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May. For me, it’s brought a strange kind of milestone. This month marks a full year since I first picked up a blade. It’s gone fast — too fast, if I’m honest. And if you’ve spoken to me recently, you’ll know I’m still quietly (or not so quietly) annoyed that I haven’t won a pot. Others around me have. It stings a little. Not because I expect to win, but because I care more than I thought I would. It’s not for lack of trying. Maybe it’s just bad luck. More likely, it’s down to skipping those winter ergs, something I won’t be repeating this year.
If you measure progress in medals and pots, the year hasn’t delivered much. But someone said something to me recently that stuck. They reminded me that results aren’t the only way to measure a season. And they’re right.
Not too long ago, I moved to this area knowing no one. No familiar faces, no built-in network, just a blank page and a postcode. Starting over at 31 is an odd feeling. There’s no guidebook for making friends in your thirties. I joined a rowing club thinking it might help fill the time. What I didn’t expect was to find something more permanent.
I learned to row. Slowly, badly, and then, eventually, with some sense of rhythm. But more than that, I found structure. A team. A group of people who became part of my week, and part of my life, without me really noticing it happen. Training sessions, early mornings, post-row pints, the kind of things that don’t look like much from the outside, but matter more than you realise when you’re new somewhere. This club gave me a place to belong. That’s not something I say lightly.
Recently, our latest Learn to Row cohort finished their final sessions. They’re just starting out. Still figuring out feathering, balance, and how to avoid catching crabs. Right now, it’s all technique and confusion and sore backs. But they’ve no idea what’s coming, not just in terms of racing or fitness, but in all the ways rowing starts to weave itself into your life.
They’re in for early starts, frustrating outings, and boats that just won’t sit. But they’re also in for something good. Something that’ll sneak up on them over time. I hope they stick with it. Because if they do, they might just find what I found.
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Stay up-to-date with all the latest developments at Ross Rowing Club
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After last year’s cancellation due to high water levels, Evesham Regatta returned to the calendar with clear skies and sharp racing. Held over the early bank holiday weekend, the event drew close to 400 crews to the River Avon, signalling the start of the regatta season. Ross Rowing Club was well represented across both days, with juniors and masters competing in a broad range of events.
Saturday’s racing followed a 1000m upstream course. Harry Green and Bianca Mares raced in the Mixed Masters A/B 2x, staying level with Stratford until the final 300 metres before being edged out by three lengths.
Both returned to the water later in the day in different crews. Harry joined Dan Bailey, Gill White and Dave Russell in the Open Mas 4x+ Low Points, coxed by Gill’s daughter, Matilda. Bianca raced again in the Women’s Development Quad with Lisa Robbins, Amy Stephens and Kate Stevens, coxed by Rachel Wales. After a long wait for their race, the crew delivered a composed row and secured their first win together, comfortably beating Evesham RC’s Women’s Mas 4x+ Low CRI entry.
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Above: Kate Stevens, Bianca Mares, Lisa Robbins, Rachel Wales (Cox) and Amy Stephens at Evesham.
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The Women’s 8 also had a strong showing. After beating Bewdley Rowing Club by a length in their semi-final, they stepped up again to take the final against Stratford-upon-Avon by three and a half lengths. The crew featured Women’s Captain Bron Bendall, Holly Campbell, Alison Barker, Ellen Phelps, Alice Simon, Yvette Rees, Nicky Wild and Sarah Sykes, with Sheron Dean-Lucas coxing.
There was another Ross win in the Open Mas D/E/F 2-, with Men’s Captain Graham Watling and Director of Rowing Dave Sykes beating Bristol Ariel by three lengths in the semi-final, then going on to defeat Stourport by two and a half in the final.
The junior squad had a busy day as well. Ethan and Tom raced in the Open J15 2x, while Issy and Matilda reached the final of the W J15 2x after a convincing semi-final win over RGS Worcester, eventually finishing second to Evesham. Later, Ethan, Tom, Rufus and Issy—joined forces in the Open J15 4x+, with Lily M coxing. Finally, Lily K had a strong individual outing in the W J15 1x, winning both her semi-final and final against Stratford by a clear three-length margin.
Sunday’s format switched to 500m downstream sprints. Mike Jones returned to the water in a Mixed Masters G 2x composite crew with Mel Gunn of Bewdley RC. They progressed to the final following a disqualification in their semi, before holding off a second Llandaff crew to win by three-quarters of a length. It was Mike’s first win at Evesham—after, as he put it, “a fair few tries.”
