Westminster - Devizes

[Sisyphus]

Anyone know if there's an on-line link to past winners of the W-D Race?

[harry hackedoff]

No, but I know a past winner The famous turkey snurgler did it, probably late sixties mate. Is there a site Rocky?
I`ll just google......
Back in a mo.....

[harry hackedoff]

Here you go mate

http://www.canoeraceresults.co.uk/

[harry hackedoff]

Here`s the bastard, 1967, I was still at skool, just
I must show him this He`s still competative. He entered the local two-dayer last year and the year before and him and his son Martin hold the course two man record to this day


1 20:12:30 White B D & Lowe J C 2 - 2 ATURM Poole
2 20:44 Seegar R & Spence I M 5 - 2 RMA Sandhurst
3 21:14:30 Green M J & Lee J P 1 - 4 ATURM Poole
4 21:21:15 Bradshaw E H & Daniels D J 3 - 3 Culham College CC
5 21:47:45 Clow R D & Fenton P T 2 - 2 9th Ind Para Sqn RE
6 22:08:30 Pickering R D & Jones R H 2 - 3 RMA Sandhurst
7 22:20:15 Campion C S & Eustace J D 6 - 4 Berksonions
8 22:23:30 Cole J S & Hughes J V 2 - 1 British Niebury CC
9 22:29:45 Tomlin K J & Head C 2 - 1 ATURM Poole
10 22:40 James P & Gullan H 4 - 1

[anglo-saxon]

22:24:38 52 Humell R & Mill D T D Coy 2 Wessex (V)

Young Humell and Mill took the Reserve Forces Trophy that year. The OC, Dickie Howman, was popping the champagne on Westminster Bridge as they paddeld under. "Right", he says. "Next, the Cambrian Patrols Competition." Poor buggeers weren't even out of their boats.

35:16:05 148 Groves J M & Canniffe M D Coy 2 Wessex (V)

I was support crew for this team. Mick Canniffe sustained a back injury during a slip on a portage but, true to form, wouldn't quit. Groves was the Coy 2i/c. Mick was in a bad way and needed several freezings and much massage on his back to keep the spasms and pain down. He was popping Aspirin and Brufen like candy. Groves had a long hard paddle, with Canniffe just doign what he could. What actually got him though, though, was his bag of black jelly babies. Every now and then he'd bite the head off one and toss the body in the water. He was a sick SOB, but a good lad.

All of these guys were dedicated. They'd come off a weekend ex in Wales and go straight back into training with a night paddle, a few hour's kip, then off to work and then out paddling again. A hell of a routine!

Eee, them wer't days!

[RSO3]

I haven't done the race since '94, and it was the Devizes to Westminster (DW) then. But Westminster to Devizes eh? Now that's nails!

[Sisyphus]

No, but I know a past winner The famous turkey snurgler did it, probably late sixties mate. Is there a site Rocky?
I`ll just google......
Back in a mo.....

Testicles! I tried googling and got a [sort of] link but it wasn't this one!

How hard can it be?

Anyway, reason for the query was a guy I knew in Saudi working as a diver, called John Hayes said he was SBS and won the WD race once.

Seems that he never entered it, never mind actually getting a place!

SB? Probably a shallow-water diver who'd wangled a diving job in civvie street. Who knows? Who cares?

[harry hackedoff]

Rocks, despite my speedy responses, I found the site both slow and hard to navigate, it took me quite some time to find Clance. And I had a good idea where to look.
The two day Avon descent, I`ve writ about elsewhere and the team are now training hard two nights a week with a hard sesh/family sesh thrown in on Sunday mornings.
If you`re ever down here mate, I can always get you a boat and a paddle

[harry hackedoff]

Further to my last, my distance/speed training on the flat was on the cut at Runcorn, or the Weaver and my lumpy water training was from Widnes bridge up or downstream depending on tides, or offshore from Seaforth or New Brighton into the Irish Sea.
Very happy days

[Sisyphus]

Further to my last, my lumpy water training was from Widnes bridge up or downstream depending on tides, or offshore from Seaforth or New Brighton into the Irish Sea.
Very happy days

Lumpy water training would involve dodging 'Mersey Trout', then - or beating them off with a paddle!

And if I'm ever down there, I'll definitely borrow a boat and a paddle! But two paddles might be better - I don't do solo!

[sneaky beaky]

This is what I think I know of the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race!!

It was started, I think, in the early Sixties. In the early years it was dominated by RM's from the SBS.

Gillie Howe, Pinky White and Ted Tandy, were early winners. Gillie went on to win it a few times with various partners. (It was mostly a race for double canoes.)

Later on people like Tom Shenton and Tony Alun-Williams won it. I think that Tony A-W set the record which may still stand today. Something like 19hrs. to do 125 miles!!

We of the SB set used to support the guys doing the race by meeting them at set points and giving them food and water. We supporters loved it. I'm not sure that the canoeists felt the same!!

I am not sure that the race these days has the same significance

Sneaky

[Sisyphus]

Sneaky

From Bert's link I've found out that Ram [Seegar] was 2nd in five races!

Obviously second would be a fantastic achievement for mere mortals. But what a pi**er for Ram not managing a First over five attempts.

Anyway, five 2nds must be a record that will never be repeated???

Did anyone win it twice?

[harry hackedoff]

I`ll get Clance`s take on his DWs in the next day or two. Shortly after that race he gave up thoughts of SB and came down here to seek his fortune
Rover knows what a twat he(jcl) could be in those days, he says so himself. Not anymore though, he`s a reet good egg. A real double yolker

[Artist]

Owd Rob Parry took part a few times I seem to remember. I it did myself in 1971, twas entered in the under 16's. Finished it but came knowhere. Me Pop took part a couple of times. The last time he did it was circa 1973 after it he discovered that he had broken both wrists and never did it again.

Artist

[harry hackedoff]

You`re right about Parry. I remember you saying you`d had a crack yonks ago mate but surely you were over sixteen then?
I know you were a right bit of skin, but
A twenty-five year old passing as fifteen