only VIII achieving seven bumps over the then six days of racing. The Summer Eights of 1934 was perhaps the most successful in SEHBC's history until that point and were the first Summer Eights in which SEHBC entered two crews. The 1st VIII first won promotion to the 1st Division, with seven bumps over the six days of racing, and the 2nd VIII started at the bottom of the bottom 5th Division and won promotion to the 4th Division also with seven bumps. Overall, this ensured that SEHBC finished a head of the 1934 University Summer Eights statistical rankings. The Times of Thursday 24 May 1934 reported that - "The racing in the Summer Eights was concluded at Oxford yesterday when Oriel retained the Headship of the River. ... St. Edmund Hall continued their victorious career with a bump over St. John's in Iffley Reach and this completed a record in gaining seven bumps in the six days' racing. St. Edmund Hall has been steadily gaining a reputation in other branches of sport although they only number 120, this is the first occasion on which they have ever made their way into the First Division. Not satisfied with this their second crew, which started bottom but one in the Fifth Division, also made seven bumps, which put them well into the Fourth Division. ... This remarkable achievement was equalled also by Queen's II, who, starting fourth in the Fourth Division, finished ninth in the Third." The Summer Eights of 1935 saw the first appearance of an SEH 3rd VIII, with SEHBC repeating its success in finishing head of the University Summer Eights statistical rankings. The remainder of the 1930s saw the 1st VIII maintain its position in the upper half of the 1st Division, finishing fourth on the River in 1938, and second on the River in 1939 (its highest ever Summer Eights place at that point). The 2nd VIII steadily made its way up the rankings, making three bumps in Summer Eights 1936, making another record-equalling seven bumps over the six days of Summer Eights 1937, making four bumps in 1938, and finishing top of the 3rd Division in 1939 with three bumps. Summer Eights continued to be held on a much-reduced basis during World War II, with many colleges combining to form crews. SEH paired with Queen's College, fielding three combined crews for most of 1940–45. Torpids Torpids