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Christ Church Boat Club: History and Colours
A brief History of the ChChBC Colours The Christ Church Boat Club dates from 1817 and is therefore one of the oldest boat clubs in the world (the oldest being Brasenose and Jesus College Boat Clubs, founded only two years earlier). Christ Church went Head of the River in its inaugural year, 1817, only two years after competition began, and has since won that title more than any other club. The first boat clubs were few in number and back in 1815 it was possible to choose simple designs and still be readily recognizable. In this way, the pioneer oarsmen of Oxford were able, as in the earliest uses of heraldry in the middle ages, to adopt plain, undifferenced colours: green for Jesus, black for Brasenose, red for Exeter and, of course, dark blue for the House -‐ a colour once disputed with our Cambridge sister college boat club, Trinity First and Third , though there can be no doubting that the House had those colours long before racing reached the Cam. When, in 1829, the first boat race against Cambridge took place, the Christ Church strokeman (Thomas Staniforth) and a mostly House crew of four oarsmen and the cox rowed with Christ Church colours – and won. From that time onward the University Boat Club (OUBC) has rowed with Christ Church blades and colours, while CUBC eventually adopted light blue blades loosely based on Eton’s. At first the House crews rowed in a uniform that would seem picturesque by today’s standards, though quite the norm in the 1820s: long white nankeen trousers, a white jersey with narrow blue stripes and a tall stovepipe hat, complemented by a dark blue neckerchief -‐ a uniform not dissimilar to that of Royal Naval tars of the time. By the mid-‐1820s the crew had dispensed with tall hats and adopted the 'tam o' shanter' scotch bonnet, a more practical headpiece worn by Caledonian farmers and soldiers. This was dark blue in colour, with a band around the rim diced in dark blue and white. The chequered pattern was soon the model for the matching neckerchiefs and, by the 1930s, even the shorts worn by the crews -‐ these bright additions enduring until the late 1960s. This chequered pattern came to be known as the‘Duster ’: one of Christ Church Boat Club’s most enduring characteristics By the latter half of the 19th century, headgear had largely vanished from rowing, though the ‘duster’ pattern continued to be associated with the Christ Church Boat Club, initially in the form of the neckerchief, which eventually transformed into a tie, still worn today (the general qualification for it being that one has competed for the House in Torpids, Eights or an external event). The official badge of the boat club is a dark blue plain background, with a Cardinal’s hat in silver, which is matched by the pattern of the official Boat Club tie (dark blue, seeded with silver Cardinal’s hats) the First Torpid bowtie and, until the late 1980s, all club racing kit. In the late 1980s, however, the white or silver Cardinal’s hat on a blue background was replaced with a red Cardinal’s hat (first used on the Boat Club blazers in 1897, albeit on a white background) on a blue background on all racing kit. The first VIII racing kit, however, retains the white or silver hat on a blue background. The Christ Church rowing blade remains, of course, a plain dark blue, as in the very beginning. The awarding of Colours Oarsmen and women are awarded different ‘colours’ depending on the crew in which they rowed: the 1st VIII being awarded First Eight colours, the 2nd and 3rd VIII s likewise those of their respective crews (there are no colours for a fourth eight). There are also First Torpid colours, but no Second (or Third, etc) Torpid colours. The First Torpid may, however, be awarded First Eight colours at the recommendation of the Society and the discretion of the President in the event of an outstanding performance worthy of 1st VIII colours, such as taking or holding Headship. It is also possible for any other crew to be awarded superior colours (for example the Second Torpid to be awarded First Torpid colours and so on down the ranks) for a performance judged outstanding. An award of colours entitles an oarsman to purchase and wear different styles of Boat Club clothing appropriate to each crew. The only items of clothing that do not require an award of colours to be worn are the duster pattern tie and bowtie -‐ though these do require that the oarsman or woman has competed for Christ Church Boat Club in Torpids, Summer Eights or an external regatta (but not Christ Church Regatta) and also the general Boat Club tie (which may be worn by anyone, including those who have only raced in Christ Church Regatta as novices). 1. Blazers The Christ Church Boat Club blazer pattern was adopted in 1897. There are, in total, five boat club blazers (though one of these, the Torpids blazer, is rarely seen nowadays.)
