Torpids 1953

BUMPS CHART

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 New College 59 56 New College 2 Worcester 46 53 Merton 3 Merton 44 46 Magdalen 4 University 44 44 Worcester 5 Christ Church 40 39 St Edmund Hall 6 St Edmund Hall 38 36 Balliol 7 Lincoln 34 34 Christ Church 8 St Peter's 33 34 Oriel 9 Trinity 28 27 University 10 Magdalen 26 26 Queen's 11 Balliol 25 25 Lincoln 12 Oriel 24 23 Brasenose 13 Brasenose 22 20 Trinity 14 Queen's 20 18 St Peter's 15 Pembroke 17 18 St Catherine's 16 St Catherine's 17 17 Hertford 17 Jesus 15 15 Jesus 18 Exeter 14 14 Exeter 19 St John's 12 13 Pembroke 20 Hertford 11 12 St John's 21 Wadham 10 12 Keble 22 Keble 8 9 Wadham 23 Corpus Christi 7 6 Corpus Christi

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=rank Crews Bps Avg Magdalen 3[ 1] 18[ 1] 6.00[ 1] Balliol 2[ 5] 10[ 2] 5.00[ 2] Oriel 3[ 1] 9[ 3] 3.00[ 5] Hertford 2[ 5] 9[ 3] 4.50[ 3] Queen's 2[ 5] 8[ 5] 4.00[ 4] Merton 2[ 5] 5[ 6] 2.50[ 6] Keble 2[ 5] 4[ 7] 2.00[ 7] Worcester 2[ 5] 4[ 7] 2.00[ 7] St Edmund Hall 2[ 5] 3[ 9] 1.50[ 9] Exeter 3[ 1] 3[ 9] 1.00[11] Jesus 2[ 5] 3[ 9] 1.50[ 9] St John's 1[22] 0[12] 0.00[12] Corpus Christi 1[22] -2[13] -2.00[13] Brasenose 2[ 5] -4[14] -2.00[13] Wadham 2[ 5] -4[14] -2.00[13] Lincoln 2[ 5] -5[16] -2.50[16] St Catherine's 2[ 5] -5[16] -2.50[16] Christ Church 2[ 5] -6[18] -3.00[18] Trinity 2[ 5] -7[19] -3.50[20] New College 3[ 1] -9[20] -3.00[18] Pembroke 2[ 5] -9[20] -4.50[21] University 2[ 5] -11[22] -5.50[22] St Peter's 2[ 5] -14[23] -7.00[23]

• 6 days: Thu 19 – Wed 25 Feb 1953
• Divisions at 2, 3, 4 and 5pm.

• The Times Thu 19 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  Entries for the Oxford University Torpid races, which will be begun to-day, are one fewer than last year — 48 against 49.

  St. Peter's Hall, Jesus, Christ Church, and Keble have withdrawn their third crews and newcomers are a second crew from Hertford and third crews from Magdalen and Exeter. For their preliminary training, which for some colleges began as early as the Michaelmas term, the crews have had to face rather trying conditions — strong head winds, lively tides, and even snowstorms. Riverside opinion is that the standard is rather above the average, no doubt due to Oxford's victory against Cambridge last year. There has also been a notable improvement in coaching methods. There seems likely to be an interesting struggle between New College and Worcester for the headship, while other good crews in the first division are Oriel and Magdalen. Order of starting:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 19 Feb

  There are 48 entries, one less than last year, for the Oxford University Torpid rces on the Isis, which start to-day and finish next Wednesday. The divisions are: [...]

• The Times Fri 20 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  There were 15 bumps and one overbump on the first day of the Oxford University Torpid Races, rowed in ideal weather with little stream and no wind.

  New College easily kept their position at the head of the river, Worcester finishing a long way behind them. Magdalen made an overbump. After Balliol had caught Trinity, Magdalen rowed on to catch St. Peter's Hall just before the New Cut. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 20 Feb

  There were 15 bumps and one overbump on the first day of the Oxford University Torpids yesterday. In ideal conditions bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Sat 21 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  On the second day of the Oxford University Torpid races there were 15 bumps.

