CHAIRMAN’S VIEW
The start of a new year presents an opportunity to take stock and to reflect on where we are as a club, whilst at the same time offering the chance to look ahead and to consider what the prospects might be for the coming 12 months. Currently London Rowing Club is in a very strong and healthy position, able to boast an impressive fleet of boats as well as one of the best gyms to be found anywhere. We are custodians of a wonderful clubhouse, to which we are in the process of adding a brand new balcony. Our coaching team and our events team do such excellent work, with both contributing a great deal to the success that LRC has enjoyed over the last few years. Add to this all those who sit on Sub-Committees and the General Committee and work hard to keep the club moving forwards.
The situation was not quite like this in 2018/2019 and it is perhaps worth looking back over the intervening years to see where we were at that time and to compare that position to the one we now enjoy. This transformation (for that’s what it has been and took place long before I became Chairman) came about as a result of hard work, dedication and specific input by a number of members. Key decisions were made at the right time, with the result that LRC is now on a firm and stable footing and our crews are able to compete (and more than compete!) with the best the sport can put against them.
So as we look ahead, the challenge now is to manage and to build on the success which the Club has achieved, and I believe we are well placed to do that.
May I wish all members and everyone associated with London Rowing Club a very happy and healthy 2026.
Simon Melvin
Chairman, London Rowing Club
CAPTAIN’S REPORT
Remenham Challenge
LRC had 147 members entered and racing at the Remenham Challenge. The event started at 10am on Saturday 13th December with a course from Chiswick pier to Black Buoy. LRC had a number of good results including 2 wins and a close 2nd overall placing by the Men’s Squad 1st boat. LRC also placed 3rd in the Victor Ludorum.
Balcony project
The boat bays at LRC have been closed since the 19th December. A number of squad, club and private boats as well as equipment, trestles and other items were moved prior to the boat bays closing. This has and will continue to enable members to row whilst the project is in progress.
Boats that can be booked for use are located in the sculling shed, on the TopRow racks at the side of the sculling shed or on the small trailer in front of the club. These can be booked through the LRC MyClubHouse site. Boats must be properly racked and tied down. Additional trestles as well as sponges and buckets can be found in the small shed in the gap site.
A huge thank you goes to all those members who were available and helped to move boats and other items before the boat bays closed. A particular thank you goes to Devin Ward who planned and managed the movement of all the private boats and helped move and organise multiple other items.
January and February 2026
Whilst the boat bays will be closed for a period of time there will continue to be rowing activity at LRC. The squad have a number of fixtures over the next couple of months and both Quintin Head (25th January) and Hammersmith Head (28th February) are coming up.
Matt Reeder
Captain, London Rowing Club
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
17 January: Weybridge Winter Head
18 January: Boston Head
25 January: Quintin Eights Head
29 January: Ed Hall talk
31 January: Hampton Head
1 February: English Indoor Rowing Championships
5 February: LRC Annual Dinner
7 February: GB Senior and U23 Trials
8 February: Greenwich 8s and 4s Head
14 February: Henley 4s Head
14 February: Molesey Head Races
15 February: Bedford Eights and Fours Head
22 February: Nottingham Masters and Head of the Trent
28 February: Hammersmith Head
5 March: Masters Dinner
7 March: Reading University Head
13 March: Schools Head
14 March: Women’s Eights Head of the River
21 March: Kingston Head
28 March: Head of the River
29 March: Vesta Veterans Head
3 April: Lightweight and Veteran Boat Races
4 April: University Boat Races
10-12 April: GB Senior and U23 Invitational Trials
12 April: Abingdon Head
See more detail for these events, visit our Calendar of Events…
MEN’S MASTERS REPORT
Remenham saw the last race of the year for the group, with multiple entries across various categories:
- B8+ (Henry Dunlop, Adrian Turner, James Robinson, Jason Bowyer, Charles Pitt Ford, Lorenzo Venturini, Brandon Taft, Rob Williams, and James Sexton-Barrow)
- C8+ (Emma Beardmore, Rob Farthing, Matt Piechowicz, Michael Cannon, Pierre Lhommett, Charlie Twallin, Liam Gorman, Colin Christie, Richard Benton
- F4x: (Tim Leppard, Mike Newsom Davis, Ronnie Maddox, Andrew Boyle)
- B4x: (Josh Meredith, James Halsall, Adrian Thompson, David Law)
- B4x: (Keith Cheung, Julian Hyde, Thomas Robin, Charlie Pryor)
- C4x: (Tom Killick, Tom Whateley, Basil Amin, James Young)
We're delighted to report a win for the C4x (Law), 3 of whom are pictured below alongside Guy Lewis, receiving their badges:
Our F4x have also provided a race report, thanks to Andrew Boyle:
The F4x of Mike Newsom Davis, Mike Thompson, Ronnie Maddox and Andrew Boyle had a good row building on their V4H experience. Racing above 30 spm was no longer the daunting task it seemed in September. The crew are big fans of age-adjusted rankings. Having finished ahead of the only other F4x crew from KRC, they ended up 3rd in the Open 4x category just nine seconds behind the winning LRC B4x crew. Motivation for races to come.
