Going Dutch

On July 29th we welcomed a group of 8 touring Dutch rowers from Leiden and Hemus Rowing Clubs who had asked to visit the club. Due to connections with Durham University they are no strangers to the area and have visited the club on two previous occasions. During their 2 weeks in the UK they[…]

National Citizen Service

For the past few weeks Durham ARC has been hosting an event for the National Citizen Service (NCS) on Wednesday afternoons. The NCS is arranged by the University of the First Age (UFA )  and aims to provide activity challenges for teenagers looking to build skills for work and life. With around 60 teenagers taking[…]

Pelaw Wood landslip update – summer 2016

Durham County Council has issued an update on progress with the Pelaw Wood landslip. Works are progressing well to stabilise the original landslip, we have found a solution to repair the additional landslip and continue the challenging work to stabilise the bankside as soon as possible. The additional work means we are currently aiming to complete the work and re-open[…]

40 years of commentary for Keith

At this year’s Durham Regatta on June 11th and 12th Keith Yates celebrates 40 years as the event commentator and 60 years since he joined Durham ARC as a cox. Originally from Langley Moor Keith first took part in Durham Regatta as a schoolboy in 1951 and has been a fantastic supporter of the event[…]

Barry marks 25 years in office

Barry Hudson initially joined Durham ARC in 1959.  In 1967 when the club had a membership of only 35 (all men) he began his voluntary career. He was appointed Captain in 1972 and since then has held virtually every committee post at the club, including Treasurer, Vice-Captain, Regatta Secretary, Umpire, Press Officer and Trustee in[…]

Jess Eddie in GB eight for Europeans

Durham rower Jess Eddie wants the new-look GB Rowing Team women’s eight to show they remain Europe’s leading contenders for an Olympic medal when the 2016 racing season begins this weekend. GB were the top European crew at last year’s World Championships as they finished just outside the medals behind the United States, New Zealand[…]

Help for Heroes

For the past few weeks the club has been running a weekly course in partnership with British Rowing and Help for Heroes, aimed at forces veterans from Phoenix House in Catterick. The course is led by Debbie Connolly. Some of those attending have expressed a wish to continue after the course so it is an[…]

Boat Race Ball 2016

The 2nd Boat Race Ball took place on 26 March 2016.  After the drama the previous day in the Boat Race itself when the Cambridge women ​somehow managed to row themselves out from under the water, and the Oxford men won by 2 and a half lengths, we wondered if we would have as exciting an[…]

North-East rowers move closer to Rio after Europeans selection

Olympic champion Kat Copeland will reprise her promising partnership with Charlotte Taylor after four rowers from the North East were named in the GB Rowing Team for next month’s European Championships. Double Olympian Jess Eddie continues in the women’s eight and fellow Durham rower Will Fletcher will once again race alongside Richard Chambers in the[…]

Access to Water

On March 10th contractors arrived to start work on the first phase of the extension of the club’s landing stage. The Access to Water project is a major undertaking that will continue throughout 2016. Following a protracted planning process involving extensive negotiations with the planning authority and other bodies including the Environment Agency (EA) final[…]

Hope invited to GB Spring Assessment

As well as competing in this year’s Women’s Eights Head of the River Race DARC’s Hope Cessford continues her excellent progress on the pathway towards GB Junior team selection, after the February assessment at Boston being one of only 10 female sweep rowers in the country invited to the GB Spring Assessment at Nottingham. Selection[…]

Further landslip at Pelaw Wood

There has been an additional landslip on the Pelaw Wood site which is due to the natural steepness of the slope. Durham County Council are currently working to stabilise the ground and are carrying out further investigations and analysis of the situation, to allow them to continue to work safely on some areas of the[…]

Learn to Row 2016

Details of this year’s adult and junior learn to row courses are now available. Adult Courses (16+): 8 weeks, £95 (inc. British Rowing handbook & registration, & t-shirt) Fridays 6.30pm – 8.30pm 1st April – 20th May Sundays 4.30pm – 6.30pm 3rd April – 22nd May Fridays 6.30pm – 8.30pm 17th June – 5th August[…]

