Upton Rowing Club
Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire
The 14th ARA Tour on the River Thames
Participants assembled during the afternoon of Thursday 30 August to unload and rig boats at the Ferryman public house at Bablock Hythe. Trailers were towed to Henley RC and everyone checked in at their various hotels in Abingdon (The Crown and Thistle, The Upper Reaches and The Cosener's House).
The boats comprised:
- 2 Southsea gigs
- 5 coxed touring quads
- 1 coxed touring four
- 1 coxed touring double
- 1 coxed single skiff
- 1 Alden double scull
- 1 Wherry
Thursday evening was a get together dinner in the Crown and Thistle Hotel where final details were explained and copious quantities of alcohol consumed.
Friday 31st. The group were transported by coach back to Bablock Hythe and the Tour began. This first day was a row of 13km through 4 locks to lunch at St Edwards School boathouse Godstow where we enjoyed sandwiches, fruit, cakes and soft drinks. This was followed by a further 19km and 4 locks to Abingdon RC where the boats were to be left overnight. The weather was ideal for rowing dry and cloudy and with smooth water. All of the locks are manned so there was no leaping out of boats to operate lock paddles or the need to have additional shore support. Many of them had beautifully kept gardens and raised beds. The lock keepers were very helpful and tried to get as many boats as was safely possible into the locks. Overall an uneventful day with crews settling down to the distance rowing regime and convincing oneself that your bottom doesn’t really hurt as much as it really does. We arrived at Abingdon RC well ahead of schedule, much to John Turnbulls surprise, but were able to slake our thirsts in the sailing club bar, much appreciation to the members for opening their facilities for us, before walking to our hotels. That evening everybody made their own arrangements for dinner.
Saturday 1st. We made our way back to the rowing club. Some crews changed around and the boats were launched. This day was a row, in the morning of 20km and 4 locks to lunch at Wallingford RC. We received a warm welcome a similar lunch to Friday but augmented with local ale. After lunch we had a further 19km and 3 locks in order to reach our destination at the Oratory School boatclub at Pangbourne. Again we arrived early, not entirely due to our prowess but more to a fast stream. However, after a long walk into Whitchurch we waited for our coach whilst increasing the profits of the Ferryboat Inn quite considerably!
Back at Abingdon we made ready for the formal Tour dinner at the Upper Reaches Hotel. The hotel is currently being refurbished however, a number of tourers were staying there and as the restaurant hadn't been completed, breakfast had been provided at the adjacent Crown and Thistle. The Tour Dinner was the first meal to be provided and was very well received. It was towards the end of the evening that we learnt that there had been no arrangements made to transport baggage from Abingdon to Henley RC. This matter was swiftly remedied by helpful people making their vehicles available albeit at some inconvenience to themselves. Thank you to all involved.
Sunday 2nd. Our coach managed, by taking a devious route through very narrow lanes, to get us within about ½ mile of the Oratory School boatclub at Pangbourne. As all of the boats had been left in a meadow with access through a narrow gateway, it was a matter of all hands on deck to move them back so they could be launched safely. Again some crews changed around particularly Maidstone who had 7 members on the Tour so required 2 seats in the Weyfarers boats each day. There was much more river traffic and at each lock it wasn’t unusual to have to wait a least one cycle before being able to pass through. This of course split the group and resulted in the first crews arriving at Henley over and hour ahead of the others. A toilet break had been planned at Thames Valley Park. Some crews took advantage of this and others didn’t, preferring to press on to the finish. The wind had freshened and what with that and cruisers passing in the opposite direction, the conditions were more like those on the tideway. After disembarking at Henley we were treated to a splendid picnic lunch before the boats were derigged and loaded onto their trailers.