AN INGENIOUS METHOD

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 67, 16 September 1922, Page 14

AN INGENIOUS METHOD

Sliding seats were first seen at, Heujley in 1881, in the race for the Public School Cup, now rowed at Marlow, states the "Manchester Guardian." It was for clinker-built fours with coxswains, and onie condition wai that the Towers were to use fixed seats. Bradford School then rejoiced in a waterman who thoroughly grasped) ; 'the vaiue of the n^w-fangledl slides, sio the " BedfoTd , four-oar was fitted with wide 16in polished fixed seats, and the trousers worn by the boys rowing w it ha 4 a slab of smooth., shiny oil,slqn sgwn on the part that', came in contact with the seat. With the addition of a little soft soap the boys slid almost as effectively as if their boat were fitted with slides running, on wheels. The secretary of the Bedford, Bpat Club, wrote to the Heniey E<egatt» Secretary, asking' if this would be' a breach of the law against eliding.seats. Ha was told that the law merely stipulated that the seats should he fixed, and said nothing stout sliding on them, so Bedford stuck to th,eir ingenious dodge, As a result they easily won the, cup, beating Radley; Westminster, and > tip-fop crew from Bath College gtroked by H. Girdlestone, the. Oxford stroke of 1885 and 1886.