First Row of 2023

The women and the weather shining brightly on the first row of the year

🕺🧐 You shake my nerves and you rattle my brains…

All welcome to join us for our monthly social

Friday 20th at 6pm in the RRC Bar

Quiz night with super host Greg Powell

Teams of up to 4

£2 per person entry

RIP John Pope

Lt Col Richard ‘John’ Pope MBE TD passed away at the age of 87 on Thursday 15th December. John was a Vice President of Ross Rowing Club having given a generous contribution to help buy a second hand eight just after the original clubhouse was built. He never rowed for the Club but supported his children, Folke, Torsten, Lars and Kerstin who competed in the 70’s and 80’s.

Here is John at 5 in the Keble first Eight

John learnt to row at Monmouth School where he competed with his brother David. They bought their own fine pair, Lucrezia, and along with their third brother founded their own club, which, if you are all Popes, could only be called… Vatican Boat Club !

With this they competed locally, and a 1958 report on the magnificent Vatican BC is still in the Pope archive.

This was written by D A Pope, Torsten’s uncle David. John went on to work in Trinidad where Torsten was born. David’s “prospects for 1959” were only out by one year as Torsten started to compete at Kings Gloucester in 1974!

David went on to row very successfully into his 60’s. He rowed for Vesta and Putney Town RC and was a founder member of Upper Thames before joining Hereford RC. He coached the Hereford Britannia Cup winning 4+ with Mike Budd, whose memorial bench is on the Club lawn.

After national service John went to Oxford and rowed in the Keble College 1st Eight that recorded 4 bumps in the 1957 Torpids. These were races rowed on the Isis held over 4 days with the aim of ‘bumping” the crew that set off in front of you.

John is in centre of the Keble College crew, above the cox.

His blade now hangs in Torsten’s kitchen

John suffered from Alzheimers Disease and the family are grateful to all the club members who made him welcome despite his illness, and ensured that he could continue to enjoy his pint of Stowfords.

John enjoyed watching his grand children, Charlie and Annabel row the the club, seen here at Ross regatta in 2017

Funeral Arrangements

John’s funeral will be at St Mary’s Church, Ross

– – 19th January at 1.30pm – –

Afterwards at the club

Torsten, Debbie and all the extended Pope family, please accept our deepest sympathy from those that knew John.

Three Wise Men

Christmas rowers appear to have been visited by the Three Wise Men, or is that Three Unwise Men?

📸 Ellen Phelps

Time and tide wait for no man

(or woman or junior)

The club now has LARGE outside clocks and temperature gauges.

RED: time and air temperature

BLU: time and water temperature

These are important for safety, especially cold water conditions

MBW

Morgan Baynham-Williams showing that coxes have to train too!

Sending her thanks via Instagram to RRC

Socials – Hold the Date!!!

January 20th – Quiz Night

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February 17th – tbc

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March 17th – tbc

NOTICES

New trestle racks – The Boat House Fairy has created nice tidy racking for the trestles – please use and leave looking lovely…

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Fabulous Photo

Need to get rid of those extra chocolates and alcohol after Christmas. If anyone is interested in early morning gym sessions let others know on Spond.

It’s much easier to get up early when you have to meet someone else.

6:30/7:00am arrival for 8:00am departure.

Here’s a fabulous photo of Ross from the club before an early workout

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Rope Walk, Ross On Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7BU