rivers2cross

Sometimes you can have the most fascinating and rewarding experiences. I was at the final day of Henley Regatta today having an iced coffee with my friend as you do. A gentleman close by was having difficulty balancing his plate of sandwiches on his lap as there were no free tables, so we invited him to join us. He was over from the United States and was a few years older than us, softly spoken and everything about him spoke kindness and warmth. He asked us if we were connected to rowing and where we came from, but it was when he spoke about his own life that things got really interesting. His name was Timothy Whitney.

In his youth he rowed back home in the United States and when he arrived in the UK to study at Cambridge University the other guy who he shared a room with was also a rower and had him straight down to the boathouse that first day. It turned out that they were also both on the same course studying architecture. This week he is staying with this same friend outside Henley and their friendship now goes back over 40 years.

Not only did he compete at Henley in the 1980s, but he also rowed for Cambridge in 1980 Boat Race. Six months training for one race and sadly they lost to Oxford. He said that he rowed in front of Hugh Lawrie, who famously was also part of the Cambridge crew that year. So in the photo Hugh Lawrie is 4th left from the top with our new friend, Timothy Whitney, 3rd left from the top just behind him.

It made such a nice start to the day and you just never know when something like this is going to happen…