Tragically, less than a month later, Melanie Gunn passed away after collapsing after a training outing with Mike. She was 60. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and everyone at Bewdley Rowing Club.
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Above: Ross Rowing Club’s Mike Jones and Bewdley’s Melanie Gunn at Evesham Regatta.
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Monmouth Regatta marked the final full weekend of May for Ross crews, with two days of racing just eleven miles upstream. Saturday saw a shortened 1250m course due to low river levels, while Sunday’s racing switched to a fast 750m downstream sprint. With juniors and seniors competing across both days, it proved to be another packed weekend of racing on the Wye.
Saturday belonged to the juniors. In the Open J15 2x, Guy and Will got things started with a convincing semi-final win over Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club by four lengths. They backed it up in the final with a composed row against A.B. Severn Boat Club, crossing the line two lengths clear. Tom and Ethan also raced in the same event, continuing to gain race experience in a busy regatta schedule.
The afternoon saw a straight Ross final in the Open J15 1x, as Guy and Will met again. Will reached the final with a semi-final win over Monmouth Comprehensive, but it was Guy who came out on top, rounding off a strong day for both. Elsewhere, Trystan and Rufus raced in the J14 2x, while Isabel competed in the W J15 1x.
In senior racing, the Women’s Development Quad of Kirsty Watkins, Amy Stephens, Kate Stevens and Lisa Robbins, coxed by Bianca Mares, took on Evesham in the Women’s 4x+. Bronia Bendall and Georgina Gilbert also raced on Saturday, facing Upton RC in the final of the Women’s Mas C/D 2x.
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Above: Annabel, Charlie and father Torsten Pope after their convincing win at Monmouth Regatta.
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Sunday’s racing brought the seniors into focus. The standout result came from Charlie and Annabel Pope, who raced together in the Mixed 2x. Rowing in Nigel Shepard, they took a confident win over A.B. Severn by two lengths, drawing on years of familiarity from rowing together while growing up.
Mike Jones and Christine Crowhurst also had a strong performance in the Masters G/H 2x, beating Llandaff by two lengths in their semi-final before falling short in the final against Dart Totnes. In the Masters F-H 2x, Dave Russell teamed up with new club member Clive Walton, who was making his first appearance for Ross since joining from Bewdley.
The Women’s Masters B/C 4+ saw Alice Simon, Yvette Rees, Ellen Phelps and Holly Campbell take on Bristol Ariel, coxed by Rachel Wales. Meanwhile, Men’s Captain Graham Watling and Director of Rowing Dave Sykes continued their pair partnership in the Open 2- final against Evesham.
The junior squad returned for more racing on Sunday. Will added a second medal to his weekend with a clear win over Bristol Ariel in the final of the Open J15 1x. Isabel raced in the same category, meeting fellow Ross junior Ethan in the earlier rounds. Ethan came through that race and went on to beat Haberdashers Monmouth School Boat Club in the final. Tom and Ethan also paired up for the J15 2x, racing against A.B. Severn, while Rufus continued his progress in the J15 1x.
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Above: Rachel Wales, Ellen Phelps, Yvette Rees, Alice Simons and Holly Campbell, with Clive Killick.
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The final weekend of a busy May calendar saw Ross crews head upstream to Hereford for their annual regatta, a familiar stretch of the Wye and a short, sharp 850m downstream course.
The standout result of the day came from Tom and Monty, who picked up their first pots in the Open J15 2x. After a confident semi-final win over Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club by two and a half lengths, they went on to beat City of Bristol Rowing Club by one and three-quarter lengths in the final, a composed performance and a well-earned result, and Monty’s second ever race!
Earlier in the day, Tom also competed in the Open J15 1x, winning his heat and first ever single race against City of Bristol before losing to Millfield in the following round. Will had a solid run in the same event, beating Hereford Rowing Club and Cheltenham College, before being narrowly edged out by Guy, another Ross rower competing under Hereford Cathedral School colours, by just three-quarters of a length.
There were more junior entries across the day. Isabel competed in the W J15 1x and later paired up with Matilda in the W J15 2x. The pair beat City of Bristol by three and a half lengths in their opening race before losing a close semi-final to Avon County Rowing Club by just a canvas, one of the tightest races of the day.
