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Pubs & Bars along the River Thames for The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race
The 154th Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race
Saturday 29th March 2008
If you’re just after the bars and pubs along the Thames from which you can watch this years Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race then click here . If on the other hand you want a little background to this famous race then read on...
The notion for a rowing race between the universities came from two friends - Charles Wordsworth (nephew of the poet William Wordsworth), at Oxford and his Harrow schoolfriend Charles Merivalerivale, a student who was at Cambridge.
Back in 1829 on the 12th March, Cambridge, through Charles, sent a challenge to Oxford resulting in the first Boat Race taking place at Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. Oxford wore dark blue jerseys, later to become the Oxford blue, whilst Cambridge donned pink sashes – easy! After a false start Oxford were clear winners and the tradition was born, where the loser of the previous year's race challenges the opposition to a re-match.
The second race didn’t take place until 1836 and two things were different. Cambridge, wisely, adopted their own light blue, and the race was rowed on a five and three-quarter mile stretch of the Thames between Westminster and Putney. By 1845 Westminster had become too crowded, so the Boat Race moved six miles up-stream to the then country village of Putney, (for pubs and bars in Putney click here.) In 1856 the race became an annual event which has continued until today unbroken save for the war years.
The Oxford & Cambridge boat race has now become so popular that huge crowds of around 250,000 jostle for the best positions along the banks of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake every year. So we’ve compiled a list of the bars, pubs and restaurants dotted along the Thames that you can view the race from, simply click on the:
(One piece of advice: get there early.)
Some Facts & Stats on The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race:
Cambridge won the 2007 Boat Race to end a run of four defeats in five years.
Oxford won the 2005 Boat Race, by two lengths (six seconds) in 16 minutes and 42 seconds - the third fastest time ever.
2004 was a double celebration as it was both the 150th Boat Race, and 175 years after the first race took place between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It was won by the Light Blues (Cambridge) by several lengths.
The average time taken to complete the course is 20 minutes, but Cambridge holds the record of 16 minutes and 19 seconds, achieved in 1998.
The biggest win is 20 lengths by Cambridge in 1900.
The smallest win is by a foot Oxford in 2003.
The current score stands at 79 to Cambridge, 73 to Oxford, with one controversial dead heat in 1877.
event: The 2008 Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race
where: The River Thames, London
when: Saturday 29th March 2008
links:
Pubs & Bars in Putney & Fulham
Pubs & Bars in Hammersmith
Pubs & Bars in Mortlake & Barnes
Pubs & Bars in Chiswick
Date Posted: 17 Mar 08
Posted By: Paul Caffell
Keywords: None
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