Torpids 1951

BUMPS CHART

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 New College 55 54 New College 2 Christ Church 45 44 Worcester 3 Worcester 41 43 Lincoln 4 St Edmund Hall 41 41 St Edmund Hall 5 Magdalen 34 37 Christ Church 6 Lincoln 34 33 Magdalen 7 Pembroke 33 31 University 8 Trinity 27 31 St Peter's 9 Balliol 25 27 Oriel 10 University 25 27 Merton 11 St Peter's 23 24 Pembroke 12 Brasenose 23 20 Trinity 13 Merton 22 19 St Catherine's 14 Oriel 19 18 Balliol 15 St John's 15 16 Jesus 16 Wadham 14 15 Brasenose 17 Jesus 13 14 Queen's 18 St Catherine's 13 13 Exeter 19 Keble 12 11 St John's 20 Exeter 11 10 Keble 21 Queen's 9 9 Corpus Christi 22 Corpus Christi 9 8 Wadham 23 Hertford 8 8 Hertford

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=rank Crews Bps Avg University 2[ 3] 9[ 1] 4.50[ 1] St Catherine's 2[ 3] 9[ 1] 4.50[ 1] St Peter's 2[ 3] 8[ 3] 4.00[ 3] Oriel 3[ 1] 6[ 4] 2.00[ 5] Merton 2[ 3] 5[ 5] 2.50[ 4] Magdalen 2[ 3] 4[ 6] 2.00[ 5] Queen's 2[ 3] 4[ 6] 2.00[ 5] Exeter 2[ 3] 3[ 8] 1.50[ 8] Hertford 2[ 3] 1[ 9] 0.50[ 9] Christ Church 2[ 3] 1[ 9] 0.50[ 9] Lincoln 2[ 3] 0[11] 0.00[11] Corpus Christi 1[22] 0[11] 0.00[11] St Edmund Hall 2[ 3] -1[13] -0.50[13] Pembroke 2[ 3] -1[13] -0.50[13] Worcester 2[ 3] -1[13] -0.50[13] Trinity 2[ 3] -2[16] -1.00[16] Jesus 2[ 3] -2[16] -1.00[16] New College 3[ 1] -5[18] -1.67[18] Keble 2[ 3] -5[18] -2.50[19] Wadham 1[22] -6[20] -6.00[23] St John's 2[ 3] -8[21] -4.00[20] Brasenose 2[ 3] -9[22] -4.50[21] Balliol 2[ 3] -10[23] -5.00[22]

• 6 days: Thu 15 – Wed 21 Feb 1951
• Divisions at 2, 3, 4 and 5pm.
• The Times Sat 17 Feb includes a photograph, looking downstream from the footbridge, captioned

  Oxford Torpids — A fourth division race in progress during the Oxford University Torpids, which were continued yesterday over a shortened course.

• The Times Thu 15 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  The Oxford University Torpid races begin to-day and conclude next Wednesday. Forty-six crews are competing against 50 a twelve-month ago. Among the head crews Worcester, Lincoln, and Magdalen appear to have the best chance of making bumps. New College, the head boat, are the only college to put on three crews. The order of start is:— [...]

• The Times Fri 16 Feb

  Oxford University Torpid races were begun yesterday over a course shortened by about 80 yards because of a strong stream. There were 16 bumps in the four divisions.

  New College, stroked by R. K. Webster, a Trial eights oarsman, who have been Head of the river since 1949, had little difficulty in maintaining their position, though it is generally expected that Worcester will give them a hard race to-night. There were four bumps in Division II, including one by the highest placed of the second crews, New College. The third division rowing was notable for the second success of the sandwich boat, University II, who had earlier in the day caught New College III. In the fourth division St John's II fouled the bank and Magdalen II rowed past them, which is equivalent to a bump, while a crab cost Trinity II a place. The bumps were:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 16 Feb

  16 Oxford Bumps

  In the first day of the Oxford Torpid races there were 16 bumps by: [...]

• The Times Sat 17 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  The Oxford University Torpid races were continued yesterday when there were 15 bumps and two re-rows. One of these was in the Second Division in which St. Catherine's, Jesus, and Exeter were involved.

