We are saddened to learn of the death of Phil Metcalfe on December 15th at the age of 69. The Club had been the centre of Phil’s life for half a century. A fine oarsman he rowed with the Senior and Veteran Fours and Eights in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, winning with the Vet[…]
On December 1st MPs backed the introduction of the tougher system of Covid-19 tiers for England, announced by the Government on November 26th, which placed the north-east into the Very High alert level Tier 3 as the second national lockdown ended on December 2nd, having entered it in the High alert level Tier 2. As[…]
Clive Hole’s nephew has created a website at http://www.clive.life/ on which memories can be gathered together to celebrate his life. Please take a look and feel free to register and add your own thoughts, memories and any photos you have of Clive. Clive was a long serving member and had been a stalwart of the[…]
As a result of the Government statement on October 31st 2020 announcing a second national lockdown to counteract the spread of Covid-19, and legislation passed by the House of Commons on November 4th, British Rowing has confirmed that all rowing clubs must close from Wednesday November 4th. The fob system has therefore been disabled and[…]
Tributes have been flooding in from the rowing community in memory of long time member Clive Hole who died on Thursday, October 29th at the age of 80 following a short illness. Clive was a true gentleman and an endearing character whose interests were many and varied He lived life to the full, devoting much[…]
As the clocks go back and the hours of daylight shorten the club has made some changes to the timetables for members using indoor training facilities as well as to on-water schedules, so as to accommodate as many members as possible within Covid-19 guidelines. Eights can now return to use and on Saturday, October 24th,[…]
The first of the Club’s Learn to Row courses this year was completed successfully in September. The course has had to adopt a different approach from that of previous years because of Covid-19 restrictions, and coach Tim Morris has therefore devised a series of 2-hour sessions using the club’s Glide One single sculling boats that[…]
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of the Club on March 17th there have been joint meetings of the Management Committee and the Captain and Vice Captains of the Rowing & Coaching Committee which have focused mainly on the financial management of the club and preparations for a phased reopening following[…]
Following the cancellation of Durham Autumn Sprint Regatta on September 26th the club has taken the decision not to go ahead with Durham Autumn Small Boats Head which was scheduled for November 7th 2020. There were a number of reservations about the feasibility of staging such an event during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the need[…]
We have had confirmation that the river will be closed under New Elvet Bridge from September 1st to September 30th 2020. All rowers will therefore have to turn after Baths Bridge and will not be allowed to proceed any further. There may be days where we can row through Elvet Bridge but we are not[…]
Thanks to a relaxation of Coronavirus lockdown restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on June 23rd, and with the support of the City of Durham Parish Council, the Club is pleased to announce the opening of its new riverside beer garden on Saturdays and Sundays from July 4th, between the hours of 1pm and 7pm.[…]
The Club has recently acquired four Glide One single sculls that are ex demo boats available at an exceptionally good price. The Glide One is a training boat but has the advantage that it has more of the ‘feel’ of a fine single scull. It is durable but also has a design that is as[…]
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the adoption of innovative methods for engaging the club’s membership and providing fun activities to maintain interest among members. The Club’s first Virtual Regatta took place on Sunday, May 10th with participation restricted to past and present members and their families. The regatta involved competitors taking part in timed[…]
This year has been like no other, with the whole of the regatta season obliterated by measures introduced to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Storms and floods disrupting the winter heads season meant that the last action on the water for the Junior squad was the Junior Inter-Regional Trials at Cambois on February[…]
One of the club’s most successful coxes of recent years announced her retirement from rowing in February. Emma Hocking is standing down as cox of the Masters G men’s squad after 12 years at the helm, during which time she has steered them to an unprecedented run of victories at the highest level. Emma has[…]
The third annual formal dinner for the Junior squad and coaches took place on January 4th 2020. Organised by the Junior Captains Adam Morris, Ella Sampson, Matthew Harrison and Ella Metcalfe the 3 course meal celebrated the successes of 2019 and got the new year off to a flying start, with awards presented by the[…]
The passing of another year, and depending on your point of view, another decade, allows for some reflection on what has passed and what is yet to come. Although successful 2019 has been a mixed year, with only 2 out of 6 competitive events scheduled on the River Wear actually taking place, Durham Regatta, Durham[…]
Durham Amateur Rowing Club is seeking an enthusiastic Community Coach to provide co-ordination and coaching for our Learn to Row and community rowing sessions for both adults and juniors. Full information and job description are available on our website at https://www.durham-arc.org.uk/about-us/jobs/ The closing date for applications is Thursday 31st October.
