The Lady Margaret Boat Club was founded in 1825 by twelve members of St John’s College. Across the last 200 years the club has expanded tremendously, welcoming over 100 new students each year to row or cox on the River Cam. Throughout 2025, there will be various events to celebrate the history of the club and make it a truly memorable year of rowing at St John’s. Current students are especially keen to reconnect alumni with St John’s rowing and with each other. To mark the bicentenary, the Lady Somerset Boat Club is being revived to become the exclusive College alumni community for all former members of LMBC. As we look back, we asked past and present members to reflect on their time rowing in College.
Tami Davis Biddle (1982)
Masters in Philosophy
Cox for LMBC 1981/82
New matriculants, beware how close you stand to the clubs, teams, and societies courting you at the beginning of the academic year’s ‘squash’! Standing a little too close to the LMBC sign-up desk in 1981, I found myself recruited before I had much chance to think about it. I was part of the first group of women admitted to St John’s College. That year we were all graduate students – just eleven of us, tucked away carefully in the top of a building called ‘The Warehouse’. I had a room overlooking the Bridge of Sighs and the Master’s Garden. ‘Whatever else happens this year,’ I told myself, ‘I have the best view in the Western world.’ I was a young American doing an MPhil in International Relations; fortunately, I didn’t know enough to be daunted or intimidated by what I had gotten myself into.
In signing me up to cox a novice boat, Nick Jenkins (1979), that year’s Captain, engaged in an immense leap of faith in the future of women at the College, and I am exceedingly grateful to him. Undergrads would follow the next year and would begin a history of great success in LMBC rowing. That first year, though, it was just me – and I’m sure at least some of Nick’s teammates thought he was mad. Whatever they may have thought, however, they were very kind to me in person, allowing me a wonderful experience I surely consider a highlight of my life. It just so happened that, during one of the autumn novice races, I was moved up to the second novice boat because their usual cox, Tom Butler (1981, yes, that Tom – the one destined to become something of an LMBC legend, along with his future wife Henrietta, 1982), had to go to an interview at Sandhurst. The second novice boat coaches, Bill Aldridge (1980) and Alan Pritchard (1980), must have been at least a little unnerved by this (‘Tami, we’re really hoping you won’t crash into the bank.’), but if placing their excellent young rowers in my hands required a great act of character-building courage and composure, they managed it, and nothing untoward happened that day – to my immense relief and undoubtedly to theirs.
Up at the top of ‘The Warehouse’, our rooms were close to the roof; I could hear the rain and judge its nature and intensity. We always practised early in the morning. As my alarm went off on many of those mornings, as I lay in my saggy bed that seemed rather like a womb, I wondered what had possessed me to sign up to navigate an eight down a very narrow river in the dark and rain. I had to search out every bit of ambient light I could find to keep us out of trouble. But I never regretted the job I had. The boys were always charming and funny – and truly committed to being there, no matter the weather. And very often by the time we had turned around at the halfway point of our practice, the rain had ceased and the morning light would begin to appear on the horizon, spreading over the landscape quietly and gradually: a breathtaking golden aura illuminating the silhouette of Cambridge’s exquisite buildings. At those moments – and there were many of them – I truly thought of myself as the most privileged and fortunate person in the world.
Tami Davis Biddle served as a cox for the LMBC during the 1981/82 year. She received her MPhil in 1982 and went on to receive a PhD in History from Yale. She culminated a rewarding teaching career as the Elihu Root Chair of Military Studies at the US Army War College, the US Army’s senior staff college. There, she wrote sections of the core curriculum and also served as head of the Faculty Council. She retired in 2021 but continues to write history.
Sandy Black (1982)
Theology & Religious Studies/ MML
Captain for LMBC 1984/85
Honorary Treasurer of LMBCA
I’ve always been interested in rowing. I went to a rowing school but didn’t row, and I watched the Boat Race – from Oxford! The momentum behind participation at St John’s was so powerful that it was almost impossible not to get involved with the LMBC.
I loved the physicality of rowing, right from the start, but the catalyst for my long-term love of the sport was getting into the Henley crew in my first year. Highlights were training on that magnificent stretch of water three times a day under the John Hall-Craggs (1953) regime, quite quietly; cold showers in the boat tents; eating non-stop to maintain energy levels… It was a privilege to be there and experience a single-minded devotion to making the boat go as fast as possible. There were a few lowlights too, such as trying to play rugby in the Captain’s room using a big tin of red gloss paint (for bridge painting) as a ball, which was then dropped and emptied on a valuable Persian rug. This confirmed that rowers and ball sports don’t mix.
A few years after graduating, I was asked to join the LMBCA committee, but I didn’t attend any meetings for a few years because I was then rowing for London Rowing Club (LRC) and summer Saturdays were always busy. When I stopped competing, I started coaching – beginning with a magnificent M2 and then coaching M1 in the Mays for over 10 years, starting in 1998. My first M1 crew went up four, but subsequent experiences taught me not to confuse skill with good fortune. Trying to work out what to do in order to make a boat go faster, when you’re not in it, is not easy, but the experience was endlessly fascinating.
I’ve now been the Hon. Treasurer of the LMBCA for about 15 years, during which time we’ve gone from financing the annual Henley crews to a new and much wider range of support functions, including paying for coaches – now the biggest single expenditure item – subsidising training camps, providing financial help for Cambridge University Boat Club trialists and contributing to boat purchases. The LMBCA endowment has grown steadily, thanks to a benign decade in financial markets, but we’re now planning the first fundraising campaign in a generation – to refresh the subscriber base and to make sure that the endowment is in good shape to provide even greater support for the LMBC in the coming decades.
