Other articles by Ann Powell
All Aboard the Riverboat Georgina
Boat race? I was on coke duty
Elboys Flew in Scrap for Sausages
THE cows are back in the Dean's Field. With their calves they make a picture of rural peace and calm against the back drop of the Cathedral framed with the horse chestnut trees in flower. Visitors must be surprised to find such a capsule of English parkland in the middle of the city.
The view from the river came across very well on Look East the other week. We are very fortunate in having such a good local news. The presenters are all so pleasant and easy with each others company. Having seen the programmes from other areas when on holiday it is no surprise they won an award for excellence.
They were in Ely to film the reunion of some of the 1944 Cambridge Boat Race team. One veteran rower had come over from Canada. Perhaps you saw it on that evening's programme, they all looked very hale and hearty.
The riverside was a picture, with the brilliant green of fresh leaves on the trees against the reddish brick of the new houses. The bandstand blue and gold, even the Cutter's tatty paintwork did not detract from the pleasing view along the river.
Like the previous get-together last autumn they all seemed to have a jolly time and lined up outside the Old Boathouse Restaurant much as they had done nearly 60 years ago. One joked his initials IHP stood for one horse power. They inspected the present Cambridge boats and it was pointed out how much heavier the team is now. In 1944 the cox was nearly as heavy as the lightest rower.
Then it was off to Queen Adelaide where they were entertained to afternoon tea by the residents there who could remember the race and how the crowds inundated the village on that cold February day. A walk along the bank and an April shower gave a taste of how exposed it will be in February next year when it is hoped a commemorative race will be rowed. As one gentleman said he never knew where they were in the race, the banks all looked alike.
Published in the Ely Standard of May 15th, 2003
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