The Pink Palace & the Oxford Blue

I've learnt a few bits of rowing trivia over these last three years including the importance of pink and blue to rowing. The story goes that in 1837 both Eton College and Westminster School rowers turned up to race in pink. Westminster won the race and therefore the right to wear pink in perpetuity which was - at that time - a very fashionable colour for men. Tom's new club, Leander, also have quite a lot of pink - mainly pink hippos - and thus is known as the Pink Palace. Everyone knows if you wear pink, you'd better be fast!

So I left Tom at the Pink Palace at 7.20am and drove back to Oxford where I worked until 12.30 when I picked him up and drove to Surrey to look at a boat owned by an Oxford Half-Blue (from the reserve Isis boat) and up for sale. Tom loved the boat so we're buying it (it costs a fortune, but they hold their value very well so I'm hoping to sell it for not much less in 2 years). Then I drove back from Surrey to Oxford and I feel quite as exhausted as he is after his 5 hours training a day.

No sooner is he in the car than he's fast asleep - training at Leander is certainly a step up from what he's been doing. Yesterday we also got confirmation of his place at Henley College. Now I just need to sort accommodation out.....  this is not quite the holiday I expected (or needed).

Still, it's exciting.....

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