  The weather was less favourable than on Thursday, a strong wind proving very unpleasant for the crews. The most exciting race was that between Worcester and Merton, the second and third boats in Division I. Along the Barges Merton shot and missed and Worcester managed to get home by a few feet. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 21 Feb

  15 Oxford Bumps

  A high wind made rowing more difficult for the crews rowing on the second day of the Oxford Torpids yesterday, when there were 15 bumps by: [...]

• The Times Mon 23 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  With 17 bumps recorded on Saturday the total of the three days went up to 47.

  In the first division Worcester gave New College a harder race than before without looking like making a bump and kept more than their distance from Merton. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 23 Feb

  New College still Head of the River

  At the half-way stage of he Oxford Torpid races, which conclude on Wednesday. New College are still head of the river and seem likely to remain there.

  The most successful crews in the three-days' racing which have produce 47 bumps, have bee Magdalen and Hertford, whose first and second crews have each risen three places. There were 17 bumps on Saturday, made by: [...]

• The Times Tue 24 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  Merton move up

  Nineteen bumps, the highest number in the four days' racing, were recorded in the Oxford University Torpid races yesterday. In the first Division Worcester, second on the river, had their colours lowered by Merton after evading them for three days. This bump took place coming out of the Gut. It remains to be seen if Merton are fast enough to displace the head boat, New College. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Tue 24 Feb

  19 Bumps in Torpids

  There were 19 bumps on the fourth day of the Oxford Torpid races, the highest number so far and bringing the total to 66. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Wed 25 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  Merton's effort

  An exciting race for the headship between New College and Merton was the outstanding feature of the fifth day's racing of the Oxford University Torpid races.

  Merton were gaining coming out of the Gut and near the Boathouse were only a few feet away. All along the wall the chased New College, who, however, finally reached home with almost three-quarters of a length to spare. There were 14 bumps during the day bringing the total up to 80, with one overbump. When Keble caught Wadham in the second division this was their sixth bump. The weather could not have been more favourable nor conditions more perfect for rowing. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 25 Feb

  Merton's Headship Bid just Fails

  Merton made a great effort to deprive New College of the headship on the fifth day of the Oxford Torpid races, but failed by half a length. At the Boathouse they were within a few feet, but along the Barges New College drew away slightly. Keble I made their sixth bump when they caught Wadham. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Thu 26 Feb, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  New College stay Head

  It seemed at Oxford yesterday that the quality of the weather must be as much above its usual run as was the standard of the rowing. Even the spectators were more numerous than usual, and they were rewarded by excellent racing in all divisions. It is true, of course, that some indifferent rowing in recent years had left a number of first division crews considerably below their habitual haunts, but there is no doubt that there were more bumps to be made even after the racing was over.

  New College are to be congratulated on remaining head in spite of numerous assaults on them. They were rough, but worked hard and kept their heads. Merton were on their tails yesterday all up the Green Bank, but at the finish New College were drawing away a little. Worcester were outside their distance from Merton, and, indeed, it was touch and go whether St. Edmund Hall would catch them before being caught by Magdalen. By good steering, and by refusing to be panicked into making their attempt too soon, Magdalen got their bump at the bottom of the Green Bank. They were probably the fastest crew in Torpids and it must be many years since any college made an overbump in the first division [1886 was the previous occasion]. Balliol may well have been the second fastest crew, but were twice robbed of bumps though being behind Magdalen.

  The main difference between most of this year's crews and their predecessors was that they were using their legs and were quite well together. The standard was the highest seen since the war, and several crews were probably better than some summer eights. [Head Crew list - as below] [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 26 Feb

  Merton's Fastest Crew

  New College finished Head of the River for the third successive year in the Oxford Torpids, which finished yesterday. As on Tuesday, Merton drove them hard all the way and were undoubtedly the fastest crew.

  Magdalen's three boats made 17 bumps, the first crew rising from 11th to fourth place due to an overbump. Bumps during the week numbered 96. Yesterday's bumps were made by: [...]

• In other news ... [1953]

  Monarch: Elizabeth II

  Prime Minister: Winston Churchill (Conservative)

  February 19

  Georgia approves the first literature censorship board in the United States.

  February 25

  Jacques Tati's film, Les Vacances de M. Hulot, is released in France, introducing the gauche character of Monsieur Hulot.

  February 28

  James Watson and Francis Crick of the University of Cambridge announce their discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule.

  February 28

  Greece, Turkey, and Yugoslavia sign the Balkan Pact.

Return to Bumps Index