I got to know Pete when I joined New College in 1993. Pete was a year above me, studying a different subject, so we only got to know each other through New College Boat Club. Rowing has a way of consuming one’s life, so Pete and I ended up spending quite a lot of time together over my first three years at New College – mostly in a boat, at the boathouse or in the gym, but also at all those alcohol-fuelled boat club parties. The thing that I remember most vividly about all those times was how Pete would always be smiling with that giant grin of his.  It was a look that seemed to suggest he couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be, than right there in that moment with you – whether toasting the downfall of Magdalan (“GDBM!”) or getting started with the final killer erg (rowing machine) session of the afternoon. It’s like he never had to try; that optimistic cheeriness was an ingrained part of his character. And it was genuine and infectious – everyone liked being with Pete.

Pete and I lost touch when he left New College and I stayed on for many more years of study, but I never forgot him. His name sits just above mine on a blade that hangs on my wall celebrating the first of two sets of Summer Eights blades we won for New College in 1995 and 1996. Every now and then I would catch a snippet of news about Pete but we didn’t reconnect after New College.  In recent years, I stumbled across an old rowing photo which had us both in. I had heard that he was suffering with MND and I wanted to send him a copy to let him know I still thought of him some 25 years since we rowed together. Sadly, life raced on, I mislaid the photo again and I never sent it to him. I will always regret not having done that immediately – I am certain that in spite of the decades that had gone by and his illness, Pete would have been delighted with me getting in touch.

I hope that on Friday and Saturday, Pete will be smiling down from somewhere, happy to have brought together a bunch of old mates. I am sure that we in turn will all feel his presence in the crew right there in the moment with us.