Club Member escorts the Flame

Club Member Chris Nicholson escorted the Olympic flame down the Thames on Friday.

Chris, who is a member of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers' described his day:

“We rowed our cutter Mellifera, with full regalia up (flags, white Olympic Flame shirts, red caps, tent, candles, bee-skep on top, but not the silk cushions, and without our Master). Only one other livery company cutter had full regalia up, so we both only had four oars, all the other boats had six, thus we had to pull like hell to keep up!

QRB [Queen's Row Barge] Gloriana had started at Hampton Court with the Flame, to be accompanied by three different sections of escort boats: we were in the third and last section with about 15 other cutters, so departed Putney Embankment at 0945 and rowed down to Imperial Wharf Chelsea to await her: we sat on a buoy for almost an hour there.  When she had changed rowers, we drew in behind and chased her five miles down the river past Battersea, the Houses of Parliament, under lots of bridges full of noisy onlookers, the Little Ship Club, (with a huge wave from someone there), going so fast that we all arrived at the Rings Barge outside City Hall far too soon, and had to hang about (still on a strong ebb) for at least 20 minutes: at one point we were swept under Tower Bridge and had to bring the boat back through it, which was an interesting row.... then we gave the Flame three cheers, and moved off to moor up behind St Katharine's Pier pontoon and hit the pub.  Later on, the Flame was driven off by some footballer to East London for something or other.”

Until recently Chris was the Club’s Honorary Port Liaison Officer and sends his good wishes to all those friends he made during his term of office.