The Explore Rowing league continues to be a big success with our more competitive rowers. Here is a report from Roger:
Now home and luxuriating in front of a nice warm fire, with a totally unjustified feeling of comfort deserved after the rigours of the day. When the snow started, we all anticipated a phone call saying cancelled but none came. Maidenhead are clearly made of stern stuff for when we got there, there were fours, eights, singles and doubles out the river regardless. Contrary, as per usual, to any logical reasoning, the fates decreed that more crews than ever before should enter today’s event and all but one turned up, so there was a nice atmosphere. Needless to say we got wet and very cold. It is many years since I have seen my hands turn turn quite the shade of blue they were today but at least the snow turned into rain. We should be thankful for small mercies. The results were a little surprising as we only managed to come third and fourth. Perhaps clocks run more slowly in Maidenhead as when we practiced yesterday over an identical if not slightly longer course (round the island) we took the usual 13 minutes. In Maidenhead the crews were averaging 20. Very strange, but then they were trialling a new timing device. Who cares, it was an excellent and companionable way to while away a dreary day and Miadenhead’s club is vey welcoming. We must think about that as we work on the new boathouse.
The contractors, Scorpion Buildings, have almost completed their preparatory work at the site, having been slightly delayed by bad weather. We are now awaiting delivery of the steel frame to the site, this is programmed to happen during January. Shortly afterwards the erection of the frame can start. This is likely to take approximately 3 to 4 weeks (again weather dependent). As soon as it is feasible to allow club members on to the site we will arrange a visit in order to enable club members to view the progress.
Behind the scenes, since the meeting for club members last October, progress has been made with planning the work packages needed to be undertaken to get us from our current position to operating from the new site. It’s not too late to volunteer to get involved in any way, such as practical tasks at the site, sharing any relevant expertise you may have or lending items of equipment. And we’re happy to accept offers of help from anyone so if you have friends, family, neighbours who are looking for something to do with their spare time do tell them about our project and ask them to get in touch.
The British Rowing Facilities Consultant visited the site before Christmas and was impressed with the work to date and our plans for the future. He expressed his support for the project.
