Tees Rowing Club The Slipway North Shore Stockton-on-Tees TS18 2NL

2000s

2000

President: Ian Godman. Captain: Paul Buckworth. Hon Sec: David Francis. Hon Treas: Jane Vaslet.

Membership 96.  25 wins: 3 in eights, 9 in fours, 1 in singles. We swop our old Donoratico eight (ex Aberdeen Uni) for a George Parsonage sculpture of a coxed four. George, a former Scottish sculling champion, proposes to convert the boat into pieces of furniture. The sculpture now stands in the bar at River Tees Watersports Centre. A Millennium Bridge is built providing pedestrian access between the Teesdale area of Thornaby and Stockton town centre.

Going like a Rocket?

Tees Boathouse had a smaller than usual entry at the 2000 Rutherford Head. This composite Tees RC/University of Teesside RC S2 4+ (above), however, had just got a new boat named The Rocket and they could not resist going off to play. Crew: from bow – Paul Hoban (T), Steve Vaslet (T), Martin Leach (T), Stuart Taylor (UT) and cox Kate Orriss (UT).

TRC/UDSCBC/UTRC S3 4+

Another fine example of the Tees Boathouse philosophy of pooling resources to give as many people a row as possible. This composite is the Tees RC/University of Durham Stockton Campus BC/University of Teesside RC Senior 3 crew in a UTRC boat using UDSC blades at Rutherford Head 2000. Crew from bow: cox (bowloader) Angela Warburton (T), Lars Johnsson (T), David Scarr (UDSC), Dave Warburton (T) and Jonothan Shirley (UT).

Paul Buckworth at Henley

Such is the popularity of Henley Royal Regatta that entries for many events are oversubscribed and competitors must go through the qualifying rounds. These take the form of against the clock time trials. Here Paul is in action in the qualifying races for the 2000 Diamond Sculls. Whilst he failed to qualify he proudly says that he was not the slowest! (Photo by JETPhotographic)

TRC Winners at Durham

Pictured, in the market Place after the prize giving, are some of the Tees winners with their pots. L-R Martin Leach, Paul Buckworth, Stuart Taylor, Philip Stephenson, John Heron, Chris Kenyon, Mike Firby, John Green, Alan Parsons, Richard Harandon and Dilwyn Jones.

Oldies but Goodies

The Veteran E Four with their pots after Durham Regatta 2000. This crew won on five occasions in 2000 and combining with the Vet C Four collected a further 6 wins in Veteran D Eights. L-R: Chris Kenyon (bow), Phil Stephenson (stroke), John Heron (cox), John Green (3), and Alan Parsons (2).

2001

President: Ian Godman. Captain: Hon Sec: David Francis. Hon Treas: Jane Vaslet

Membership 131.  84 wins: 6 in eights, 19 in fours, 36 in pairs/doubles, 23 in singles. In the Autumn of this year we move from the site we have occupied in Boathouse Lane since 1864 to our new home at The River Tees Watersports Centre. The official opening is performed on November 20th by The Rt. Hon. Richard Caborn MP, Minister for Sport. Application to participate in the new ARA “Project Oarsome” is drawn up and accepted by ARA. We launch a club web site hosted as a community facility by Communigate. We are approached by Teesside High School who wish to introduce rowing at the school. A presentation and demonstration at the school is attended by 50 parents and students. A number of parents of Yarm School students join the club. We order our first cleaver blades. They are as new second hand from Japan via Gareth Gruenbaum (later to become Swift Racing Boats). The Annual Dinner is held at the Parkmore Hotel. Principal Guest is Jim Dulling, Captain of Durham ARC.

2002

President: Ian Godman. Captain: Andrew Pickering. Hon Sec: David Francis. Hon Treas: Jane Vaslet

Membership is 154.  68 wins: 13 in eights, 6 in fours, 13 in pairs/doubles, 21 in singles. The Boathouse Lane boathouse is sold and the proceeds used to fund our contributions to the build cost of RTWC and our cost of our Project Oarsome participation. We take delivery of a new trailer. At National Veterans Championships Paul Buckworth wins Gold in V? Singles and Jonny and David Cooper win Gold in V? Doubles.

2003

President: Dilwyn Jones. Captain: Stuart Taylor. Hon Sec: Victoria Laing. Hon Treas: Jane Vaslet

Membership 167.  60 wins: 6 in eights, 19 in fours, 8 in pairs/doubles, 27 in singles

2004

President: Dilwyn Jones. Captain: Helen Lawson. Hon Sec: Victoria Laing. Hon Treas: Jane Vaslet

