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DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATIONI cannot remember how many medals we won. The only swimming medalwas won by Elenor Gordon who was third in the 200m breaststroke. In thosedays sport was very amateur in the UK and we were consequently unsuccessful.I cannot recollect where we came in the medal table 1 but it was after Norwaywho came 10th with five medals for all events. My Eastern Europeancounterparts were full time swimmers officially employed at a factory wherethey never appeared. The Russians had an open air winter heated 50m pool inMoscow exclusively for their top swimmers. The Americans were on UniversitySports Scholarships. Training in England mostly in pools of the wrong lengthduring public hours spare time left one somewhat at a disadvantage.It is only in recent years that we have done better internationally with theimprovement of facilities and sponsorship. So far as swimming is concerned westill lack 50m pools. There was none between Norwich and London until onewas built this year at Basildon, Essex specifically for the Olympics.The Cambridge University Swimming and Water Polo Club still meets on aMonday evening at the Leys as it did when I was Captain. Although theUniversity compares favourably with Yale and Harvard academically it does notcompete at all in sporting facilities. The new sports centre cannot come amoment too soon.Peter Head (1954)J OHN ROBERTSON (1948) AND HIS T WO B ROTHERS AT D OWNINGThe following piece was submitted by Mike Ross (1963) in October 2011 andwas sadly superseded in April 2012 by the sad news of the deaths of James andVernon Robertson. The original is published in its entirety, with a shortpostscript added at the end.It must be rare for three brothers to simultaneously win places at CambridgeUniversity and particularly at the same College. John Robertson (1948) andhis two brothers all matriculated at Downing in the late 1940s. John was theyoungest of the three and he, James (1946) and Vernon (1949) served as officersin the armed forces during and immediately after the Second World War. Theywere then given the opportunity of studying at Cambridge.John studied Economics, James History and Vernon Agricultural Sciences.John went on to develop and progress his career as a Marketing and SalesDirector with different organisations. At the end of his working career Johnand his family were based in the Stirling area of the Scottish Central Lowlands.1. Ed – The medal table was based on the number of Gold medals won. Great Britain came 18th with11 medals – 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 8 Bronze. Norway won 3 Gold, 2 Silver and no Bronze.44