Hawks Newsletter December 2023
President’s Introduction
Gentlemen Hawks,
The Hawks’ Club has enjoyed a particularly busy Michaelmas Term, with a record 193 Resident Hawks and 152 Resident Ospreys enjoying our home at Portugal Place. Hawks returned in September to a preseason House Party and a packed bar showing the Rugby World Cup, the sorrow of England’s semi-final defeat drowned in pints of Tomahawk. The pace continued through the term, with the Dining Room regularly booked out for sports club dinners while the Resident Members enjoyed a healthy diet of the Triple B (beers, burgers and brownies) from the Bar. My thanks go to Lauren Bland (Steward) and the Committee whose hard work has made the place so lively and enjoyable!
Sporting success has continued this term, in September we received word from Belgrade that Freddie Davidson (Emmanuel) had won a second consecutive Rowing World Championship in the Men’s Four, while Tom George (Peterhouse) and Ollie Wynne-Griffith (Peterhouse) won a Silver medal in an all CUBC/Hawks Men’s Pair. We wish Freddie, Tom and Ollie the very best in their preparations for Paris, as they join a rich history of Hawks’ Club Olympians.
Meanwhile, in Cambridge, Grange Road was packed full for the 75th Steele-Bodger Match, a fixture first played in 1948 when Mickey Steele-Bodger, a legendary Hawk and England international, brought an invitational side to play the Blues in a pre-Varsity warmup. The standard of the game has remained high, with the Bodgers running out 52-17 winners, the Bodgers enjoyed a bit of Hawks’ magic with Old Blue Tom Lovelace (Hughes Hall) scoring a hat-trick for the visitors.
At the end of term, the CUBC ran their Trial Eights on a particularly rough Tideway course, the heavyweights rowed a shortened course while the lightweight race was re-run the following day after one crew (coached by the Hawks’ President!) sank 300m in. Both races were raced to a high standard and will provide valuable experience for the Blue Boats in March.
December saw the start of the 2024 Varsity season, with the Hare & Hounds kicking off the annual challenges against the Dark Blues. On a cold Wimbledon Common, the Men’s Blues out ran the Other Place in the 132nd University Cross Country Match, unfortunately the Women’s Blues lost in a tight race. The following weekend, our skiers won both the Men’s and Women’s Blues Races in the 101st Varsity in Tignes. These strong results bode well for 2024 as the rest of our Resident Hawks do battle with Oxford in their respective sports.
Finally, the Club continues to be much more than the Resident membership and it has been a pleasure to meet so many alumni this term. The London Dinner at the Savoy and Golf Day were both great successes and there has been a steady flow of vintage Hawks dropping into the Clubhouse to meet the current students and trade stories. We look forward to the Welsh Dinner and Varsity fixtures next term. You will also find pieces below about the Club’s rich history covering two former Presidents, Arthur Smith (1956-57) and Paul Marsh (1964-65). Please do drop in for a drink next term, we would love to welcome you back to the Club.
The Club has maintained its position at the forefront of Cambridge sport, uniting Light Blue sportsmen and women, and remains central to the busy student lives of the Resident membership. Thank you for your support in 2023, I wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas and New Year.
GDBO,
Felix Craig-McFeely (Fitzwilliam, CUBC)
Hawks’ Club President 2023-24
London Dinner
It was a great pleasure to see many familiar faces at the Annual Dinner, including a particularly sizable contingent of recent graduates and Residents. We had members elected in 1959 alongside those elected in 2023, with strong reunion tables from 1980s CUAFC, 1990s CUBC and 2010s CURUFC. James Furber (Gonville & Caius) ran proceedings from the Chair while Philip Collins (St John’s) gave an excellent speech drawing links between the Club, Cambridge sport and a life in politics. Many thanks to the London Dinner Committee, particularly the Dinner Secretary Ed Hyde (Jesus) for their hard work in organising another fantastic evening at the Savoy. We would be grateful to receive any pictures taken during the evening for our next newsletter and look forward to seeing you again next year.
Welsh Dinner
The 50th Dinner will take place at the Cardiff and County Club, Cardiff on 19th January. 7.00 pm for 7.45. Black or Club Tie. Please email Stephen Whitehead (whiteheadstephen3@googlemail.com) if you would like to attend.
