Mr Wells (Director of Rowing)

The boathouse was a hive of activity on Tuesday afternoon as the BGS community came together with girls, staff, Alumnae and parents of BGS all taking part in the annual House Regatta.

Held on the championship course between Newnham and the Butterfly Bridge, this regatta is designed for the rowing girls to take the lead in their sport and to encourage others to have a go. We had a truly fantastic afternoon as students, parents and staff full took up the challenge and raced in quads. 

The cheers from the riverbank were testament to the competitive fun on the water as our more experienced rowers embraced being the experts as they taught their peers, parents and teachers.

It was lovely to be able to combine the House Regatta with a couple of important races. Firstly, there was invitational race between a Year 8 and 10 crew. For the Year 10 crew this was a big goal in their racing calendar and therefore the win justifies the work that they put in during the summer months. At the end of the regatta, we held our first Alumnae Rowing event and two eights of BGS alumnae racing against each other, showing that rowing really is a life-long skill and passion for many and bonds the girls together long after they leave school. It was lovely to welcome them back to the school environment and current students and staff really enjoyed meeting with them.

To end the afternoon The Friends of Bedford Girls' School Rowing Club decked the boathouse out in BGS colours and hosted a BBQ for all participants, a great way to finish the rowing calendar for Summer 2019.  

As always, a big thank you to the rowing team, Friends of the BGS Rowing Club and BGS staff who were exceptional in facilitating the day.  

The regatta was set up to be like Henley Royal Regatta with challenge cups for each event. These wins went to Franklin x2, Chanel, Hepburn and Nightingale.