Welcome………..

A very warm welcome to the 157th Bedford Amateur Regatta. This weekend we celebrate the crowning of a new monarch, King Charles III, the seventh since the regatta was founded in 1853. We will be presenting a special commemoration pewter tankard for each event winner, which we hope will provide a special memento of the day.

Any event of this size requires a dedicated team of organisers. I would particularly like to thank the Executive Committee who willingly give up many hours of their personal time to ensure that the event runs efficiently and smoothly. Much of the helpers' team joins us again today, and I would like to thank them on behalf of the Executive Committee for their continued support and enthusiasm. We also welcome a number of Sponsors and Members whose help and financial support is invaluable.

I’d particularly like to welcome our new sponsor Handelsbanken, who can be found in the enclosure – please do go over and say hello.

If you have a few spare moments during the day please have a look at the display of trophies in the enclosure, which highlight some of the history of the Regatta going back many years.

We are again fortunate to have been granted by the Borough Council the use of Mill Meadows for the Regatta enclosure, Longholme Island for trailer parking and Everards meadow for general parking. I would urge competitors to treat the superb environment offered by Bedford’s riverside with respect and care if we are to avoid future restrictions on use of the land.

For those of you new to the sport we’ve included in the programme a ‘guide to rowing’, which we hope will de-mystify some of the terminology used in the sport.

If you would like to relive last year’s event, we have a short video with some of the best racing of the day – which can be found HERE. (Sorry for the adverts!)

Finally, I would like to wish all competitors, sponsors, umpires, marshals and helpers a successful and enjoyable day of racing.

Hugh Maltby Honorary Secretary

Bedford Regatta details and results can now be found online www.bedfordregatta.co.uk

Honorary Vice Presidents: I.C. Codrington, G. Dods, C. Barcock

Chairman of the Executive Committee: G.W. Hammond

Honorary Secretary: H.A.J. Maltby

Honorary Assistant Secretaries: D. Pinkney, D. Vincent

Honorary Entries Secretary: Mrs. R.E. Maltby

Honorary Treasurer: I. Taylor

Data Manager: W.A.H. Everitt

Safety Adviser: S. White

Welfare Co-ordinator: Mrs J Williams

Membership Secretary: D. Dixon

Operations Manager: I. Higgins

Marshals and Helpers Co-ordinator: M. Redman

Committee Members: M. Bavington, P. Mulkerrins, Dr. W.G. Suthers. Ms J Bruce, S Costello.

Race Committee: S. White (Chair), Starter. Co-Ordinating Umpire: G.W. Hammond

Umpires: John Bartram, Mike Biggs, Chris Callow, Ron Collins, Gavin Dods, Ian Donald, Andrew Ellison, Colin Fletcher, Barbara Fletcher, Tony Harris, Matthew Holland, Mark Holmes, Anne Hignell, Mill Key, Helen Knowles, Chris Newland, Chris Parkhouse, Poppers Popple, David Porter, Mark Redman, Fred Shearer, Lianne Stanford, Lydia Swift, Simon White, Naz Yeni.

Ali Gordon, Amber Dorkin, Andrei Lussmann, Andrew Thomson, Andrew Vouden, Andrew Wallington, Andy Chillingsworth, Anna Akerman, Billy Anne Leach, Brian Thompson, Caroline May, Chris Myers, Chris Wisbey, Claire Dickson, Clive Thompson, Conor Mullooly, David Glasspool, David Gowing, David Johnson, David Osgood, David Rainbow, Dom Hawes, Duncan Simms, Edward Snook, Emma Lyon, Emma Reader, Gavin Dods, Georgina Pepper, Harj Lall, Hugo Van Kempen, Ian Darnell, James Rankin, Jason Gordon, Jessica Copeland, John Jackson, Karen Fulford, Kate Griffiths, Katie Guest, Lisa Thomson, Liz Appleton, Louise Whitcombe, Mark Appleton, Mark Fulford, Mark Lewis, Mark Redman, Martin Fraser, Maya Makarewiz, Michele Fisher, Mike Canning, Millie Wardley, Mirjam Ferkenius, Niamh McBride, Nick Robins, Nick Toone, Nigel Brewer, Nigel Pollard, Pernille Blake, Peter Ackroyd, Philip Hine, Rachel Coowar, Sam Deane, Shirl Musselle, Silke Brittain, Simon Clark, Simon Lamb, Stephen Moon, Steve Crowther, Steven Goddard, Sue Lamb, Szelim Simandi, Tammy, Tim Giles, Tim Northey, Toby Chinn, Trevor Gentry, Vince Hayes

Catering: Bedford Rowing Club, Friends of Bedford School Boat Club.

Parents/Friends of Bedford Modern School

Paul Sanctuary, Paul Douglas, Katie Page, Silke Brittan, Sarah Warren, Alison Osborne, Sally Smith, Nick Green, Simon Johnson, Julia Johnson.

Rachel Maltby, Nicky Durrant, Fiona Frossell, Claire Sivills, Ana Kneller, Sarah Reynolds, Hazel Rawden Smith, Nicky Hele, Anna Graham, Sara Reay, Rachel Armstrong, Laura Henman, Nicole Fraser, Dawn Allingham

George Hammond, Hugh Maltby, David Pinkney, Dominic Vincent

Will Everitt

Harry Fowler, Haydn Bass, Martin Banham-Hall, David Glasspool, John Mingay

George French, Steve Sangster, Jo Moss, Bedford Rowing Club Juniors, Star Club Juniors

Ian Taylor, Ivan Higgins

Mike Baker, Lynda Higgins, Paul Brown, Mark Wetherbed, Gabi, Joel Grant Jones, Kevin Walsh

Bedford Girls School, Bedford School, Bedford Modern School, Bedford Rowing Club

Eamon O'Donovan, John Hele, Jeremy Markham, Gemma White

Simon White, Mark Redman, Ian Donald

Bedford Rowing Club and the Friends of Bedford School Boat Club

First Aid

Ambulance Response Services Ltd