Torpids 1958

BUMPS CHART

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Balliol 60 64 Balliol 2 Queen's 60 61 Queen's 3 Worcester 58 56 Christ Church 4 Christ Church 53 54 Worcester 5 St Edmund Hall 50 49 St Edmund Hall 6 Magdalen 46 45 Magdalen 7 St Peter's 42 39 St John's 8 Oriel 40 39 Exeter 9 Exeter 38 36 Hertford 10 Merton 37 35 Oriel 11 St John's 32 32 St Peter's 12 Hertford 30 28 New College 13 New College 24 27 Merton 14 Pembroke 24 27 Pembroke 15 Wadham 23 26 Lincoln 16 Lincoln 22 23 Brasenose 17 Trinity 22 20 University 18 Brasenose 19 19 Wadham 19 St Catherine's 17 16 Trinity 20 University 16 16 Jesus 21 Keble 16 16 Corpus Christi 22 Corpus Christi 14 14 St Catherine's 23 Jesus 14 13 Keble

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=rank Crews Bps Avg Brasenose 3[ 2] 7[ 1] 2.33[ 4] Lincoln 3[ 2] 7[ 1] 2.33[ 4] New College 2[ 9] 6[ 3] 3.00[ 1] University 2[ 9] 6[ 3] 3.00[ 1] Jesus 2[ 9] 5[ 5] 2.50[ 3] St Edmund Hall 2[ 9] 3[ 6] 1.50[ 6] St John's 3[ 2] 2[ 7] 0.67[ 9] Exeter 2[ 9] 2[ 7] 1.00[ 7] Hertford 2[ 9] 2[ 7] 1.00[ 7] Queen's 2[ 9] 1[10] 0.50[10] Keble 2[ 9] 0[11] 0.00[11] Corpus Christi 3[ 2] 0[11] 0.00[11] Pembroke 2[ 9] 0[11] 0.00[11] Balliol 3[ 2] 0[11] 0.00[11] Christ Church 3[ 2] 0[11] 0.00[11] Magdalen 3[ 2] -2[16] -0.67[16] St Catherine's 2[ 9] -2[16] -1.00[17] Worcester 2[ 9] -3[18] -1.50[18] Oriel 2[ 9] -5[19] -2.50[20] Wadham 2[ 9] -6[20] -3.00[21] St Peter's 4[ 1] -7[21] -1.75[19] Merton 2[ 9] -8[22] -4.00[22] Trinity 2[ 9] -8[22] -4.00[22]

• Wed 19 – Sat 22 Feb 1958

• The Times Wed 19 Feb

  Total of 55 crews

  The Oxford University Torpids will be begun this afternoon, with 55 crews taking part. All colleges have entered at least two crews Christ Church, Balliol, Magdalen, St. John's, Lincoln, Brasenose, and Corpus have three boats and St. Peter's Hall four. The order of start will be:— [...]

• The Times Thu 20 Feb

  Torpids crews hard driven — Queen's narrow escape

  The stream was almost back to normal for the first day of Torpids at Oxford yesterday though the crews had a stiff breeze against them. In the five divisions 16 bumps were made. There was plenty of excitement at the top of the first division. At the University Boat House, Queen's, Worcester, and Balliol were separated by their full distances, but along the Barges there was a great change, and at the finish Queen's were being driven hard by Worcester, who, in their turn, were even harder pressed by Balliol and got home with only 3ft. to spare.

  Christ Church caught St. Edmund Hall along the Green Bank and that bump may have considerable effect on to-day's races. With Christ Church now behind them, Balliol will have to go hard, which may make them pull out the little extra to catch Worcester. Yesterday Hertford caught St. Peter's Hall at the New Bridge and Merton fell to Oriel at the Concrete Bridge. One of the best-looking crews were University, who, though they are in the second division, are one of the fastest boats on the river and should make a daily bump. Brasenose had a good day, as their first boat caught St. Catherine's and the second boat, with two bumps, climbed out of the fourth division to the comparative safety of the third. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 20 Feb

  Christ Church move up in Torpids

  Worcester made a strong bid to depose Queen's from the head of the river when Oxford Torpids began on the Isis yesterday.

  They put in a strong challenge at the start and reduced the distance until they reached the Gut, but then Queen's pulled away.

  Christ Church, who are likely to finish much higher, moved to fourth place by catching St. Edmund Hall. Sixteen bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Fri 21 Feb

  Fifteen bumps in Torpids — Queen's never pressed

  Only 15 bumps were made when the Torpids were continued at Oxford yesterday, and it would seem as if the top boats have found their level.

