We have recently been informed of the deaths of three of our members who competed for the club in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.
Ray Lawrence died on 24th June. Affectionately known as “Tubby”, Ray was at 5 in the 1954 Thames Cup crew at Henley. This eight famously had a dead heat against University College and Hospital in the first round proper but won the re-row 5¾ hours later. Although 1954 was Ray’s only Henley appearance he remained active within the club for more than two decades and was a stalwart of the Thursday night “bridges” run during the 1970s.
Ray’s family will be holding a memorial service for him at the Wharf in Teddington on Sunday, November 17th, at 1:00 pm.
Simon Sharp died on 22nd September. He was at 6 in our Thames Cup eights of 1974 and 1975 which reached the semi-final and final respectively. The 1975 crew set a record to the Barrier which lasted for 9 years and which wasn’t bettered by a genuine club crew until 1992.
John James died at the end of October. John came to Quintin in the 1964-65 season on the back of a successful 1964, winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, making up the bow pair with Quintin member Bill Barry. In 1965, with one change of personnel, the crew competed as Quintin Boat Club in the Stewards’ Cup at Henley and won the final in a record time of 6 min. 55 sec, the first time a four had broken the seven minute barrier over the Henley course. John emigrated to Australia in 1969.
An Australian appreciation of John’s rowing career may be found at https://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/rower-profiles/james-john#gsc.tab=0.
Editor’s note: In this article the photograph attributed to the 1966 Head of the River Race is actually of Thames V in the 1969 race.
