As part of our recent initiative to bring together WHSBC rowing alumnae, we heard from our 1995 rowing team, who met up last month to celebrate 30 years since their historic victory – winning the Schools’ Head of the River, novice category, on 13 March 1995!
The team was run by the then Head of PE Mrs Garner, who joined WHS in 1992 and the squad used the KCS club house as their base. The Rowing Report in the 1995 WHS Magazine says:
Rowing Report 1994/5
FIRST Vlll
“Our first six months of rowing, and indeed WHS’s first ever rowing squad has been a huge success. Although pressures from A-levels are high, the team has displayed great commitment to the sport and all have gained and enjoyed from it enormously.”
WHS 1995 Rowing team
Top Row L-R: Laura Cook (née Rose), Alex Meloy (neé Phelps), Marion Cook (née Riddle) Katherine Fortin Bottom Row L-R: Caroline Hutton, Lisa Miller (née Petch), Charlotte Butler, Hattie Moser (née Schlesinger), Amelie Harle (née Horgan)
This excerpt taken from the 1995 WHS School magazine, gives a blow-by-blow account (literally!) of the Schools’ Head, showing how the girls quickly took to the water with some early successes, part due to some tactical game play:
“We then began our cunning plan to lull all teams into a false sense of security by appearing to be totally inept on the water including:
- Leaving our cox on the bank while we drifted into the centre of the Thames much to the other teams’ amusement.
- Forcing one of our crew to take a short, sharp dip.
- Attacking Westminster with our blades, accidentally of course.
- Facing the opposite direction to every one of the other three hundred crews
We passed through the start line with speed and determination to prove ourselves. Ours was the last boat in the division so our only aim was to overtake. Over a short distance and with ease we rowed straight past Westminster. The adrenalin continued to flow as we overtook the next crew. We knew this was going to be a hard race, but we didn’t realise how hard until about three quarters of the way through. As we went through the finishing line, we were all too exhausted to speak. We were greeted by a rather muddy Marcel and Mrs Garner as they had run down the tow path yelling support, which to their disappointment none of us had heard. We anxiously awaited the results and could hardly believe it when they announced that Wimbledon High had won the Women’s Junior Novice VIII’s division.”
WHS Magazine 1995
Crossing the finish line
From Bow seat: Katherine Fortin, Amelie Harle (née Horgan) (Captain), Alex Meloy (neé Phelps), Lisa Miller (née Petch), Laura Cook (née Rose), Gemma Anson, Marion Cook (née Riddle), Hattie Moser (née Schlesinger) and Charlotte Butler
Rowers reunited
“Being a part of the 1995 WHS Rowing team was an experience I will never forget. During the winter months this plucky crew of beginners would meet by the banks of the Thames in Putney after school, rowing out of the boathouse kindly lent by King’s College School (KCS). We laughed, we got wet, we got cold, we got sore hands, we sang, we almost lost an oar to the incoming tide, we laughed some more.”
Charlotte Butler,
1995 cox