Two months after the British Rowing Junior Championships the J14 girls have at last received the medals they won for the double sculls omnium. The Chairman of the BR Junior Championships, Chris Callow, travelled up to Durham from Bedford last week to present Libby Morris and Tilly Stoddart with the bronze medals they won at[…]
Bill McInnes had done a little rowing at Bede College in the late 1940s but did not join the Club until the mid 1980s when he joined the veterans’ group led by Peter Burdess. Bill was Club secretary from 1987 to 1991. Bill died on Sunday 29 September aged 89. His funeral is at the[…]
The family of Allan Pratt reported his death in Nottinghamshire at the age of 94 on August 15th 2019. Allan was a civil engineer by profession and served as Chairman of Durham ARC between 1965 and 1971, during which time he was one of the driving forces behind the relocation of the Club’s facilities from[…]
On August 6th Tees Rowing Club played host to 14 members from Durham ARC who joined them for the annual 25km social row up the Tees to Yarm and back followed by a sumptuous BBQ back at the River Tees Watersports Centre. Tees were joined by Ally Barr from Lakeland and three quads and a[…]
Two former Durham ARC Juniors are included in the 50-strong Under-23 squad selected by British Rowing to represent Great Britain at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships at Sarasota Bradenton, Florida on July 24th to 28th. James Snowball will row in the men’s pair and Hope Cessford in the women’s coxless four. James Snowball is selected[…]
A long serving Club boat has been brought out of semi-retirement to enjoy renewed success. In March 1983 a new carbon fibre coxed four named “Durham ARC” was bought by the club from Janousek Racing Boats. This was at a time when most racing boats were wooden in construction, with many of those used in[…]
Today we said farewell to one of the club’s most successful competitors of the 1950s and 1960s at a small ceremony when the ashes of Keith Yates were scattered in the River Wear by his widow Anne. Keith was the cox of DARC’s first four between 1958 to 1962 during the period when they achieved[…]
The DARC Senior Men’s Squad is looking to expand after a successful racing season, and we are happy to accept novice and experienced rowers – get in touch via email if you are interested in joining us for the 2019/20 season. We accept rowers throughout the year, and people new to the sport (those who[…]
In April this year 17 rowers and 4 coaches flew to Catalonia for a week of hardcore training and a lot of fun. There was plenty of work but lots of fun too and just enough drama to keep everyone on their toes. Each day we had access to 2 coxless quads, a brand-new coxless[…]
Boat Race Day generally marks the end of the winter head racing season and the start of the summer sprint regatta season. This year’s races took place on Sunday April 7th, and while most media attention was focused on James Cracknell becoming the oldest competitor in the Boat Race’s 165 year history, Cambridge took the[…]
Dates of Learn to Row courses for Adults in 2019 have been published. Our first course starts on Sunday April 28th and will take place each Sunday thereafter for 8 weeks between 11.30am and 1.30pm. The course is for age 16+ beginners, and no experience of rowing is necessary. The cost is £95. To apply[…]
There’s been no time for resting on his laurels for DARC’s Roger Stainforth since celebrating a fifth success at the British Rowing Indoor Championships in December. Never one to forego a challenge Roger’s latest endeavour stemmed from a chance conversation at the Burns Night supper which led to him gathering together a team for the[…]