The 1960's

Extract from Chapter XII of A History of St Catherine's Rowing 1875-1999

[Contents of this chapter are largely recollections of Boat Club members and articles from the College Magazine]

John Haden, Captain of Boats 1965-66

By 1964, the new College had risen from the mud of the fields next to the Cherwell, and SCBC had moved some of the eights to the racks of the OUBC boathouse. The College Barge was still very much in use as a base for outings, and in 1964/5 we actually lived in it for some time to save money while doing long terms of research. We cooked on a gas stove and invented the Bucket and Blade Club for those who shared this probably illegal residence, and its basic bucket sanitation.

The 1966 1st VIII included an Australian medic, John Corbett, whose research involved some aspects of sports physiology. We were all included in his need for data, including rectal temperature readings before and after outings from OUBC. What the casual passer-by made of this furtive bending over, I hate to think. I hope we were included in his thesis acknowledgements.

Photo: The 1965 St Catherine's 1st Eight, photographed on the upper deck of the Barge. From left to right, back row: A. Rumbold (4), Craig Shelton (bow), John Haden (Capt.), Peter Chandler (6), James Holroyd (5), Will Pavry (7), Chris Talbot (3), Mike Day (2); front row: Anthony Hull (str), P. A. Coleridge (S.E.H., coach), John Rousseau (cox).