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SCUDAMORE’s TURNS 100 IN TRUE VINTAGE STYLE
Author: DriveDrive take a punt in Cambridge
Scudamore’s Punting Company Cambridge recently celebrated its 100th birthday at a glittering event at Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club.
Drive Productions made sure the 250 VIP guests, staff and former employees gathered to pay homage to the punting world’s ‘Grande Dame of the Cam’ enjoyed a proper party in vintage style, with a festival atmosphere made up of food and drink stalls and a Centenary line-up featuring world-class entertainment with cabaret, live music and DJs including Miss Behave, Olivier award-winning host of the West End hit extravaganza ‘La Clique’.
The Centenary Party also launches a year of special events to commemorate the golden age of punting from the Victorian era to the present day, with a historic programme of events unrolling throughout 2011.
For those of you who don’t know a ‘punt’ when you see one, these unusual flat-bottomed boats were introduced to Cambridge as pleasure craft in Edwardian times. One of the pioneers of punt hire on the River Cam was a Mr F. Scudamore, who founded his business in 1910, quickly establishing punting as Cambridge’s favourite pastime. Proud owner James Macnaghten and MD Rod Ingersent took over the helm – or rather the ‘pole’ – in 1998 and the business has gone from strength to strength.
James Macnaghten says, ‘Over the last 100 years Scudamore’s has survived two world wars and numerous recessions. Scudamore’s started as a family business and we are now back as a family business. Tonight is to say thank you to all of you for helping to make it possible’.
Today, Scudamore’s Punting Company owns the world’s largest fleet of punts, with over 150 craft available for hire along two routes.