women's 1st VIII since 1983

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1983 24th bumped Newnham III rowed-over bumped Selwyn II bumped Robinson
1984 19th bumped New Hall II bumped QMABC bumped Darwin bumped Queens'
1985 15th bumped Clare II bumped Newnham II bumped St. Catharine's bumped Selwyn
1986 12th bumped Christ's bumped Sidney Sussex rowed-over bumped Girton
1987 10th bumped New Hall bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity
1988 8th rowed-over rowed-over bumped Girton bumped Fitzwilliam
1989 7th bumped Homerton bumped Newnham rowed-over bumped by Trinity Hall
1990 3rd bumped Trinity Hall bumped Clare bumped Churchill bumped Jesus
1991 2nd bumped Caius bumped Emmanuel rowed-over head bumped by Emmanuel
1992 Head bumped Emmanuel rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1993 Head bumped by Emmanuel bumped Emmanuel rowed-over head rowed-over head
1994 4th bumped by Jesus bumped by Emmanuel rowed-over bumped by Newnham
1995 6th bumped by Queens' rowed-over rowed-over bumped by New Hall
1996 5th rowed-over rowed-over bumped Jesus rowed-over
1997 4th bumped New Hall rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
1998 7th rowed-over bumped by Jesus bumped by Pembroke bumped by Christ's
1999 8th bumped by Newnham rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2000 8th bumped Christ's rowed-over rowed-over bumped by Caius
2001 4th overbumped Pembroke bumped Newnham (cancelled) (cancelled)
2002 3rd rowed-over bumped Trinity Hall rowed-over rowed-over
2003 5th bumped by Caius bumped by Downing rowed-over rowed-over
2004 6th bumped by Clare rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2005 6th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2006 8th bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped by Newnham rowed-over rowed-over

[edit] May Bumps

[edit] Men

A table showing the position of the men's 1st VIII since 1980

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1980 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1981 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1982 2nd rowed-over head bumped by Downing rowed-over rowed-over
1983 Head rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over bumped Downing
1984 4th bumped by Downing rowed-over bumped by Pembroke bumped by Emmanuel
1985 4th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
1986 4th bumped by Caius rowed-over bumped Emmanuel rowed-over
1987 2nd rowed-over rowed-over bumped Pembroke bumped Downing
1988 Head bumped Caius rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1989 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1990 2nd bumped by Downing rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
1991 4th rowed-over bumped by Jesus bumped by Trinity Hall rowed-over
1992 7th rowed-over bumped by Pembroke bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped by Magdalene
1993 4th bumped Magdalene bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped Pembroke rowed-over
1994 4th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
1995 4th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
1996 5th rowed-over bumped by Magdalene rowed-over rowed-over
1997 9th bumped by Caius bumped by Queens' bumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity bumped by Robinson
1998 5th bumped Robinson bumped Magdalene bumped Trinity Hall bumped Queens'
1999 4th rowed-over bumped Downing rowed-over rowed-over
2000 6th bumped by Emmanuel bumped by Downing rowed-over rowed-over
2001 5th bumped 1st & 3rd Trinity rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2002 3rd bumped Jesus rowed-over bumped Emmanuel rowed-over
2003 6th rowed-over bumped by Trinity Hall bumped by Robinson bumped by St. Catharine's
2004 5th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over bumped Robinson
2005 2nd rowed-over bumped Downing bumped St. Catharine's bumped Trinity Hall
2006 3rd rowed-over bumped by St. Catharine's rowed-over rowed-over

[edit] Women

A table showing the position of the 1st women's IV from 1983 until 1989 and the 1st women's VIII from 1990 until the present day.

Note that a new start order was chosen for the women's May Bumps in 1990, to coincide the change from four-oared to eight-oared boats.

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1983 33rd bumped Addenbrooke's bumped Newnham IV rowed-over bumped Trinity Hall II
1984 26th bumped Wolfson bumped Girton III bumped Girton II overbumped CCAT
1985 23rd bumped New Hall III rowed-over bumped Queens' bumped Newnham III
1986 19th bumped Downing bumped QMABC bumped Clare II bumped Selwyn
1987 15th bumped New Hall II bumped Sidney Sussex bumped Churchill II bumped Newnham II
1988 18th rowed-over bumped by Queens' bumped by Downing bumped by Churchill II
1989 16th bumped Churchill II rowed-over bumped Christ's rowed-over
1990 3rd bumped Veterinary School bumped Jesus rowed-over rowed-over
1991 Head bumped Emmanuel bumped Churchill rowed-over head rowed-over head
1992 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
1993 2nd rowed-over head bumped by Jesus rowed-over rowed-over
1994 4th bumped by Newnham bumped by Emmanuel rowed-over rowed-over
1995 5th rowed-over rowed-over bumped by Pembroke rowed-over
1996 9th bumped by Clare bumped by Trinity Hall bumped by Churchill bumped by Homerton
1997 7th bumped Homerton rowed-over bumped Newnham rowed-over
1998 3rd bumped Churchill bumped Trinity Hall bumped Clare bumped Jesus
1999 5th rowed-over bumped by Newnham bumped by Caius rowed-over
2000 7th bumped by Jesus rowed-over rowed-over bumped by Clare
2001 7th bumped Clare rowed-over bumped by Trinity Hall rowed-over
2002 9th rowed-over bumped by Downing bumped by St. Catharine's rowed-over
2003 6th bumped Trinity Hall bumped St. Catharine's rowed-over bumped Jesus
2004 6th bumped by Jesus rowed-over bumped Downing rowed-over
2005 7th bumped Newnham rowed-over bumped by Clare bumped by Girton
2006 10th bumped by Trinity Hall bumped by Newnham bumped by Downing rowed-over

[edit] References

  • Durack, John; Gilbert, George; Marks, Dr. John (2000). The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827-1999 ISBN 0-9538475-1-9
  • CUCBC (various years) - Lent and May Bumps programmes.

[edit] External links