End of an era as Bill Key rows in Town Bumps for 66th and final time

When the Town Bumps took place last week (21-25 July), it marked the end of a (very long) era for one extremely committed competitor.

As for 82-year-old oarsman, Bill Key, it marked his last time competing in an event which has been a huge part of his life for the past 66 years. Yes, you read that right – 66 years.

“I started in 1960 with the Cambridge Scouts Boat Club,” remembers Bill, who also serves as president of the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association (CRA).

“I was a member of a Scout troop and a group of us joined that club.”

Bill notes that this “highly active” club started in 1924, formed by the local Scout movement, but has since disbanded.

The dedicated oarsman, who believes his tenure “probably is” a record, laughs when he says he’s had “very few” wins over the years.

“We got our oars once in a crew, but not with the Cambridge Scouts Boat Club,” he states. “More recently with the Free Press Boat Club, as it was. Now it’s the X-Press Boat Club.”

Bill and others from various rowing clubs came together and formed the Cambridge Veterans team in 1998 – the team he rows with now.

“So many of them are in ill health,” he notes, “the person who used to organise it has moved away from Cambridge to Arundel, and so there’s so few of us that we are winding up the club at the end of the month.

“It’s just been a struggle to get a crew together over the last few months… So tonight [Friday, 25 July] will be the last time the Cambridge Veterans row, as far as I’m concerned.

“The club might decide to continue rowing but I don’t believe it will – and my son is coming up from Clapham to row in our crew; we’re short of one person so my son will be rowing with me on my last occasion.

“And of course when I started rowing, he wasn’t even born.”

On what makes the Bumps such a special event, Bill says, simply: “They’re not held anywhere else in the world, and it is a most unfair method of rowing because you can gain a bump purely by the fact that the crew in front are not very good, whereas side-by-side racing you both start at the same starting line and you have a fairer chance of completing the race – and the one that’s fastest wins. The starting order is as they finished the year before.”

As children, Bill and his sister used to go and watch the University Bumps with their parents.

“We always used to support Selwyn,” he explains, “I think one of our relations was a Selwyn man. And in those days – must be the late ’50s – I hadn’t realised that there was local rowing.

“But local rowing has been in existence for over 150 years – and that’s grown substantially.

“When I started, there were two divisions, obviously just men because that’s how it was – just two divisions of 18 – and now we have several divisions.

“We have as many women rowing as men and there’s over 100 crews take part, so it’s improved massively in size, and it’s still an event that people love to take part in.”

Bill also reveals that “before my time, umpires used to follow the Bumps on horseback, which I don’t think you could do these days!

“Now, of course, people cycle along by the side of the races.”

When asked to name the wildest thing he’s seen during his time competing in the Bumps, Bill says: “Well, I can answer that quite readily…

“A young Scouts crew were lined up, holding the chain (the chain you keep hold of until the final gun goes), the crew behind were quite elderly but very experienced oarsmen, they backed the boat down so they were a long way away from the crew in front – which was the Scouts.

“So the chain, instead of being quite tight in one direction, they went right back so the chain was tight in the other direction.

“There was about five seconds before the final gun, and they set off rowing. So they went through the start as soon as the gun went off and just plowed into the boat in front.

“So nowadays you’re not allowed to row more than two oarsmen after 10 seconds before the start.”

Bill, who has also written a book about his exploits titled Eyes in the Boat, continues: “As a member of the Cambridge Veterans, I competed in the Winter League and City of Cambridge Sprint Regatta on the Cam, and also took part in a number of regattas including four World Masters rowing tournaments.

“We also took part in a number of Head Races held along the University Boat Race course. Unfortunately, on one of these occasions we were ‘shipwrecked’ and our boat broke in half!”

Although he may no longer be taking part physically, Bill still hopes to be a mainstay at future events.

“I shall continue my involvement in the organisation of rowing events on the Cam and other rowing matters in my position as president of the CRA, a post I have held since 1987,” he says.

“I will also continue visiting regattas in the region as a licensed British Rowing umpire, a position I’ve held since 1966.”

And finally – for the benefit of future competitors – Bill offers some ‘top tips’ for a successful Bumps.

“Go like the clappers from the start!” he says. “Don’t hold back, go as fast as you can.”