Length and drive, six and five

Over two separate weekends, more than 400 people came and visited WARC. It was a great chance not just to have new people come and visit the club, but for those who have not seen the inside of the club in a decade (or five) to come and reconnect with WARC and her athletes.

I was particularly thrilled to meet Esther Perozzi - a woman who, for most of my time at Wests, was nothing but a name on a boat. Esther told how they had spent weeks and weeks fundraisiung for the club so it wouldn't be closed during the 90s, and how the current condition of the deck was reminiscent of what the floor of the club itself was once like. Of course, we're hoping Esther comes back to row, and might bring back some of the other familiar names of Wests... like Andrea Smith (here's hoping you both read this blog).

Speaking of old WARC names, above is a picture we were sent this week from Jim Booker, who is the fine rowing specimen in six seat pictured above.

Jim wrote:

Hi Peta

To supplement the scanned copy of "The Poppet" dated 11.3.1968 I attach a West Australian photograph of the Maiden Eight Crew that went to Henley

• Cox            T. Scook
• Stroke        D.Ninham
• 7                 R.Spurling
• 6                 J. Booker
• 5                 R.House (who couldn't make the shoot was substituted on the day and his face photoshopped at WANP)
• 4                 R.Hambley
• 3                 R.Webber
• 2                 G.Power
• 1                 B.Smith 

Terry Scook's  Henley Report on page four and five of "The Poppet" described our valiant efforts.We weren't victorious but I'm sure we had a lot of fun.I vaguely recall some tight squeezes getting the boats through the very narrow archways of the many bridges on the course.

I can easily recall Terry's megaphoned shouts for "length and drive, six and five". Too bad it rhymed so well; it seemed to Richard House and myself that it was like a tune Terry couldn't get out of his head.  

Jim Booker