Highlights from the SGC Boat Club 50th Anniversary Dinner

To view photos taken on the night click here

To download the attendee list click here BC Attendee List

On the 16th June 2007, past parents, former students, past staff, current parents, current staff, sixth formers and friends of the Boat Club celebrated 50 years of the SGC Boat Club on site at St George's College.

Guests arrived in Henley attire, some wearing their rowing blazers and boaters from their school days. Approximately 200 of the Georgian Family collected in the Orchard Hall for the anniversary where they enjoyed a 3-course dinner.

Most guests sat with people from their era and some former students and past parents had organised tables with their pals. Displays were available for each decade, from the late 50s onwards and medals, photos, info, trophies were all on show as well as personalities of the Boat Club for all to remember.

This is the first formal event the Development Office has organised that has encompassed the entire Georgian Family and many current parents were delighted to see how the OGs and OMs feel towards their former School and former Boat Club.

Amongst the former staff that attended was Mike Rosewell. As well as being a highly successful coach Mike Rosewell is renowned as a rowing journalist writing regularly for the Times and publications such as Regatta Magazine. Mike kindly hosted our auction and created a brilliant atmosphere where guests were battling to win the item of their choice. Amongst the items up for auction was a 3 night stay at a 4-bedroom private house located on San Roque Golf Resort, the 2006 PGA qualifying course located in Sotogrande, Spain. Other items such as Anniversary SGC Rowing blades proved very popular too.

The guest speaker, Giles Vardey (OG ' 73) rowed in the SGC First VIII in 1972/1973 and in 1975 was part of the Isis winning crew at the Boat Race. In 1977 he became our only Oxford rowing Blue. Giles is now Chairman of the Boat Race Company and his speech was welcomed by our guests. Below are some extracts from his speech:

"The Boat club on the other hand, is flourishing, colourful, full of success and energy on its 50th birthday and looking forward to a bright future."

"That is why many of us look back with affection on the School and particularly the SGC Boat Club. Rowing at school was the perfect antidote to boring Chemistry lessons or Latin revision. It was so good for our minds too: we learnt to cooperate together to get a result and the pure joy of beating other schools in Head races or regattas, like Eton or Radley, was a lasting pleasure."

"It is hard to express the right amount of gratitude of those schoolboys and girls who have derived so much personally from the work of all those who have coached at the Boat Club. Sitting in a launch or riding on the towpath on a cold wet afternoon in January is not much fun but that is when the real work in rowing is done. Many of them are here tonight and on behalf of all those who rowed at the school I would like to thank you all."

"Please support the Club in any way that you can and I expect you all to participate enthusiastically in the auction that is next. I am sure that we here tonight will all look forward to another successful 50 years for the Club and I hope that some of us make it to the centenary dinner!"

Headmaster, Joseph Peake, Giles Vardey and Mike Rosewell.

To view photos taken on the night click here