LMBC BICENTENARY EVENTS 2025

As 2025 marks 200 years of The Lady Margaret Boat Club, we invite our alumni to join us for a number of celebratory events. Please see below for details of these events and do contact our Captains if you have any queries.

Head of the Cam, 26 April 2025
Alumni crews participating and a birthday party at the Boathouse

May Bumps, 18–21 June 2025
Cheering on LMBC crews from the banks of the Cam

Boat Club drinks and dinner, 21 June 2025
Celebratory drinks and dinner in College

Henley Royal Regatta, 1–6 July 2025
Row-past and get-together – day tbc

Alumni dinner in College, 13 September 2025
A reunion dinner in College. Invitations for the dinner will be sent out in May, along with accommodation information.

For more information and updates, visit the Johnian Hub.

The bicentenary boathouse redevelopment appeal  

For more information about the planned boathouse redevelopment plans and to donate to the appeal, please click here. Every donation helps to create a brighter and more accessible future for Maggie.

the lady somerset boat club

To mark the bicentenary, we are reviving the Lady Somerset Boat Club to become the exclusive College alumni community for all former members of LMBC. The Lady Somerset Boat Club has existed at various times as the second boat club of the College, as a long vacation boat club, in social media communities and as an alumni boat club. We’re bringing it back into the Maggie fold as the exclusive channel to keep alumni up to date with current LMBC news, to share their own alumni rowing stories, to flag where we’d benefit from more coaching support from alumni and, of course, to look back at LMBC’s glorious past. Having this dedicated community for former rowers will widen and deepen our connections with you and, we hope, your connections with each other. It will give Maggie alumni the opportunity to form crews and compete as part of the St John’s and LMBC family, which some of our former rowers are keen to see – especially our more recent graduates. As part of the bicentenary, we’ve commissioned a beautiful new rendering of Lady Somerset’s crest to sit alongside our familiar and famous Lady Margaret emblem and, fear not, there is no shortage of scarlet!

the lmbca

The Old Johnian Henley Fund was formed in 1913 by PL Lewis, (Capt, 1905 & 06), as an initiative to support LMBC boats wishing to race at Henley.

Lewis had stroked the winning trial VIII for two years, and had it not been for DCR Stuart (one of the best strokes Cambridge ever had), Lewis would have stroked the Blue Boat. He came back in 1913 to coach our winning Wyfold IV at Henley Royal Regatta. He was assisted by LHK Bushe–Fox, President of LMBC 1897-1916, and a Trial cap in 1888; and the Secretary was GL Day the only surviving member of the winning Wyfold IV, the others having been killed in WW1.

The fund was formed to assist Lady Margaret with the expense of sending a crew to Henley. Annual subscriptions, donations and legacies were requested, primarily from former LMBC members. A committee was formed with the Master as Chairman. It still meets annually, normally during the week of the May Bumps. The captain presents his proposal for Henley with a budget for his expected expenditure. The committee decides if the crew is capable of doing credit to the College and if so what level of grant should be offered.

In 1913 the expenses were £60, a significant sum in those days. An appeal signed by a large number of past captains was sent to two thousand old members of the College, this met with a very good response and formed the Capital Fund. The policy was that that all new contributions would go to the Fund Capital and be invested. Any grant would be made from the Fund's dividends.

In the 1980s the role of the Fund changed; LMBC was going through a difficult financial period and the Fund now looked to support LMBC as a whole and contribute to the purchase of boats, oars and equipment. It developed a rolling 10 year forecast for the financing of new equipment. Over the 30 years most equipment in the boat house has been funded in total or in part by the LMBCA.

More recently the role has been further widened to include funding of rowing camps and for coaching. The Fund's name was altered to the Lady Margaret Boat Club Association in order to reflect its wider role. After the arrival of women in the Club they have also been supported and won the College event at Henley Women's regatta in 1990 & 1991. The LMBCA is run by Sandy Black as Treasurer and Ben Richardson as Secretary. In the past an annual newsletter has been circulated, and this is to be revived.

As important as the funding, the LMBCA represents a valuable body of support made up of past captains who also have been through the mill; they include two Olympic oars. It has also assisted in the production of the Lady Margaret History, of which Vol 4 (1982-2010)  was recently published.

The LMBCA thrives and relies on the support of all who have benefited from it.

support the future

The Lady Margaret Boat Club not only represents a group of people rowing today but also symbolises a global family who have rowed for the Club in the past. It is only with the kind support of our alumni that Lady Margaret remains a competitive club on the Cam which is capable of welcoming anyone who wishes to row.

If you are interested in supporting the Club, it is possible to donate to both the LMBCA or one of the College’s LMBC funds.

If you would like to donate to the LMBCA please contact our Honorary Secretaries, Harry Fieldhouse (hamf2@cam.ac.uk) or Eleanor Laughton (ejal3@cam.ac.uk) and we will provide a donation form.

If you would like to give to one of the College funds, please browse the brochure below, make a secure online donation or complete our donation form. More information can be found on the College’s alumni website.

If you have any further queries, please email the Development Office, or write to them at:

Development Office

St John's College

Cambridge

CB2 1TP