Tall skinny bloke over takes short fat kid

Here we see the new super stroke of the men's second eight charging past one of the local school boys at Worcester head....

At least that is what I hope is happening, and not the other way around!!

Wet feet and wins in Worcester

The men's and women's tideway crews had their first real tester this weekend on the 6km Worcester Head course, the only real time they will get close to the tideway race distance in competition before the main event.

Congratulations to all the crews on some good results, but especially to the men's 1st eight, and the women's 2nd eight who both won their classes. The men's eight triumphed despite only being selected last weekend, showed their potential and won their event, and were the fastest boat in the second division (5th fastest crew of the day)

Men's S3 8+ 16 min 44 (1st)
Men's S3 8+ 17 min 43 (4th)
Women's S2 8+ 18min 50 (2nd)
Women's S4 8+ 20min 13 (1st)

WMD*

I hear on the grapevine that the Women's squad have found themselves a secret weapon in their bid to win WEHORR..

Not a thinly disguised Olympian from a far away country, so as not to be recognised by the ARA, but some rowing socks to scare the competition away!

Personally I would go for the S5 style as they are much more "mean looking, no messing, opposition scaring rowing socks"!

* WMD

Better Late than Never?

It was nearly two months ago, but the following photo's shows what happens when you mix a house in the middle of Wales, 14 rowers and some (ir)responsible drinking!

And these are only a select few, so I can only imagine that the others are not fit for public viewing...

Should keep you amused on a Friday at work!!

Dear oh dear

Anyone for a swim?!?

Imagine the scene....

The sun is shining, the weather is sweltering - what better way to cool down for a quick dip in some crystal clear waters. Mmm lovely.

Alternatively, you decide to go for a quick spin round the docks, on a cold, wintry, wet Thursday morning before work, and you think - what the hell! Lets fall out the boat and get really wet!!!

So imagine this scene - Rob Beever, Chris Sparrow, Jack Mellor, Dylan Lang are cruising along in a 4-, and imagine the surprise as they go round the 'bend?!?' on the feeder and row straight into a barge that was hiding round said 'bend', have a little wobbly moment and fall in! Brrr - not so lovely

Just trying to think how much rowing experience there is in that boat.... and the last time I saw a four full of senior rowers capsize on the docks?

Hope you enjoyed the swim boys!

Curry Club Thursday

It has been a while since we held the weekly curry Thursday, but it has been suggested that we resurrect it for Graeme's birthday on Thursday.

For the new people, the traditional location for curry Thursday is The Berkeley on the triangle where we indulge in one of their most wonderful curry and a pint offer for £4.49. (The wonderful bit being the price, although the curry is not too bad!)

Kicking off at 8.30pm - Be there or be square!

Sorry girls, not the best evening for you lot, but if you reduce the faff factor, then maybe you could make it up in time!

Are you a good Tosser?!?

To be a world record breaking tosser, you should be able to toss a pancake 416 times in 2 minutes

Wishing you all a happy Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday /Fasnacht/Carnivale/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras

When you get home from work/rowing don't forget to confess your sins, receive absolution for them and eat all that food you are not allowed to eat before Lent starts...

Either that or just toss a few pancakes, and cover them with lots of chocolate or Lemon and Sugar - Mmmm

Happy Birthday Jimmy

Thank you birthday angel for letting me know, some of these things slip through the net... Although he has probably tried to keep it a bit quiet now that he is getting on a bit!

I heard it was Zoe's on the 16th, and was it Martina's recently too...

Anyway happy birthday Jimmy, belated wishes to Zoe, Martina, and anyone else that I have missed recently!!

Have a on me....

Goodbye ERB

Sad news, I'm afraid, but it appears that Eton Racing Boats has stopped making rowing shells. So it looks like the women's 4 would have been one of the last to make it out of the ERB shed, which started producing boats in 1888....

At least we will still be able to send all the broken bits to Eric to be mended....

Looks like it is time to start buying Chinese....

Seat Racing

The boys headed off for a weekend of seat racing/pain for crew selection for the HORR. For a change the weather was not too windy, or not too cold and with a few teething problems (like not doing up the riggers...) it all commenced. Just as it was all getting in to a good rhythm, the coxes decided to spice things up a bit, and we all know that 'rubbing's racing!' but driving into each other is a step too far, especially when it results in the breaking of oars! - quite how you manage to collide down a buoyed straight course is beyond me - women driver eh?!? Probably the reason the girls go for male coxes!!

Reports are that it was all very close, which means there should be some good competition, and hopefully some close racing between the two crews. If you want to know the lineups, then I refer you back to a previous post, and you can work out if they fit the seat?!?

Oh, and while the boys were out racing the girls took the opportunity of the boys being away and went out for some dancing... No guesses where they ended up!!!

Calling all Steven Spielberg's/Vijaya Nirmala's

Miss Green passed this on - thinking that it would be a good idea to get some free stuff for the club!

