Plans are firmly on course for a major celebration of the 1944 Boat Race on its Diamond Jubilee in 18 months time.
And the organisers, the Diamond44 group, will be taking a fact-finding trip down memory lane at the beginning of November when an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia goes on show at Ely Library.
They plan to take five members of the original Oxford and Cambridge crews back along the Ouse course they rowed from the Lark to Queen Adelaide bridge on a chilly February Saturday at the height of the Second World War.
But, this time, they will be cruising in comfort aboard Riverboat Georgina, which was built specially for the Cam and can be hired to sail with up to 90 people on board anywhere from Cambridge to Denver Sluice.
John Rolls, managing director of the firm that owns the boat, has agreed to loan the craft for the historic trip - and the organisers are inviting anyone who watched the 1944 race or was in Ely at the time to contact them with their memories.
It is hoped that a number of spectators will be able to join the oarsmen and other guests, including Ely's mayor Shirley Overall, on their nostalgic journey on Saturday, November 2 as they discuss ways of commemorating the race on its 60th anniversary.
The five, who have never been back to Ely since the race, are Dr Michael Brooks, the Oxford 3, Ian Phillips, the Cambridge bow, Ben Cochrane, the Cambridge 2, Martin Whitworth, the Cambridge 4, and David Paul, who was controversially dropped from the Cambridge boat on the eve of the race.
They and other guests will embark from Jubilee Gardens at around 12.15pm and will be back by 2.30pm - in time for a special Cathedral service for James Crowden, the retiring Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and a former Cambridge rowing blue.
On board, they will be served a special Boat Race soup prepared by Dominique Bregeon, former owner of the former French restaurant and delicatessen in St Mary's Street, who now runs a catering business from Chettisham.
Before the river trip, two of the guests will open the exhibition in the Library after Town Crier Avril Hayter has read a proclamation at the entrance to The Cloisters.
CONTACT: Terry Overall on 01353 610649 with your memories if you would like to join the cruise or Cambridge Passenger Cruisers on 01223 500111 for details of the Georgina.
Published in the Ely Standard of September 26, 2002
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