As the new year begins, we continue to push forward, turning our attention to the local tideway heads races (Quintin, Hammersmith, HoRR and MHoRR) where we aim to boat at least 2 men's masters 8s for each event.
We look forward to more wins as the season progresses!
Onwards.
Jason Bowyer
WOMEN’S MASTERS REPORT
The LRC Masters women enjoyed a successful Remenham Head 2025, with strong performances across the masters women’s events. We fielded three boats in total: an A quad, a C quad and a B eight. All three crews raced competitively in good conditions and delivered strong results.
The headline performance came from the Masters Women’s A Quad (4x), who won their category, making it the second year running for the LRC women. The C quad also delivered a strong performance, finishing third overall in the same category.
In the Women’s B Eight (8+), LRC put down the fastest raw time of the event, underlining the crew’s speed beating the Thames A boat. However, after handicap adjustment, the crew finished second on adjusted time, narrowly missing out on the win to Kingston despite crossing the line first.
Winning 4x crew - from the left - Georgia, Kate, Jules and Devin
From the left: Chloe, Support Dog Roo, Emily, Ruth, Amy, Edwin, Kirstyn, Marije, Saskia and Marianna
The C Quad - from the left Soraya, Uli, Anna and Zoe
Amy & Emily at the start
Chloe and Edwin ready to boat
Kate, Devin, Jules and Georgia at the start
Our next race in the calendar is Quintin Head where we will be targeting a C8+. The group will be back from their winter break next week - ready for some winter miles.
Off the water, we have been having great fun following our new training plan alongside the Masters men. Thursday night Masters erg sessions have been very well attended, and we have seen some fantastic PBs on our weekly performance ergs.
We are now heading further into the head racing season and have our crews ready for the next big race – the Remenham Challenge. The Masters women have the following crews entered:
WB8+ Emily Walters, Kirstyn Luton, Marije Randall, Chloe Ramambason, Ruth Allen, Amy Johnson, Marianna Raffaela and Saskia Gill
WA4x - Georgia Hellard-Timm, Jules Robey, Kate Griffiths and Devin Ward
WC4x - Soraya Nidai, Ulrike Forster, Anna Lhommet and Zoe Tipler
Good luck to everyone racing!
Saskia Gill
OUR NEW BALCONY IS UNDERWAY
Very good progress is being made on our new balcony. The work started on 19th December when props were put under the old balcony so that it would be supported while cuts were made to separate it from the façade of the building. The purpose of separation was to minimise possible harm to the building from vibration while the concrete platform of the old balcony and the steels were demolished.
The concrete platform of the old balcony was demolished first and then the steel framework and supporting columns were cut and dismantled. After 100 years the bolts could still be persuaded to move. The pictures show the extent of corrosion of the steels; the reason the old balcony had to be replaced.
Our contractors are now carrying out repairs to brickwork and to the arches above the boat bay doors. We are using reclaimed bricks which are matching in very well. The door thresholds were found to be rotten. These have been cut out and new thresholds will be inserted.
On 7th January a crane arrives and on 8th January the steels that form the frame of the new balcony will arrive. The steel has been galvanised and will be painted in the workshop before construction. The new balustrade sections have also been made. The new steel frame will support a platform made of steel grating overlaid with a rail system into which a resin impregnated bamboo deck is clipped.
Information on the project and the club is displayed on the fencing around the site and looks really good - thank you Bob Silver. A large number of people walk along the Embankment, especially over the Christmas period, and many people have stopped to read the information and look at the work being undertaken. There has been good engagement with neighbours and hopefully some of those reading the information will be encouraged to hire our event space. There has even been an article on the project in the local Putney news.
The plan is to complete the work as close to the end of February as possible. The timetable is very challenging but so far everything is on track which is great.