Donation to Bradford weir repair fund

Being reliant on a weir for rowing themselves Durham rowers are very mindful of the situation in which Bradford rowers find themselves following the recent flood damage that led to the breach and collapse of the weir on the River Aire. They have therefore responded wholeheartedly to Bradford’s plea for help in funding the necessary[…]

Desmond and Frank kept at bay

Sustained high temperatures and unprecedented rainfall during December have taken their toll on the River Wear with flood defences being put into place twice within 3 weeks, the Environment Agency recording levels of around 2.90 metres on December 6th and again on the 26th, compared to the normal river level of around 0.50 metres. This[…]

Hope at the GB Junior trials

Sixteen year old Durham ARC sculler Hope Cessford took the first step in her quest for selection for the Great Britain Junior Squad, finishing 14th out of 87 contenders in the first assessment time trial of the 2015/16 season in a single scull over a 5km course on the River Witham at Boston on November[…]

Great Tyne Row sponsorship funds handed over

By completing the 2015 Great Tyne Row in September members of Durham ARC raised £1000 in sponsorship, which was divided between 3 charities – Clic Sargent (a children’s cancer charity), Grove House (which supports children with physical or learning disabilities), and Durham Trinity School (a special needs state school in Durham). Crew members and supporters[…]

What Roger did next

During his short stay at Durham ARC former recreational rower Roger Bean kept himself busy when he wasn’t rowing by restoring the single scull ‘J. Hopper’ that he acquired in 2012 and kept in Clive Hole’s boathouse. Having moved away from Durham Roger’s restoration project has continued and is now nearing completion. Catch up with[…]

Juniors inspired by champion

Members of DARC’s Juniors squad paid a visit to Durham University’s Oriental Museum last week to meet Olympic champion Kat Copeland and be inspired by her gold medal winning achievements in the lightweight double sculls at London 2012. Kat, who has been presented with a Nissan Qashqai by SG Petch, a Nissan dealership in Durham,[…]

Bill Grant Memorial presentation

At a presentation on September 13th at Durham Amateur Rowing Club four members of the club handed over funds raised in memory of former rowing coach Bill Grant who died in February after suffering a medical episode that led to him falling from his bicycle into the River Wear in Durham whilst coaching a crew[…]

Executive Committee positions

With the Annual General Meeting fast approaching in September members may wish to be aware of the role of the Club’s Executive Committee and its members. Members may like to take the opportunity to nominate candidates for one of the 12 executive positions able to come up for election at the AGM. Job descriptions for[…]

End to end cycle ride underway

Four members of Durham Amateur Rowing Club are undertaking a 1000 mile cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in memory of former Club member and coach Bill Grant who died in February 2015 as a result of a medical episode which led to him falling from his bicycle into the River Wear. Elliot[…]

Explorers visit to Yarm

On July 14th new ground was broken when, at the invitation of Tees Rowing Club, a group of 14 daytime and masters rowers from Durham ARC joined Tees RC to row the 18 mile round trip along the River Tees from Stockton to Yarm and back, a venture first proposed in 2011. Along with other[…]

New umpires appointed

The Northern Rowing Council recently put out an appeal for more umpires, with Durham Regatta offering added incentives. Three members took up the challenge and passed their final exams in June to become qualified umpires. The new recruits, Peter Stavers, Brenda Middlemiss (soon to become Mrs Stavers) and Steve Farrow officiated for the first time[…]

Senior Women recruitment

DARC’s Senior Women’s Squad is seeking new members. It’s Summer and Debbie has just sent out her e-mail giving exit routes from Learn to Row courses, others are moving into the region from elsewhere and some who are eligible may be considering moving squads. Please don’t delay if thinking of joining us, we use the[…]

DARC rowers prepare for re-enactment races

As well as the usual packed programme of competitive racing over the weekend of 13th/14th June this year’s Durham Regatta will include special events to celebrate the bi-centenary of victory at the Battle of Waterloo and its links to the Regatta. These will include a 1 hour celebration between 1.30 and 2.30pm on Saturday 13th[…]