  On Thursday Jesus claimed a bump against St. Catherine's, but later this was refused, and so the three crews rowed over yesterday morning and finished as they had started. Later St. Catherine's made a bump over Wadham, and Queen's caught Exeter, so the luckless Jesus crew were denied a bump. Worcester, who had to change their stroke because of illness, failed to deprive New College of the Headship of the River though they gained on them. When Christ Church II bumped Oriel II in the Third Division their boat was damaged and the crew had to be hauled out of the water. After the last race St. Catherine's II, Trinity II, and Hertford II were ordered to re-row, but no bump was recorded. The bumps were:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 17 Feb

  On the second day of the Oxford Torpid races there were 15 bumps by: [...]

• The Times Mon 19 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  There were 16 bumps in the Oxford University Torpid races on Saturday, making the total 46 for the three days. Heavy rain storms and a strong wind were great handicaps to the crews in the open reaches and as the river had risen a foot during the night the course was again shortened, this time at the starting point.

  The three head boats New College, Worcester, and Christ Church, kept their distance, but Worcester, whose stroke has been ill with influenza, hope that he will be well enough to return to the boat to-day. Lincoln, the fourth boat, went up for the third time, and University College second crew also made their third [fourth?] bump, while the second Magdalen crew have registered four bumps. The bumps were:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 19 Feb

  New College's Headship

  So high had the river risen and so strong was the current that the course for the Oxford Torpids had to be shortened on Saturday. New College retained the headship of the river. There were 16 bumps, bringing the total for the three days to 46. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Tue 20 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  On the fourth day of the Oxford University Torpid races Worcester, with their stroke recovered from his illness, gave New College, the head boat, a hard race. Along the Green Bank they got within half a length of them but afterwards New College drew away.

  There were 13 bumps. University College and St. Peter's Hall are so far among the most successful crews. University College I have made three bumps and their second crew five bumps, and St. Peter's Hall I three bumps and their second crew four. Merton and Magdalen II have each made four bumps. The weather was fine overhead but the water was choppy and a strong cross wind added to the difficulties of the crews. The shortened course was again used. The bumps were:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Tue 20 Feb

  13 Torpid Bumps

  Thirteen bumps were recorded on the fourth day of the Oxford Torpid races yesterday. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Wed 21 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  There was no improvement in the weather yesterday for the fifth day of the Oxford University Torpid races. Rain persisted throughout the afternoon and there was a strong stream with a high wind.

  New College kept their position at the head of the river and there was rather an unusual incident in Divison I. In Saturday's racing University College had bumped Magdalen but there was a reversal of this order yesterday when, in their turn, they were bumped by Magdalen. University II continued their run of success by recording their sixth bump, while St. Peter's Hall II have gone up five places.

  There were 12 bumps during yesterday's racing, the lowest number recorded so far. The bumps were:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 21 Feb

  12 Bumps in Torpids

  There were 12 bumps on the fifth day of the Oxford University Torpid races yesterday by: [...]

• The Times Thu 22 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  New College finished head of the river in the last day of the Oxford University Torpid races, a position they secured two years ago.

  During the six days' racing, rowed under the most unfavourable conditions, there were 85 bumps. The highest individual score was made by the second crew of University College, with seven bumps. St. Peter's Hall I, with three bumps, and their second crew, with five bumps, have also good reason to be satisfied with their achievements. On the other hand Wadham and Balliol II each lost six places [as did New College III]. There were 14 bumps yesterday. The bumps were:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 22 Feb

  There were 14 bumps, bringing the total for the six days to 85, when the Oxford University Torpid races ended yesterday. New College retained their position as Head of the River, and the University College second crew made seven bumps. Yesterday's bumps: [...]

• In other news ... [1951]

  Monarch: George VI

  Prime Minister: Clement Attlee (Labour)

  February

  Ferranti deliver their first Mark 1 computer to the University of Manchester, the world's first commercially available general-purpose electronic computer.

  Feb 15

  The 1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute begins, lasting for 151 days.

  Feb 19

  Jean Lee becomes the last woman hanged in Australia, when Lee and her 2 pimps are hanged for the murder and torture of a 73-year-old bookmaker.

  Feb 21

  An English Electric Canberra (with Rolls-Royce Avon engines) becomes the first jet to make an unrefuelled Transatlantic flight, taking 4 hours 37 minutes from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Gander in Newfoundland.

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