Club Shop
The *new* Hawks’ Web Shop is now LIVE, this new web shop will be open throughout the year with faster delivery. Hawks’ merchandise is a must have gift this Christmas with new Rab Gilets and Columbia Sweaters available!
Over the summer, we have implemented a new shipping system where delivery is managed externally, making delivery times much shorter (2 working days). Delivery will be to any address in the UK and there will no longer be the option to collect from the clubhouse.
We have limited stock on some lines so please order quickly to avoid any disappointment. Nonetheless, we will work to replenish any low stock levels as soon as possible.
Finally, if there are any suggestions for new items or issues with the ordering process, please email Seb Walton (Merchandise Officer) on sjw279@cam.ac.uk
CUBC Pennant – Paul Marsh (President 1964-65)
In response to the last newsletter in July, I was delighted to receive an email from Paul Marsh (Jesus, CUHC, CUCC), President of the Hawks’ Club in 1964-65 and now living in Christchurch, New Zealand. Paul was travelling to the UK in October and wished to meet the current President and see the Clubhouse, he also described a small pennant which originally belonged to the CUBC, which he wished to return.
The pennant had originally belonged to the 1938 Cambridge Blue Boat (crew introduction here), and had been flown on the bow of their boat as they were beaten by a strong Oxford crew in the first race televised by the BBC (race here). The crew was stroked by Denis Eadie who won a MC for bravery at the relief of Kohima. Alan Burrough rowed at 3 and was President in the winning 1939 crew, a legendary Hawk who lost a leg serving with the Royal Artillery in Africa yet continued to race in Henley finals and for Great Britain, bought a 999-year lease on Temple Island as a gift to the Regatta and sponsored the Boat Race through his company, Beefeater Gin. The President’s Room is named the Burrough Room in his memory.
The 1938 Blue Boat trail Oxford past the Fulham Wall. BT Coulton Jesus (bow); AM Turner Corpus Christi; A Burrough Jesus; TB Langton Jesus (President); JLL Savill Jesus; G Keppel Trinity Hall; A Campbell Selwyn; DSM Eadle 1st Trinity (stroke); TH Hunter Trinity Hall (cox)
The story of the pennant relates to the 1938 President Tom B. Langton, a Jesus College oarsman, who rowed in the Boat Race for Cambridge in 1937 and 1938. During the North African Campaign in the Second World War, Langton and a group of the Special Boat Service made a grandiose escape from Tobruk to El Alamein. Lt Langton drove his men for two months across 400 miles of desert to reach the British lines after the failure of Operation Agreement, for which he received the Military Cross.
After the 1938 Boat Race, Tom Langton organised a tour to South Africa, it was agreed that the pennant would be given to the South African host who made the biggest contribution to the tour. Langton awarded it to Wilfred Marsh, President of the Witwatersrand University Boat Club. It was framed and hung in a prominent place at his home until his death in 1984. Tom Langton and Wilfred Marsh continued a long and close relationship resulting in Tom nominating Wilfred for membership of Leander Club. He rarely missed a Henley regatta and proudly wore his pink regalia whenever possible.
Most importantly, Tom encouraged Wilfred to send his son, Paul, to Jesus College. Paul flourished at Jesus, winning a Blue in Hockey, appearing for the Crusaders Cricket Club and was elected President of the Hawks’ Club in 1964 during their final years in All Saints Passage. Tom and his wife Lucy stood in for Paul’s parents when Paul married Ann in London in 1964.
Two Presidents 60 years apart – Paul Marsh (1964-65) and (one-winged!) Felix Craig-McFeely (2023-24) exchange the pennant of the 1938 CUBC Blue Boat.
In October, Paul, Ann and I met for breakfast at the Farmer’s Club in London, it was a privilege to accept the pennant on behalf of the Club (albeit with a broken elbow after a game a 5-aside football, a lesson to any oarsman attempting ball sports!). We spent an enjoyable morning discussing the modern CUBC and comparing notes between life in All Saint’s Passage and Portugal Place. The following day, Paul traveled up to Cambridge to visit his Club. While much has changed, the core tenets of sporting excellence and friendship remain. I look forward to meeting my successor in 60 years time!
