User:Nerowingnews/Tynemouth Rowing Club

Tynemouth RC was formed in 1867 and has always maintained its base at Priors Haven in Tynemouth. The rowing stretch reaches inland to Wylam, a distance of 17 miles and is also open to the sea in the other direction.

William Fawcus of Tynemouth RC won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1871, the only Northern club oarsman to have done so. The only known painting of William Fawcus had been hanging in the Gibraltar Rock public house in Tynemouth before being relocated to the clubhouse at Priors Haven, Tynemouth in the 1960s. Unfortunately it was removed by a Rowing Master of the 6th Form College for restoration and despite efforts to relocate it, was last heard of in Scarborough. It was reported that the damage was so great that the painting disintegrated.

The modern day equivalent of a successful rower at the club is perhaps Alexander Hastie (born 05/08/1979) who progressed to the Great Britain junior squad and won the Schools Head (eights), the Boston Marathon, and the National Schools Championship eights event. As a senior oarsman he won the National Championships in Mens Coxed Fours, was a Henley Finalist and finished in the top ten of the Head of the River Race in three consecutive years.

Tynemouth was an amateur club surrounded by many professional clubs. The club (with WC Fawcus in the crew) won the Grand Challenge Cup at Durham for the first time in 1871. Fawcus also won the Wingfield Sculls (22nd July 1871) and the single sculls race from Putney to Hammersmith at the Metropolitan Amateur Regatta.

In 1973, the Club spent £1500 on improved changing facilities. A grant of 50% was awarded by the National Sports Council, and 25% by Tynemouth Borough Council. This encouraged the start of rowing by the Tynemouth 6th Form College.

The club hosted Tynemouth Regatta and in 1973, as boats became narrower and better water conditions were required, the regatta moved from Priors Haven, Tynemouth, to Killingworth Lake following the experimental regatta held in 1972, and received 53 entries. In all the years up to 1973, the regatta was traditionally held alongside the North Pier at Tynemouth with many hundreds of spectators on the lower level of the pier enjoying refreshments whilst they listened to the brass bands engaged for the day.