It gave me great pleasure as a Freeman of the City of London and
Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carmen- the transport
industry livery company- to welcome Tenacity of Bolton to the Pool
of London on 7th August nearly half way through its
inaugural round The British Isles trip. Many Old Boltonians
might not be aware but London was founded by the Romans at the
point where the incoming tide up the River Thames would bring their
galleys to a stop without having to use the slaves to row.
This meant the slaves had enough strength to row back down the
Thames with the galleys fully laden, before setting sail for Rome.
Fortunately, Tenacity has enough fuel on board for the diesel
engine to run 1000 miles before re-fuelling so the 'crew' of Tom
Ward, Dave Green and Dave Hodgson will not need to do any rowing on
the leg down the Channel and through the Western approaches to
Plymouth. Tom has highlighted some good restaurants in the Seine
estuary and Normandy if winds, tides and weather allow for plenty
of stops.
Another major achievement by The Romans was building a network
of roads in England, which were the equivalent of high speed train
routes of their era and still form the backbone of our transport
system over 2000 years later. They connected key centres to help
subjugate the country, collect taxes and provide arteries for
trade. The A6 still runs from St Albans through the midlands, Peak
District to Manchester and then through to Carlisle, linking my
home town of Swinton, and Tenacity's home port of Lancaster with
London. As a memento of Tenacity's visit to the Capital, I have
given the Skipper a reproduction of a Punch Cartoon highlighting
the lighter side of being a 'yachtsman'. You will have to come and
see it on board to get the joke! Tenacity is a massive
achievement by so many Bolton School boys who had a hand in its
completion. As old Boltonians, we should be very proud of their
achievement.
A month earlier the Arts Centre at Bolton school provided the
venue for the inaugural joint Old Boys and Old Girls dinner in
Bolton. This provided a less formal occasion than the annual dinner
and was thoroughly enjoyed by many Old Boys who do not normally
attend the Annual Dinner in December. I must add at this point that
having attended all the regional dinners except Edinburgh due to a
prior engagement, I have become aware that they all have their own
character and momentum. I would encourage as many old boys to
attend these dinners to keep in touch with friends all over the
UK. The joint Bolton Dinner, I am sure will become a strong
fixture in the Alumni calendar and add value to the range of
opportunities for Old Boys and Girls to meet up.
Two weeks earlier, 12 Sixth formers studying History visited
Broughton House to meet the residents and acclimatise with the
surroundings and get to know how the home is managed. They spent a
whole afternoon chatting and relaxing with the residents and Chief
Executive Col Sean McAvoy. A follow up meeting has put the
project- Brought to Life - the life and times of residents of
Broughton House -on course for completion by Armistice Day
11.11.2011. I should like to thank Head of Sixth from Mr Joseph and
Head of History Mr Rich for their fantastic support in getting the
project off the ground and to the current students for supporting
the project so enthusiastically.
And finally, Old Boys were out in force both as spectators and
as players at the annual Cricket Match with MCC the following day.
Typical Bolton weather in the morning did not dampen spirits and a
brisk wind and sunshine after lunch allowed a 25 over game to take
place. And as the last over commenced all four results were still
possible in the game. The MCC captain told me he would have
accepted a draw if the Bolton School number 11 had blocked every
ball. With a win still possible for a weakened Bolton School team,
the confidence and self belief so obvious in all the boys and girls
I have met at the School, meant they went for the win and lost with
a couple of balls to go.
Quite a few weeks of definite firsts! Let's see if the A Level
results due out on 18 August give the Boys a lead over the Girls
for the second year running!!
Peter Acton
(1964-71)