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Club newsletter May 2018

Boathouse


Up until last week the contractor had only been able to make limited progress due to the flooding and poor weather earlier in the year. The site became water logged and unfortunately this severely affected the contractor as he needs to use heavy plant. However work has now recommenced and the cladding to both sides has now been completed and good progress has been made to the front. The completion of the filling inside the building and backfilling to the rear and sides of the building can now be progressed. We have mid-June 2018 as the anticipated completion date for the Scorpion contracted works all being well. After this date GGBC working parties will take over!
Working parties are being organised to make a start on all the tasks we need to undertake prior to our move to the new site. If you can spare a few hours to help out on a Saturday afternoon or Wednesday evening we would be very grateful. Contact Brian Barnes if you are interested.

Welcome back to rowing weekend

We hope that those of you who turned up to one or other (or even both!) sessions enjoyed getting back on the water after a long winter. If you weren’t able to join us for this event and you haven’t rowed for a while then do come along to any club session:

  • Saturdays 9 – 11am
  • Sundays 10 – 12
  • Thursdays from 6pm

Just let the session manager know that you haven’t rowed for a while and they will try and put you in a suitable boat with other rowers.
Or if you are feeling particularly rusty and would like to join other beginner / less experienced rowers do join one of the Go Row days held on the first Sunday of each month, the next one is Sunday 3rd June 10am until 12.

Whitchurch Art Café Saturday 9th June 10.00 – 12.30

The Old Stables, Whitchurch on Thames, RG8 7DF (opposite The Ferryboat)
A fundraising event for GGBC. Volunteers needed to serve tea/coffee and to bake cakes. Please contact Ros on ros.crowder@btinternet.com or 07981 516009 if you can help.
Do spread the word and encourage your family/friends/neighbours etc to come along and support this fundraising initiative. And if you are rowing on this Saturday morning you can come along after the session for coffee and cake!

Not the Regatta 14th July

Why not enter a crew in this fun event taking place at the Hardwick site? Contact captainofrowing@goringgapbc.org.uk if you are interested.

Summer family rowing/water activities camp

A camp will be held during the weekend of 1st and 2nd September at the Hardwick site just along the river from our current site. Further details are in the attached flyer and if you are interested in participating do let me know. Come along as an individual or bring your family /friends.
ros.crowder@btinternet.com or 07981 516009. More details.

GGBC Quiz

Copies of the GGBC Quiz can be printed and completed and will also be available in the session managers box. Please take one and try your luck to support the new boathouse. And you might win the prize!
Thanks to Deborah for organising this activity.

Fundraising

If any club member is interested in organising or helping with a fundraising activity please get in touch with any suggestions. We are also looking for volunteers willing to help with the completion of grant applications to raise funds for the boathouse. Please contact ros.crowder@btinternet.com or 07981 516009.

Community engagement

We are keen to raise the profile of GGBC in the local area and enable the local population to get involved in the club’s activities. If you are interested in joining the committee to take on this role, might like to know more or would be willing to be part of a small group taking this forwards do talk to Lorraine or Ros or email chairman@goringgapbc.org.uk.

Midweek rowing

The Wednesday morning sessions have now started and it’s lovely out on the river at a peaceful time of the week. If you would like to join please contact Ros or just turn up from 9.15am any Wednesday.

Advance notice – Long Row 22 September

In September we are aiming to offer the opportunity to join a longer than usual row along the Thames to explore the stretch of river beyond our usual reach. If you are interested do talk to Alison Proctor at a club session. Further details will be circulated soon.

Lost watch

A watch was lost on the site or track leading to the site earlier this week. If anyone has any information please get in touch.

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Welcome Back to Rowing Weekend on 28th & 29th April

We hope that club members who have not rowed much recently, have had a break over the winter, or have recently joined the club will come along for extended club sessions at the end of the month.

On Saturday 28th we will have the usual club session from 9 – 11am with tea/coffee and cakes/pastries available after the session if you would like to stay on and chat to other club members, hear about future events and get an update on the boathouse construction.

On Sunday 29th the club session from 10 – 12 will continue with a BBQ for all.

At both sessions there will be coaches available so if you feel your technique is a bit rusty you can have some coaching and an opportunity to try out a variety of boats. Do try and join us, bring a few pennies for the refreshments (reasonable prices but any profit will go towards the boathouse) and let’s get lots of club members back out on the water.

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Maidenhead Explorers

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.