Champion Rowers Statues part 6

And now for a rower’s grave not quite a statue but a great representation of a professional oarsman.  Robert Coombes is buried in London, UK and his grave acknowledges his achievements all documented in the Rowing for Pleasure blog. 

It is a chest tomb about seven foot high, guarded by a carved figure of a waterman at each corner. Coombes’s boat lies on top, upturned on shore, with his traditional watermans’ coat lying across it as if abandoned.

The inscription reads:

This monument was erected by public subscription
by the warm friends and admirers of
ROBERT COOMBES
Champion Sculler of the Thames and Tyne

Born in 1808, Coombes was a London waterman, a member of the guild that for centuries had ferried passengers on the Thames. Watermen had always raced, particularly for the prestigious Doggett’s Coat and Badge. 

And from China a giant stylised sculling crew – there are lots of sports represented in Dalian’s Xinghai Square all in white / silver and stylised to be over-sized humans.  There are representations of rhythmic gymnastics, ski-ing, cycling, softball, basketball, javelin, running and and this brilliant crew.  Rowing themselves into the ground?

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