A former member of our St Peter’s College Boat Club will be commemorated by a boat in this year’s Jubilee pageant.

If one takes a look at the list of Hand Powered boats, one will find the Peter Holmes, named in memory of a member of the College in the 1950s. He was a contemporary of Ken Loach and a noted actor and raconteur. Peter taught English for many years at Westminster School and, with his friend Robert Rivington a famous puntsman and also a SP Hall man, was the inspiration for their Punting Club. Through Robert the school was also introduced to Venetian rowing.

Thus the Peter Holmes is a Venetian boat and is entered by the School.

Both Peter and Robert have sadly passed away now, but a link between them is still very much alive, regularly rowing Venetian and other boats on the Isis. It is the City Barge club based at Longbridges boathouse and is represented by the gondolas Nicolotta and Marisa Cristiano in the same section of the pageant.

Many thanks to our alumnus Robin Privett for letting us know about this wonderful connection of St Peter’s and the Diamond Jubilee. More information on the event can be found online.