The Torpids blazer (available to the first Torpid only) is a plain dark blue blazer, three buttoned in gilt and with gilt sleeve buttons to match, with the cardinal’s hat motif in silver thread on the breast pocket. The Summer Eights blazers are each rather different, though have a common pattern: the idea underlying this being from the outset hat as a man was promoted up the boats, the cost of upgrading his blazer was kept minimal (entailing simply a change of buttons and trim). The Men’s First Eight blazer is white, with dark blue Petersham trim, three gilt buttons and sleeve buttons, with a red Cardinal’s hat on the breast pocket. The Second Eight blazer is like the First Eight blazer only without the blue Petersham trim. The 2nd VIII blazer has no trim of any kind. The Third Eight blazer is identical to the Second Eight blazer, though with white cloth covered buttons in place of gilt buttons. The Ladies’ 1st VIII blazer follows a similar pattern, except that, in this case, a breast badge was deemed inappropriate. As a result, the ladies’ Cardinal’s hats are two: one each in red and in miniature at the widest point of the lapel facings – similar to the ‘collar dog’ badges of regimental mess dress. The blazer itself is of a ladies' cut. 2. Sweaters A further item of wear is the rowing sweater. There two separate sweaters available: the First Eight sweater and the Second Eight sweater (there is no Third Eight sweater or Torpids sweater). The 1st VIII sweater is similar to that of an OUBC full blue: a white sweater with solid blue V neck, though the OUBC initials are replaced by a red Cardinal’s hat in the centre of the breast, below the V of the neckpiece. Unlike the OUBC version, it also has a solid blue line below the waist.
The 2nd VIII sweater is similar to that of the First Eight sweater, though the solid blue V neck and blue line below the waist are replaced with two thinner blue stripes, divided by a white line (in style of the University Half Blue sweater). Again the red Cardinal’s hat motif is at the centre. 3. Ties and Bowties A number of different patterned ties and bowties are available for the various colours. • First Eight bowtie (a white Piqué, or Marcella, bow tie with a red Cardinal’s hat on each face). • First Torpid bowtie (a dark blue bow tie with a silver Cardinal’s hat on each face, which was first used in 2010). • Duster bowtie. • Duster Tie. • Official Boat Club tie (a dark blue tie seeded with silver cardinal’s hats). 4. Headwear Firstly, there is the Boat Club cap, once especially popular amongst coxes. The cap is in the style of a cricket cap and is white with a red Cardinal’s hat motif on the gore. The First Eight cap has blue trim on the peak and around the lower brim, whereas the Second Eight cap has none. The Boat Club cap is not to be confused with that of the Christ Church Cricket Club: concentric circles of the college colours without any crest. There is also a straw hat band (also known as a boater band) which was in use long before the 1897 adoption of the blazer. The band is a broad solid white with a single red Cardinal’s hat front-‐centre. The First Eight band has a blue trim to top and bottom of the band, whereas the Second Eight boater band has no trim. The Duster pattern may also be worn as a hatband by those so entitled. Club Crest and Flag The Boat Club flag is traditionally a very large double-‐
swallow-‐tailed standard in dark blue with a white cross left of centre covering its entire width and height. This is derived from the college arms allocated by Cardinal Wolsey in 1525, and based on his connection with the Uffords of Suffolk (Wolsey’s maternal family). This flag was once flown at the top of a pole at the Head of the River Barge, signifying the finishing order of the crews in the bumping races. These days it adorns the Boat House during competition and various crew photographs. The ChChBC crest is this flag represented on a shield, surmounted by the Cardinal’s hat in red, backed by crossed dark blue blades.