Membership 179.  66 wins: 6 in eights, 22 in fours, 11 in pairs/doubles, 27 in singles. Tees Regatta attracts 285 entries from 27 clubs. The club hosts the Sir Steve Redgrave Challenge raced between 10 teams each comprising six men and six women. The event raises £15,000 for Sir Steve’s Charity in addition to which competitors were racing for a share of a £12,000 prize pot. Durham University B team are overall winners (£5,000) with Tees RC A team second (£3000). At the National Schools Regatta Tina Stiller of Tees RC (and St Peters School York) not only wins her singles event but also a new single sculling boat. She is subsequently selected for the GB Team at this year’s World Junior Rowing Championships. At the National Veterans Championships our VB 4x (Jonny Cooper, Paul Buckworth, David Cooper and Hugh Pelham) win gold. Tees women make their first appearance at Henley Women’s Regatta. Tony Flynn of Tees RC is the first adaptive competitor to race at Tees Long Distance Sculls which attracts at total of 180 entries. The club has a number of award winners at the Northern Rowing Council AGM: Kate O’Sullivan for the biggest impact on the region for her work on the British Rowing Coaching Award Scheme, Steve Vaslet for the biggest impact on an event for the Tees Long Distance Sculls and Small Boats Head and Jane Vaslet as Club Stalwart. The year is rounded off with the now traditional Christmas Eve Row.

2005

President: Dilwyn Jones. Captain: Hon Sec: Victoria Laing. Hon Treas: Jane Vaslet

Membership 170.  62 wins: 6 in eights, 22 in fours, 20 in pairs/doubles, 14 in singles. The club runs an Adaptive taster day in March. Rebekah Warburton, Tom Reevell and Neil Hunter-Smith are in the North Region Team for the Junior Inter Regional Championships. Tees Regatta attracts 315 entries and includes events for Adaptive Athletes for the first time. Tees LDS entries are 177 and Tees SBH gets 143. At National Veterans Championships Hugh Pelham and Paul Buckworth are gold medal winners in Veteran B 2x. A large Tees contingent attends the National Rowing Championships. Bronze medals are won by Laura Hunter-Smith and Suzie Francis (WJ2-) and Neil Hunter-Smith and Tom Reevell (half of a composite MJ16 4- with Hexham QEHS). At the FISA World Masters Regatta at Strathclyde Park in September the club wins two gold medals. Jonny Cooper, Hugh Pelham, Paul Buckworth and David Cooper in VB4x and Paul Buckworth in VB1x.  Jane Vaslet retires after 12 years sterling work at our Honorary Treasurer. Tees members are among winners of Regional Coaching Awards: Young Persons Programme of the Year – Steven Leigh.  Club Stalwarts of the Year for their work with Novices – Dick and Janet Wilkinson. Kate O’Sullivan receives a certificate from the ARA as part of the Year of the Volunteer 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to open rowing in the Northern Region. And the year closes with a well attended Christmas Eve Row.

A comprehensive bound series of press releases including colour photos covering 2004 are filed in the club archives.

2006

President: John Green. Captain: David Francis. Hon Sec: Victoria Laing. Hon Treas: Ken Watson

Membership 187.  Senior sub is £275. 59 wins: 10 in fours, 26 in pairs/doubles, 23 in singles. ARA World Class Start programme to be based at Tees RC with Nathan Adams as lead coach. Monthly Sunday Mini Head races are introduced run from The Pipe Bridge to Surtees Bridge. Kate O’Sullivan is awarded the ARA Medal of Merit.

2007

President: John Green. Captain: Neil Hindle. Hon Sec: Dilwyn Jones. Hon Treas: Ken Watson.

Membership 211.   98 wins: 10 in eights, 31 in fours, 34 in pairs/doubles, 23 in singles. Tees SBH attracts 147 entries. At an Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee on Feb 7th a decision is taken to embrace the ARA World Class Start and Potential Programme.

2008

President: John Green. Captain: Neil Hindle. Hon Sec: Dilwyn Jones.  Hon Treas: Ken Watson

Membership 220.  122 wins: 8 in eights, 25 in fours, 54 in pairs/doubles, 35 in singles. Tees Regatta attracts 290 entries, Tees LDS 160 and Tees SBH 131.The club buys a new 85kg Sims Eight which is named Green Machine and a Sims 2x/2- named Surtees with the help of sponsorship from Impetus Environmental Trust. Thanks to an award from ARA Project Oarsome Extra Community Club Development Programme Portfolio we buy two Burgashell Learn to Row coxed Quads which are named Dick and Janet.  Sponsorship from Veolia Environmental Trust enables us to add an 85kg Janousek Eight – Transporter, an 85kg Janousek Coxless Quad – Locomotion and an 85kg Sims Evolution Coxless Quad – Ironmaster together with oars and sculls and a mobile rack for sculling boats. A grant from Foundation of Sports and the Arts enable us to add a 75kg Sims Evolution Eight – To Infinity and Beyond. Total expenditure £100,000. Other additions include Scarborough – a 75kg single donated by Scarborough RC/Bob Hewitt, Double Trouble – a double scull/coxless pair donated by Jonny and David Cooper and a single from Mile Fallaize. Tina Stiller is the reserve for the GB Women’s Team at the Beijing Olympics.

2009

President: David Francis. Captain: Helen Hollins. Hon Sec: Dilwyn Jones. Hon Treas: Ken Watson

123 wins: 5 in eights, 41 in fours, 49 in pairs/doubles, 28 in singles. Senior Subscription £300. Our partner school for Project Oarsome is Egglescliffe School.