This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
REGATTA my First Regatta


Brian Ridalls BRIAN RIDDALs, BORN IN 1926, ReMeMBeRs HIs FIRsT ReGATTA As 1934 – AND eVeRy ONe sINCe. “I’ve not missed a regatta my whole life,” he said. “I remember the fair on the New Ground – which is now Mayors Avenue car park, but was then just covered in dust and ashes. At one end you could see the Sam McCohen marquee, which housed boxing. Sam brought with him some great fighters and locals could challenge them to fights. “It was all very exciting for a young boy like me and Sam


would use children to drum up interest. I was invited up on stage once and he had all the patter: ‘Hello, what’s your name? Well Brian, how old are you? Eight? You married yet? Any kids? Do you like the boxing? Would you like to watch? You can’t afford it? Well, if you do what I say, you can get in for free.’” “He’d make you kneel down and would place a big potato


on your neck and tell you to stay very still. He’d then go behind a curtain and come out holding a samurai sword! Then the patter would continue: “Don’t move Brian, or I’ll get nervous. Don’t you worry lad, I’ve only cut off two boys heads this year.” As people got interested he’d build it up and up and then bring down the sword and cut the potato in half, just like that!” brian said the biggest difference between his first few regattas and now was the mix of locals to visitors. “People couldn’t travel then,” he said. “Dartmouth was an isolated place when few people owned a car and public transport was very slow. My grandmother never left Devon in her entire life. It was an event for locals and it was the highlight of the year for everyone. The rowing on a Thursday was a big draw – people lined the Embankment for the skiffs race at 3pm on the Thursday and would scream for the Dartmouth teams, “Go the Lilywhites!’ There were fireworks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday then – but because they were much simpler, if it rained they would let them off at 7pm rather than let them become damp squibs! “I used to miss many of the competitions because I was


working on the river, but I would take part in the swimming and the water polo if the tides meant they were held in the boatfloat in the evening. Water polo was a wonderful competition. I remember one locals team: Bob ‘Tiny’ Sanders, who was about 18 stone, Gordon ‘Tacker’ Waldren, who weighed in at 16 stone, Stan ‘Bubbly’ Holmes, Sam Partridge and Austin Drake. They were all big men, so when they jumped in the water it was like a group of whales going in!


They were good players mind. I was so pleased to see the water polo return last year.”


Mitch Tonks, OWNeR OF THe seAHORse AND ROCKFIsH ResTAuRANTs “my first regatta was when i was about 18 or 19. i recall renting a small cottage with my family and my friend Joe. We bought a huge lobster and cooked it at the cottage and I sailed a race on a Westerly Storm 33! I loved it. I still walk around Dartmouth looking for the cottage – I thought I knew where it was but now I’m not sure! “I recall late nights at the fair and lots of people being on the street, it was a really great atmosphere. I think it’s so successful because of the wide variety of things that go on, air displays, food, markets and the fair, there is something for everyone. I recall seeing a lot more participation from sailors but these days you hardly see the same activity on the water, with big ships and yacht fleets.”


Hilary Bastone, PAsT CHAIRMAN OF THe ReGATTA “i recall my first regatta quite vividly. it was 1974 and i was working at 9, The Quay, so I couldn’t get to see many of the events but I do recall the Thursday afternoon. I looked out across the boatfloat and saw crowds massing on the Embankment so I had to go and have a look to see what was happening. The crowd was five


deep but I managed to get a view as the crews in the Men’s Senior Fours came by with the white shirts of Dartmouth in a prominent position. i was hooked. The following year (1975), George ball, the


Regatta Treasurer at that time, invited me onto the committee and now almost forty years later I’m still involved. Our Royal Regatta is an outstanding extravaganza with something for everyone and pervades an extraordinary happy atmosphere which adds to the enjoyment of the event. It’s a time for locals and visitors to join together in an exciting stream of competition and entertainment. Fashions and fads change but Regatta continues to move with the times. There are differences over the years because of changing times but Regatta never disappoints me.”


41


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148