Alice Leyland

Alice was diagnosed with a brain tumour in early 2022. She faced her illness with the courage, tenacity and positivity that so many of us knew her for, through this most difficult of times and was cared for by her family and loving husband, Jamie, until the very end.

Alice was a true legend of the HCBC community. She first started rowing when at Homerton in 2005 through to 2008 and was the W1 stroke at a time when W1 was starting to reverse a long-term downward trend, with some memorable results in both Lents and May Bumps. She grew to become a key member of her crew and was always encouraging of others to find the best in themselves by throwing themselves into the individual and collective challenges that each of us face, leading by example, not letting diabetes hold her back, sitting tall, finding the rhythm, through Grassy Corner, notching up the power as one, going past The Plough, setting the boat, together, through Ditton Corner and lengthening into The Long Reach. One stroke at a time, one call at a time, one outing at a time, one race at a time.

During her time at Homerton, she was hugely influential in helping the Club to become a more cohesive entity, helping to develop closer ties between various squads, both Women’s and Men’s and also senior and lower-boats and was incredibly popular, well-liked and respected throughout the Club. She brought her collegiate ethos and insatiable tenacity with her as she drove forward the idea of a more cohesive HCBC Alumni setup into something substantive, through collating and managing the first HCBC Alumni email list, the maintenance of the HCBC Alumni twitter account, putting together the first HCBC termly newsletter and planning and running a number of annual Alumni get-togethers. Life and soul, warmth, kindness and smiles, diligent and full of integrity. This is how she will be remembered.

Alice was a keen artist and in recent years worked in interior design.

In this sad time, let’s remember to honour Alice by carrying forward her legacy of laughter, positivity, and dedication to her friends and also find strength in the friendships each of us has been lucky enough to build through our privileged time being part of this special community of Club and Alumni, a community that Alice was so instrumental in building.

Submitted by:

Louise Bamber, née Hainsworth, Capt. 2005-6

Richie Harrington, Capt. 2003-04, W1 Coach 2006-09

Philip Stevenson, HCBC Senior Treasurer 1995-2018 Homerton College Emeritus Fellow