Owen Ayers (2019)
History and Philosophy
Beaufort Society Member
When I matriculated at St John’s as an MPhil student in 2019, I shared the urgency that many one-year students feel to make the most of our time at Cambridge. Having chosen St John’s for its strong community, I wanted to participate in College life through activities that would allow me to meet people, challenge myself and fully commit to the British university experience. Learning to row with the LMBC seemed like the obvious way to do just that.
Rowing taught me discipline and humility. Beyond our sport’s obvious technical and physical demands, the commitment that members of a crew must make to one another encourages the moral and fraternal dimensions of one’s character better than perhaps any other sport. Early mornings on the river became one of my favourite rituals in Cambridge, and I associate my time at St John’s – one of the best years of my life – with the members of the boathouse.
I have chosen to include the LMBC in my will so that future Johnians, regardless of their level of ability when they matriculate, may join the boathouse and attain the deep satisfaction I was fortunate to find through rowing. The LMBC is an indispensable node of the dedication and vitality that characterise St John’s and make it such a becoming College, and I hope that another two centuries of students will take advantage of – and give back to – the wonderful community the boathouse creates.
Ben Fenocchi (2022)
Engineering
General Cambridge Bursary
Men’s Co-Captain 2024/25
I got into rowing shortly after arriving at Cambridge, and it has become a huge part of my life here. This year I will serve as Co-Captain of the Men’s side of the LMBC, which will be an exciting and rewarding challenge. Being part of the club has taught me valuable skills such as teamwork, time-management and discipline, all of which have impacted both my studies and my personal development. Highlights of last year were retaining Headship in the Lent Bumps and watching the M1 Mays crew bump to Headship. This was followed by a traditional boat burning, which will remain a cherished memory of mine.
My bursary has been essential in allowing me to fully participate in rowing, covering expensive costs like kit. This support has ensured I can balance both my academic and extra-curricular commitments without compromise. Looking ahead, I’m really excited about leading the team and building on the progress we’ve made, especially with the LMBC bicentenary celebrations this year.
Anna Strazda (2021)
Medicine
Thornton-Perham Bursary
St John’s Studentship Scheme
W1 and W2 2023/24
I decided to give rowing a try in my second year of studies at St John’s. At first I was hesitant to get fully involved because medical studies can be intense, but soon after joining I realised that rowing made me feel more energised and mentally rested before lectures and practicals because the activities provided an escape from academic stress for a few hours during the week.
I have rowed for a variety of teams within LMBC, including NW1, W3, W2 and W1. Highlights from the past year definitely include early morning sunrises on the river, getting soaked in sudden bursts of rain, seeing progress in both physique and rowing technique and, of course, W1 coming third on the river in the Lent Bumps – something that had not happened for a very long time.
The Thornton-Perham Bursary and St John’s College Studentship scheme have helped me immensely in my undergraduate years, and I truly cannot imagine how I could have sustained having an intensive degree, covering my living expenses and participating in College social life had I not had this support. Without having to worry about sacrificing my limited time to secure an income from other sources, I have enjoyed wonderful opportunities, such as rowing for the LMBC, which have made these few years some of the best of my life. The support I received was incredible, and I hope to help future students in turn.
For the LMBC I am sincerely looking forward to the propagation of the sense of community, family and team spirit. My friends are the Captains this year, and I believe they will do a fantastic job making sure the LMBC not only wins races on the river but also serves as a sanctuary to rest one’s mind during busy terms, to socialise and to make life-long friendships.
Theodore Langslow (2021)
Philosophy
General Cambridge Bursary
Men’s Co-Captain 2023/24
LMBC Novice Coach 2024/25
I learned to row with LMBC in 2021, having been interested in trying it out for a long time because my parents also rowed at university and even met at their boat club! I fell in love with the sport instantly, progressing to the second boat at the end of my first year and then trialling with the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) and with the LMBC first boat in my second year. However, the absolute highlight of my time rowing was during my third year. Having successfully been elected as Co-Captain of the men’s side in 2023, I rowed in the stroke seat of the first boat for the entire year. As a crew, we retained our top position in Lent Bumps and went on to bump Caius College in the 2024 Mays, thus securing a historic Double Headship – the highest achievement possible in Cambridge college rowing.
My bursary has transformed my experience of rowing for the LMBC and has opened many doors for me, from purchasing kit to financing travel and enabling participation in our famous boat club dinners. As I enter my fourth year, I am excited for my new role as a novice coach. I hope to help the next generation of Maggie athletes discover that same passion for rowing I found three years ago.
Jenny Dedman (2023)
Veterinary Medicine
Williams Dibner Bursary
W2 Social Secretary 2024/25
I noviced in my first term at Cambridge and swiftly fell in love with rowing. Since then the sport has become an integral part of my life, and I’ve taken pride in the LMBC’s glory and success the past year, with our M1 gaining Headship in both Lent and May Bumps. As for my own achievements, I was in W2 and, when rowing in my first off-Cam regatta (Nottingham City Regatta), I won a gold medal with W1! This year I hope to row in W1 and train hard in the quest to beat our long-standing rivals, Caius College.
Along with my best friend (whom I met through rowing), I am the Social Secretary for the LMBC and will have the pleasure of organising celebratory events, socials and the legendary Boat Club Dinners. This is an exciting role, especially as this year is the LMBC’s bicentenary!
My bursary enables me to throw myself into university life without the burden of financial worries. I can explore my academic interests as a Veterinary Medicine student – buying books, going on animal placements across the country and attending conferences – and I can afford to do the sport I love. I am very grateful for the Williams Dibner Bursary, which continues to give me opportunities – including an exciting five-day rowing camp in Seville this year – that enhance my growth as a person and a future professional as well as my academic development. I am very grateful for the bursary, which continues to give me opportunities that will enhance my academic development as well as my growth as a person and a future professional.
