LARGE crowds have not been allowed on our suspension bridge since the early 1950s, but here are some pictures from past times when at least 300 often gathered to view various events, and a swift calculation with a person’s average weight would add up to close to 20 tons.

Top left, this spectacular pontoon building exercise was originally thought to be from the 1914/18 period but many Army training programmes took place in this area prior to the First World War, and I have a similar pontoon picture at Medmenham which has a caption dating it as 1910.

Second picture is a year before the war, February 11th 1913, when the attraction for spectators was the Cambridge boat race crew in training, based at the Rowing Club.

The club’s long-serving boatman Herbie White was called upon for advice in the coaching programme, although Oxford were the winners in that year’s race.

Picture number three is thought to be from the same year, 1913, the final Fishermans & Watermans Regatta before the war.

This was separate from the main Marlow Regatta and always included some “fun” events as well as serious racing. After the war years this became known as “The Rag Regatta” with the “fun” races predominating, and the fourth picture shows one of the most popular competitions – descending by ropes from the bridge into waiting canoes below.

Health and Safety would probably have some views on that today.

The finishing line for the main regatta used to be the bridge, and another big crowd is up top viewing a crew’s win by what appears to be just half a length.

It was the bend in the river rather than weight restrictions on the bridge that caused the finishing line to be moved up river in front of Court Garden House.

Picture number six shows the other side of the bridge, and is very poor quality due to being a faded and yellowed press cutting from the Daily Sketch.

Many took their life in their hands to climb the suspension chains for a view of General Sir George Higginson being laid to rest in All Saints churchyard in February 1927, the day when almost everyone in the town turned out on the streets to pay their last respects to Marlow’s most famous resident, as the long military funeral procession passed by.

The final small picture shows the Bishop of Buckingham and the general’s beloved Grenadier Guards at the grave by the church wall on the river side.

Just a few months before, Sir George, aged 100, had officiated at the ceremony to hand the Court Garden Estate over to the town.

Closer examination of this last picture raises an interesting question, but I’ll save that until another day.