Arthur Smith (President 1956-57)
On Friday 13th October a small group of Hawks and friends quietly met to remember Arthur R Smith who passed away just under 50 years ago. Arthur was President of the Hawks’ Club in 1956/57 (preceding Ted Dexter), captained CURUFC, captained Scotland and went on to captain the British Lions on the 1962 South Africa Tour. He also got a double 1st in Mathematics.
The gathering was made up of family and friends of Arthur, and mostly Hawks as follows:
Family and Friends – Dr Iain Smith, Calum Smith, Chris Rea, Budge Rogers
CU oval ball – Ben Jackson, Logan Mair, Herbie Hancock, Tony Rodgers, Pat Briggs
CU small white dimpled ball – James Skelton, John Taylor, Jeremy Caplan, Jon Shinton, David Meacher, Alex Mair, Roger Kelly, Gordon Macsween
CU round ball – Chris Elliott
Random Vincent – Mike MacPhee (golf)
Hawks’ Club Steward – Lauren Bland
Dr Iain Smith, front left, (Arthur’s son) Captain CU Golf Club in 1986/87 and now is a dedicated GP in Edinburgh (and prefers curling). Calum, front middle – and why not – is Arthur’s grandson. Both were talented scrum halves and are dedicated Scotland rugby fans.
At dinner we were treated to speeches from Logan Mair (whose father Gordon was Arthur’s best man and a Scottish international himself), Chris Rea (Smithy’s next door neighbour in the 1980s in Edinburgh (if you don’t know Chris – look him up!), and Budge Rogers who toured with Arthur on the 1962 tour.
Here’s Smithy and Chris catching up
Arthur’s presence was missing from the lounge in the Hawks’ Club, whereas other equal or lesser internationals were already on the wall. This omission has now been corrected. The following portrait and a photo of Arthur’s Hawks’ Club Committee now hang in the far corner of the lounge by the President’s board.
If anyone can name each Hawk in this photo, and more importantly identify who is who then a small prize will be on its way to you.
We had a great night following very convivial golf at Royal Worlington. Our thanks to Lauren for all her support, and we recommend this to any Hawk who fancies catching up with mates and celebrating past, present or indeed future sporting deeds.
Golf Day
The steady drizzle which greeted golfing Hawks failed to dampen spirits as they arrived at The Sacred Nine of Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club for the annual Hawks’ Golf Day. Hawks of varying shapes, sizes, sporting and golfing prowess traveled from near and far, some of them already having enjoyed an evening of competitive eating and drinking, darts and table tennis at the Bull in Balsham, fast establishing itself as the warm-up venue of choice. An hour later the rain had more or less stopped and fortified by bacon baps and coffee a shotgun start saw 32 golfers (and several spectating hangers on) set off on two circuits of the country’s finest 9 holes, the home course and spiritual home of Cambridge University golf. The challenge of ensuring a full house of 40 still eludes the organisers as late drop outs, for very good and less convincing reasons, again took their toll.
Acquaintances were renewed and new friendships made with a great mix of old and fresh faces. Underneath the bonhomie lurked the fiercely competitive nature of gifted sportsmen with the best foursomes score, nearest the pin on the seemingly easy but tantalisingly difficult fifth hole and the longest drive all seeing Hawks stretch sinews which they had forgotten existed. This year’s foursomes bragging rights went to James Boyle and Ali Meadows (a serial winner from last year who can now apply for a Mexican passport) and who (as you can see from this presentation of the Dalzell claret cup) also won the tallest foursomes prize. Nearest the pin went to Matt Burder who throttled back from his driver to an eight iron and the longest drive was claimed by James Skelton which he accepted with his legendary grace and modesty. There cannot be many better ways to celebrate the camaraderie and Corinthian Spirit of integrity, fairness and loyalty of Cambridge University sport.
