Back From The 'Bumps'

I watched the boats returning from the 'Bump' races which took place further down river, from 14th to 17th June  Many crews were looking exhausted and in the extra, one crew left the boat to chill out on the river bank. 'Bumping' is an unusual form of racing, which evolved in the 1820's on the river Cam, involving crews from Cambridge colleges. They take place on a short stretch of the river, too narrow and not straight enough for conventional knock-out competitions. While the crews are striving on the river, the loyal bank parties attempt to negotiate the perils of the towpath, encouraging their crews with whistle and hooter codes.. The idea is to catch the boat in front, then the 'bumped' boat is sent to a lower division the next day. Today being the final day, there must be a winner somewhere although often disputed !  I found it difficult to negotiate the tow path myself as there were so many people about, especially the cyclists who had their eyes on the river cheering on their team.