Peter Halford
Demolition of the concrete that formed the platform of the old balcony. Simon Harris has calculated the weight of the removed concrete. A small prize for the nearest guess.
Picture shows the extent of corrosion of the old steelwork, the reason replacement is necessary.
The concrete platform has been demolished, just the frame remains.
This picture shows work on removing old asphalt flashings and rotted thresholds. The top part of each corbel is timber and is the end of the large beams that run the length of the boathouse. The smaller bottom section is made of stone or concrete. The doors and windows were boarded up to prevent risk of damage during demolition.
The fence covers have information on the project and the club and have attracted a lot of attention.
BALCONY FUNDRAISING
As you can see from Peter Halford’s report and photos, the balcony project is well underway with the face of the Club looking very bare after the demolition of the old structure before Christmas. The demolition phase of the work exposed fully the rusting and delaminating steels supporting the old concrete balcony confirming that we had no choice but to build a replacement.
We have received very positive support from our neighbours and The Putney Society. Here is a link to December’s issue of Putney News:
“Putney Embankment’s historic boathouses are getting a Victorian makeover, as two riverside clubs strip away decades-old additions to reveal the original architecture hidden beneath.
Work has begun at London Rowing Club, where the 1921 concrete balcony has been demolished and the building’s 19th century stone corbels are now exposed for the first time in over a century.
The Putney Society has backed both schemes. Andrew Catto, the society’s buildings panel convenor, described the embankment boathouses as “a unique and living part of local history” deserving conservation as a group.”
Link to the full article is here: https://putney.news/2025/12/28/putneys-boathouses-are-shedding-their-20th-century-mistakes/
The Club’s fundraising got off to a great start in the second half of 2025 and you will have received your letter and balcony brochure recently. Thank you so much to those who have donated, the letter and brochure being for information purposes.
So far, we have raised around half of the total cost of £400,000. To those yet to donate, any sum you feel able to give would be enormously appreciated and will go towards this necessary and fantastic improvement to the clubhouse, a historic landmark in our building’s development.
Club bank details:
Sort code 60 00 01
Account number 00784222
Ref: BALCONY FUND
We very much look forward to completion of phase 1 and inviting members to a drink on the new balcony in the spring sunshine.
Bill Baker
UPCOMING EVENTS
Evening with Ed Hall - Thursday, 29th January.
Starting at 6.30pm, local RNLI lifeboat volunteer Ed Hall will be presenting a fun evening of poetry and tall tales of river adventures at the LRC.
Ed is a former award-winning BBC reporter and is guaranteed to offer an evening of interesting lifeboat tales and stories about the Thames, as well as reading some of the poems, many of which are set on our stretch of the river.
A navigator since 2002 at the Chiswick lifeboat station, Ed will be reading from his recently published book ‘Tamesis’ – an illustrated collection of verse inspired by his experiences along the River Thames. With illustrations by Gary Partridge, a Coldstream Guards veteran-turned-artist, the book also contains a foreword by Sir Ian McKellen who said:
“Ed Hall’s poems are intensely personal, written about his time spent on and by the River Thames. They record high drama alongside wistful reverie, all linked by his unsentimental love of the ancient waterway… I commend them to you.”
Doors open at 6.30pm and the bar will be open. Entrance is free-of-charge, although booking online is recommended to help the club confirm numbers. Signed book and illustrations will be available.
A collection will be held to raise funds for the RNLI during the evening.
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday, 5th February
London Rowing Club Annual Dinner.
Details to follow.
Annabel Lawrence
Events Manager, London Rowing Club
CLUB STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SESSIONS
The next Club S&C sessions will be on 17th January at 09:30 and 10:30
These sessions are open to club rowing members and are usually held on the 3rd Saturday of each month.
The sessions will involve guidance on specific S&C exercises to support rowing as well as tips on form. These sessions are great for beginners all the way to advanced gym goers.
Bill Baker
REPORTING SAFETY INCIDENTS
All members are reminded that if you are involved in or witness a water safety incident, you are required to report it using the following email address – safety@londonrc.org.uk
The Club will file any necessary reports on your behalf with British Rowing and the PLA. Members should not submit reports directly to either body.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this edition of the London Roar. If you have an idea for an article or would be interested in submitting a piece for inclusion in a future edition, please email me on miles.preston@londonrc.org.uk
Please do not submit an article without first liaising with me.
Miles Preston
Editor of The London Roar