As always, huge thanks must go to Mark, Barry and the whole team at the Worlington clubhouse who looked after us in their usual friendly, courteous and efficient way. Innovations this year included a Pimms and IPA pit stop halfway round and Hawks’ Club white burgundy and claret both now on the club’s wine list, accompanying a delicious four course lunch. Roger Dalzell’s claret jug enabled the winners to take wine after the prize giving of selected Hawks’ Club merchandise (available at www.shop.hawksclub.co.uk). This year there were permanent and less ephemeral trophies for nearest the pin and longest drive in the shape of the Ken James tankards, generously donated by him last year when he realised that, sadly, he would not be with us this year to put them to better use. We hope they will find a spot to join the fine array of CUGC trophies in the splendid new trophy cabinet in the Worlington Clubhouse. And for next year we are on the lookout for a permanent Hawks’ Golf Day trophy for the best pairs score. It could be you or yours!
For those with energy and inclination there was more golf in the afternoon, including by your two correspondents who proved (at least to themselves as they honestly swear) that they would have won the nearest the pin and longest drives with everyone wending their weary way home at varying stages basking in the sunshine and happy memories of another contented and successful or not day chasing that elusive little white ball. And in that same Corinthian Spirit we wonder whether the time has come to embrace, as it were but not literally, our fellow raptors The Ospreys in next year’s events?
We hope those who participated will spread the word and those reading this will put next year’s date, Friday 30th August, 2024 into their diaries now. If you do not receive Hawks’ Golf day emails please register your interest with either of your correspondents or send an email to hgd@hawksclub.co.uk.
John May (Christ’s, 1976) & Andrew McGahey (Fitzwilliam, 1978)
Trial Eights
The CUBC Trial Eights were run on Wednesday 13th December. The lightweight men crews, preparing for the 50th Lightweight Men’s Boat Race, were named after two influential figures in lightweight rowing at Cambridge: Richard Bates and Bob Greatorex. Bates founded Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club in 1974, and rowed at bow of the winning 1975 Lightweight Blue Boat. Greatorex was a founding member of Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club and raced in the first two Lightweight Boat Races in 1975 and 1976. He then went on to coach CULRC crews for more than twenty five years, presiding over nineteen wins against Oxford including a record fourteen-year winning streak, the longest in Varsity sport.
Along the boats, Greatorex took on significant water, and started to swamp. The decision was made to cancel the race and Greatorex’s crew made their way back to the boathouses, and a further decision was made to postpone the race until Thursday.
The Lightweight Men battle rough conditions off the start – Greatorex (right) would sink moments later.
The re-race took place under much better conditions, with Bates pushing out to an early lead off the start of around a canvas on the Surrey station. The crews stayed neck and neck up to Hammersmith Bridge and around to St Paul’s. Bates then pushed out to a lead of just over 1 length around the Surrey bend. The two crews were then line astern past the Eyot before Greatorex started to push back onto terms, being down just half a length at the Bandstand. Going through Barnes, Greatorex were just one seat down and continued to extend their lead towards the finish. The final verdict was a five length victory for Greatorex.
After seeing Greatorex swamp in the previous lightweight Trial VIIIs race along the boats, men’s chief coach Rob Baker made the decision to start at the race at Fulham Football Ground. The crews were named for two of cinema’s great rivals: Hansel McDonald and Derek Zoolander. The world’s best male models at the peak of their game, Hansel and Zoolander begin as enemies, but put aside their differences and become close allies in their struggle against a greater enemy. Starting on Surrey, Zoolander coxed by Ed Bracey was given a third of a length start to account for the outside of the bend, causing some discussion between the commentators about the fairness of this measure, but Savannah Adamo’s Hansel was ready to go and a pair of strong British and International crews took the start. Within 25 seconds both crews were warned for their steering as they came close to clashing. Zoolander on Surrey, stroked by Swedish international Martin Amethier pushed his crew through and Zoolander managed to take three quarters of a length within the first two and a half minutes and was somewhat more composed as the crews got to Hammersmith Bridge where by taking inside of the bend they had the advantage of better water. Cox Ed Bracey was able to move his crew out in front of Hansel and quickly enabled them to take advantage of the inside of the Surrey Bend.
Passing St Paul’s, they led by a length and three quarters, and by the Eyot Zoolander had taken a two-length lead. Both crews were rowing cleanly and with length by this point, with Hansel taking some margin back, although Zoolander was able to match the push.