  As the first eight boats came out of the Gut none had gained or lost any appreciable distance, and it was obvious that only something extraordinary would produce a bump. Queen's, at the head, were never pressed, and at the finish were at least a length and a half up on Worcester, who were a length ahead of Balliol. Christ Church, not showing the same drive as on the first day, never looked like improving their position. Hertford were the only first division boat to make a second bump, and they caught Merton going into the Gut. Hertford completed the discomfiture of Merton when, in the fourth division, their second boat caught Merton II. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 21 Feb

  15 Bumps in Torpids

  Queen's rowed over, at the Head of the River in the Oxford Torpids yesterday, without any real threat from Worcester.

  There was little prospect of any change among the top eight crews in Div. I, and although Christ Church halved the distance between their boat and Balliol they were unable to get any closer and so lost their chance of reaching the Headship this year.

  There were 15 bumps, bringing the total after two days up to 31: [list of bumps].

• The Times Sat 22 Feb

  Balliol catch Worcester — promise of exciting finish to Torpids

  There is every hope of an exciting finish to the Oxford University Torpids to-day. Yesterday Balliol made their bump on Worcester to climb into second place and, even if they do not displace Queen's at the head, they will make them go hard all the way.

  Balliol were quickly gaining on Worcester, being little more than half a length behind coming out of the Gut, and, getting two guns, they made a splendid spurt to make their bump near the top of the Green Bank, at the pink post. This left Queen's to paddle home in comfort.

  Hertford made their third bump when they caught Oriel near the Concrete Bridge and the fall of Oriel got Exeter out of difficulty. Coming up to the Gut Exeter touched the bank and number four broke his oar, but with Oriel out of the way the other seven were able to take the boat home. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 22 Feb

  Balliol now second

  Balliol moved up to second place in Oxford's Torpids and now have an excellent chance of regaining their position at the head of the river.

  There were 21 bumps. [List of bumps]

• The Times Mon 24 Feb

  Balliol challenge easily held — Queen's stay Head of River in Torpids

  Any ideas that Queen's might lose their place at the Head of the River to Balliol in the Torpids, which were ended at Oxford on Saturday, were soon dispelled. Balliol had certainly reduced the distance a little at the Gut, but their challenge was no more than a thin threat which Queen's faithfully dealt with along the Green Bank. At the University Boat House at least a length of clear water separated the crews and Balliol seemingly accepted the inevitable for, along the barges, they made no worthwhile spurt and Queen's deservedly stayed at the head.

  This was Queen's best day. On the first two days they had seemed a little unsure of themselves and had even caused their supporters some slight anxiety, but on Saturday there was more determination, expressed in a stride and swing which in earlier races was not much to be noticed.

  Spirit lacking

  The other boats in the first division failed to provide any excitement. The first eight boats rowed through in unchanged order without even the hope of a bump between them. Nor is this a proof of a high standard. Rather it is that none of them, excepting perhaps Hertford, had real racing spirit. No crews managed to reach and maintain a high rate of striking from start to finish and very few had real leg drive. Notable exceptions in the matter of legs were New College and Brasenose and, to a less degree, Pembroke.

  The number of bumps, 70 in the four days, was rather fewer than usual, and, most unusually, only one boat St. Edmund Hall II, managed to make a daily ascent. Brasenose II and New College II, by becoming sandwich boats and climbing into a higher division, each made four bumps.

  In the past Merton and Trinity have been powers in Oxford rowing and it was disappointing that both failed so badly in Torpids to the extent that the two boats of both clubs were bumped every day. St. Peter's Hall, also bumped daily, lost their place in the first division and others who went down four places were St. Catherine's, Oriel II, Wadham II, and St. John's III.

  The Queen's crew was:— [as below]. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 24 Feb

  Queen's remain Head of the River

  Queen's remained head of the river on the last day of the Oxford U. Torpids on Saturday in spite of a strong challenge from Balliol.

  The two crews were evenly matched. There were 18 bumps, but all the first eight crews rowed over.

  Oriel were bumped by St. John's and Merton by New College. This was a dispiriting results for Merton. Both their boats went down four places during the week. [List of Bumps] [Order of Finish].

• The Times Fri 28 Feb, Letters

  Sir, — With a twinge of jealousy I noticed that the two boats at the head of the river at the end of Torpids last week were those of The Queen's College and Balliol. I believe that no other college in Oxford sets a higher intellectual standard than these two colleges.

  Yours faithfully,
  J. C. Masterman
  Worcester College, Oxford.

• In other news ... [1958]

  Monarch: Elizabeth II

  Prime Minister: Harold Macmillan (Conservative)

  Thu 20 Feb

  The government announces plans to close the 300-year-old naval dockyards at Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey which would result in more than 2,500 workers losing their jobs

  Thu 20 Feb

  A test rocket explodes at Cape Canaveral.

  Fri 21 Feb

  A peace symbol is designed and completed by Gerald Holtom, commissioned by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, in protest against the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.

  Fri 21 Feb

  Duncan Edwards dies of his injuries in a Munich hospital fifteen days after the Munich air crash. Edwards, twenty-one years old and rated by many as the finest player in England, is the eighth Manchester United player to die.

Return to Bumps Index