(For those wondering who the hell Vijaya Nirmala is - well she is the most prolific female director according to the Guinness book of records...)

All successful directors have to start somewhere, Spielberg started filming train crashes with his toy trains, so what better place to start than making an ergomercial..
You can even help you club in winning a shiny new Concept2 model E erg, or a set of 8 C2 Dreissigacker sweep oars

Roughly the idea is to make a short film about a rowing machine, stick it on YouTube, and wait for the oars/erg to arrive - what can be easier... once you have thought of a way of make an erg appealing?!?

Oh - and get it in before yesterday!!!

Videos that did make it in on time are here for your enjoyment!

Call for a new Boat house...

I'll put my hands up and say that this was ripped directly from the Tideway Slug..... Full story with pictures can be found there!

If only we had some proper changing rooms - and and some decent neighbouring clubs to share this kind of banter around. It would certainly make my job easier during winter boring season (Henley boring season still to come!) when you are all training too much, and not drinking enough!

"As regular readers may remember, this time last year the London RC boys broke into the TRC women's changing rooms and gave every girl at Thames a Valentine’s card and left them a massive box of chocolates. So this year, the girls in Red, White and Black, figured they should do something in return for their romantic neighbours...

Showing true TRC grit, they went sex shop shopping on Saturday in seedy Soho and bought various ‘toys’ for the LRC boys including: a blowup wife; red fluffy handcuffs; a cock-ring; a willy whistle; boob magnets; a dick measuring stick; willy warmers and a one-night-stand kit!
They then rang Paul "the Impaler" Reedy after shopping, and he let them into the changing rooms that very evening. Once in, they decorated the place with 75 balloons, loads of streamers and heart glitter. The ‘toys’ were wrapped up in a big box along with a giant card signed by all the girls."

On board action

Just a quick one to remind people that there are some pictures of the Avon Gorge here...

Including some on board action photo's of the mens novice 8

Let them eat cake...

News is slowing surfacing on the Women's squad training 'day' down on the Tideway...

After a bit of a wet start, the rain clouds dispersed in time for the actual outing, which involved a full race piece, and then a row back up to Barnes. The second boat did not make it unfortunately, which meant that only 10 people made the 4 hour round trip for a 1.5 hour outing.

As seams to be the case with the women's 1st eight these days, it was important that they carried a tin of cake down the course....

So after the race was done the tea and cake were produced, and the WI meeting commenced!

If you look closely, there is evidence of the last few mouthfuls of the second tin of cake disappearing!!

Jimmy - You really had better take more control over those ladies... you don't see the GB squad cracking open the cake tin before collecting their medals

Happy Valentines Day....

If a day had 36 hours i'd spend 12 picking u flowers,
If we had 48 life would surely be great,
And if it was 72?
I'd climb a mountain just to tell the world i love you,
But...all we have is 24,
Which means i'll keep the message short,
And simply spend every precious hour with you,
Today n forever.

Gurt

To all the boys out there - If you forgot to buy a card, it's not too late - make one yourself!

To all the Girls - You know where I am when you get the homemade card.... but to keep you going, here are some books to read

dirty dancing

Just when the women's squad though they had found a cox, he upped sticks and moved down to London.... not sure what they did to make him move away - he claimed it was for work, but maybe this is the reason!

It appears that James Derbyshire has got married, and his first dance is on YouTube!

Message from Harbour Master

Firstly, apologies for my absence over the last week, but even Mr Gurt has to do some work from time to time - and there has been a distinct lack of gossip recently (you have just all been too well behaved!) but fear not, as there are a few juicy tit bits - but more of that later!

So back to the point of the post - It appears that in the weeks between water skiing, there will now be Dynamite Surfing....

Dynamite Surfing

These sessions will start at 10am with breaks every hour - Just make sure you are out of you scull before it all kicks off!!

Could this be the end?!?

Not quite the end of the world, but this year could see the end of the Ashton Court Festival, after a run of 32 years!

After last years bills of £8000 to clean up the graffiti, £11000 to sort out all the vandalising that happened to the estate (Some one even managed to ruin one of the bunkers by cycling into it - doh!), the organisers are feeling a little strapped for cash!

Whilst I myself are not all that fussed, as there are far too many young drunk people there these days, it looks like all the money they can get the better!

Remind you of anyone?!?

Dr Jones?

Although I am not sure how foie gras would fit with this argument!!

Son - Put that Bottle Down

When I were a lad, it was not good for your street cred to been seen applying moisturisers and lots of 'beauty' product (not that I needed it, as I was naturally good looking and didn't need any help).

But in these days with 'metrosexuals' its all the rage, although I am sure it will stop and make a few people think again before applying too much lavender and tea tree oils. I think I'd rather have spots that a pair of man boobs...

I think I might start getting some for Gurtrude to see if works on women too - although Grandpa Gurt always claimed more than a handful is a waste!