Zoolander’s Ed Bracey looks back on a lead over Hansel, both crews will reunite to defeat Jacobim Mugatu (Oxford) with their ‘Blue Steel’ in March
Tom Lynch and Seb Benzecry drove Hansel from the middle of the boat, enabling them to consolidate their rowing as the crews passed the bandstand but Zoolander was able to stretch their lead to two and a half lengths as the crews went under Barnes Bridge. Coming under Barnes, Bracey went wide whilst Adamo followed a more conventional course taking the risk that with so much land water coming down the course and a comparatively slower flood tide she could guide her crew to an increasing speed and overturn some of the margin that Zoolander had taken.
Hansel was able to do just that, but it would not be enough to cover the margin already taken, and Zoolander ran out victors by 2.5 lengths in a time of just under 15 minutes.
Report from CUBC Website
Varsity Cross Country
Michaelmas Term lately over, and a coach-load of CUH&H runners huddled in Thames H&H’s clubhouse, awaiting Wimbledon’s most prestigious sporting showdown in the calendar with baited breath. Implacable December weather. The raw afternoon was rawest, and the dense fog was densest, and the muddy streets were muddiest on the common, where the 2023 Oxford vs Cambridge Varsity Cross Country competition was set to take place. Mist swept in from the windmill, shards of ice mingled with cloying mud, and spectators wombled up and down, apprehensive exhalations casting frosty puffs of air upwards to the skies, who thankfully remained clear. The stage is set, the curtain rises…
After the ‘Old Gits’ race, our Women’s Blues took to the common, with Phoebe Barker’s emphatic victory of over a minute exhibiting a masterclass of cross country running. Oxford’s team then packed impressively, filling the next five positions, and our next Cambridge runners home were Poppy Craig-McFeely and Lilian Lewis, who battled well to finish in seventh and eighth respectively. Positions ninth to eleventh were also occupied by the light blues, as Louise Shanahan, Maia Hardman and Milly Dickinson packed well to score ahead of Oxford’s sixth runner. Holly Sprosen and Ella Colbourn, admirably willing to join the team at shorter notice, completed our Cambridge run; some great performances, but ultimately Oxford’s dominance awarded them a team victory.
The Men’s Blues were, however, victorious for the fourth year in a row, and were led home by overall winner Jeremy Dempsey, and runner-up Joe Massingham, both Cambridge men producing excellent exhibitions of cross country prowess over the course. The next scoring positions were highly contested, with Pete Molloy and Terry Fawden in fourth and sixth respectively, our next Cambridge victors. Lawrence Hollom and Thomas Dugré also had fantastic runs, closing out the light blue scorers in positions eleventh and thirteenth. Tom Spencer and James Rennie battled through to take the last two places, the brilliant series of performances granting CUH&H the overall victory, with a final score of 38-42.
Although I may have used fragments of Dickens’ Bleak House to set the scene for this report, nothing about our fantastic day out was remotely bleak, or resembled in any way the 900-page Victorian novel beset with woe and anguish. Instead, a great day lead to a wonderful evening, and as a club we would like to congratulate our runners, Oxford’s runners, and thank our coach Phil and Thames H&H for once again welcoming us and encouraging this sport and tradition to flourish!
Bea Wood (Lucy Cavendish, CUH&H, CUAC)
Contact Us and Picture Submissions
Please do get in touch with us about anything Hawks’ Club related! We particularly welcome photos of Hawks past and present which we will try to get up in the Clubhouse and on the website. It is also great to hear about the sporting or social activities of past Hawks – for example, anecdotes or brief thoughts on current affairs, or how we could improve the newsletter.
Do get in touch via either president@hawksclub.co.uk or secretary@hawksclub.co.uk.
You can also rapidly and easily keep up to date with all the latest Hawks’ Club activities by following our social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
A reminder to keep your details up to date on the website (your username should be <SURNAME><INITIALS> e.g. MOENAJ for Alexander James Moen – send an email to secretary@hawksclub.co.uk if you have forgotten your username).
If you enjoyed this newsletter, you can also read archived newsletters here.
Newsletter compiled by President Felix Craig-McFeely and Communications Officer Joseph Helm
