Thursday 15 March 2012

Oxford Cambridge Regatta 2012











CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD REGATTA
7th April 2012

The famous rowing race between the Cambridge and Oxford Universities idea originally come from two friends, Charles Merival who was a student at Cambridge and his Harrow school friend, Charles Wordsworth (nephew of poet William Wordsworth) a student at Oxford. On 12 March 1829 Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford, thus the challenge started. On race day up to 250,000 spectators crowded the Thames river from Putney to Mortlake to watch the action. This is one of London's great Festive days, which is free.

The Cambridge Crew are called the Light Blues, because of their club colours. They also have two training grounds, Goldie Boat House, which is situated in the heart of Cambridgeshire contains a fully equipped gym and rowers work out on ergometers (indoor rowing machines). Most afternoons the Cambridge squad train on the river at Ely, where they have a Boat House.

The Oxford crew are known as the Dark Blues because of the clubs colours. OUBC's training facilities are part of the world famous Iffley Road sports centre where Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute race. Most afternoons the crew train on the water at Wallington. Traditionally this has a very carnival and party like atmosphere with many people wearing straw boater hats and having picnics by the river. There are various advantage points to watch the race, but ones to remember are: Putney Bridge, Putney Embankment, and Bishops Park (at the start). Hammersmith and Barnes (mid-course) and Chiswick Bridge (at the finish). There are also Large Screens at Bishops Park, Fulham and Furnival Gardens, and Hammersmith which means you can watch the start and finish of the race.
The regatta has a wide selection of union jack paper bunting, pearl light blue balloons and many party accessories in both Cambridge and Oxford Colours decorating the race to celebrate one of Englands great traditional boating events. This is definitely one event to mark in your dairy for next month, not to be missed.

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