The whole project has been extremely interesting right from the initial idea by Terry Overall and Jack Waterfall to enact the 1944 Boat Race on its diamond anniversary. It was like dropping a pebble in a pool and the ripples reaching out to the most surprising places and people.

For instance the young airman from Witchford Airfield who watched the race and that night went out on a bombing raid to Germany. Barry Aldridge collected up the most detailed reports of the 595 planes in that raid. The Met Office found details of the weather in Ely on that day and Pathe Gazette provided a newsreel.

A precious scrapbook arrived kept by someone in Oxford from 1937 and of each subsequent race. Sadly after a few pages there are cuttings of crew members killed or missing in action. Then the wartime races held at Henley, Radley and Ely. The crews were lighter than now. With food rationing no high calorie diet was to be had. Both coxes were over nine stone only a few pounds less than the Oxford No 2 at 10st 11lbs.

Trawling through the King's School archives, Lynne Turner found details of how the first race was instigated by a Dean of Ely and tracked down the newsreel with hordes of spectators and riders on horse-back keeping pace with the crews. The bridge at Adelaide was lined with people.

A very nice touch was added on the way back. A group of wellwishers (pictured) gathered on the bridge, again waving flags and cheering the veterans on as they had in 1944. With hot soup and good company, it was a far more comfortable trip than they had then. I think a good time was had by all.

Published in the Ely Standard of November 15, 2002