Boat Race weekend brings crowds to Putney (From Your Local Guardian)

Oxford Cambridge Boat Race weekend brings crowds to Putney

2:06pm Tuesday 29th March 2011 in Wandsworth By James Trueman

People turned out in their thousands to see the biggest event in the Putney calendar this weekend.

The boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities took place on March 26 and hordes of supporters went down to the Putney riverside to see the start of the 157th race between the two old enemies.

Both crews frantically raced along the Thames in an attempt to be crowned boat race winners, but the Oxford crew looked strongest throughout the race.

The Oxford crew were the deserved victors in the end, reaching the finish line at Chiswick about 12 seconds before their fierce rivals, to take the title and reduce the gap in the overall standings to 80-76 to Cambridge.

After the proceedings, the town's pubs and restaurants were jam packed with winners celebrating the victory or losers drowning their sorrows.

Putney town centre Stephen Wallace said: “The combination of the weather and the event made it a tremendous time.

“The world village market was one of the best we have ever had in Putney, along with the number of venues open and the atmosphere of the boat race, made the whole weekend fantastic.”

Campaign group Stop The Shaft were present at the race to drum up support for their opposition to the building of a “super sewer” drive shaft at Barn Elms playing fields.