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Above: Tom and Monty celebrating at Hereford Regatta, securing their first ever pots.
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In the senior ranks, George Smith and Lenny Colling claimed a win in the Open 2x, comfortably seeing off Swansea University in the semi-final before edging a close final against Llandaff by a quarter of a length. They doubled up in the Open 4+, racing alongside Steve Randall and Anthony Dixon-Gough, with junior Lily coxing the crew.
There was a return to form for Bron Bendall and George Gilbert in the Women’s Mas C/D 2x, following a frustrating outing at Monmouth. They progressed past two separate Gloucester RC crews with wins of four and a half lengths and one length respectively, before finishing runners-up in the final to long-time rivals Bewdley Rowing Club.
Harry Green raced twice, first in a Low CRI 1x against a notably tall UWE sculler, and later in the Mixed Open 2x with Bianca Mares, also against the University of the West of England.
Rounding off the day, Mike Jones raced in the Open Masters H/I 1x, winning a straight final against Southampton Rowing Club. The race carried added significance, coming just days after the sudden passing of his doubles partner and close friend, Mel Gunn. It was a proud and poignant row, done in her memory.
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The Ross-on-Wye Beer and Cider Festival made its return over the Early May Bank Holiday. It’s a fixture in the town calendar and one of Ross Rowing Club’s biggest fundraising events of the year.
The weather did what British bank holidays often do, but it didn’t stop the crowds. Across both days, hundreds came through the gates to enjoy live music, food, and more than 50 varieties of local beer and cider — including our very own Kate Stevens’ Ledbury Ale.
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Above: Another May Bank Holiday, another Ross-on-Wye Beerfest!
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Behind it all was a significant effort that most didn’t see. The festival is hosted by Ross-on-Wye Rotary and Lions Club, but it runs with the support of a much wider team. Dozens of club members gave up their time in the run-up and throughout the weekend, setting up marquees, prepping food, serving customers, and helping pack everything away.
Thanks go to the Ross-on-Wye Rotary and Lions Club for organising another fantastic event, and to the brewers, cider makers, food vendors, musicians, security teams, and volunteers who helped make it all happen.
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In May, Ross Rowing Club held a special boat naming ceremony to honour Mike Jones. A new single scull was introduced to the fleet, now carrying his name, and hundreds turned out to witness it.
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Above: The man. The myth. The legend. Mike Jones and his boat named in his honour.
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The gesture was simple, but the message was clear. For more than 25 years, Mike has been part of the fabric of the club. He has given his time, experience, and patience to generations of rowers. Often unofficially, and always without fuss, he has coached, supported, and encouraged countless members through their first strokes and far beyond.
Many juniors and adults alike owe their technical foundations and confidence in a single to Mike’s steady guidance. He is usually the first to offer help, and the last to draw attention to himself. That, perhaps more than anything, explains the size of the crowd that showed up to raise a glass. It was a genuine show of appreciation for someone who has never sought it.
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Details on upcoming social events at Ross Rowing Club
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Back in February, Ross Rowing Club lost a dear friend — Phillip ‘Plum’ Palmer, after a courageous battle with leukaemia. One of Plum’s final wishes was simple but powerful: a club-wide charity fun day, held on the summer solstice, to bring everyone together and raise money for a cause close to his heart. On Saturday 21st June, we’ll be honouring that wish.
From sunrise to sunset, we’ll aim to keep a crew on the water every hour of the day in Plum’s memory. It doesn’t matter if you’re a current member or a former one, Junior or Senior — everyone is welcome to take part and support Leukaemia Cure, the charity that helped Plum in his final days.
Alongside the continuous row, the day will feature fun races, games, and club challenges, all leading up to a sunset BBQ with food, drinks and music.
Full details will be announced in the coming days. Current members can express interest through the Spond app, once the event goes live. If you’re not on Spond but would like to take part, simply reply to this email to let us know.
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Ross Rowing Club turns 150 this year, and we’re celebrating in style. On Saturday 27th September 2025, we’re hosting a black-tie evening at the Old Court Hotel in Whitchurch, a 16th-century venue steeped in character and nestled in the heart of the Wye Valley.
The night begins with a garden drinks reception, followed by a three-course dinner, club speeches, and an awards presentation. Once the formalities are over, the DJ takes over, the disco begins and we party hard!
To keep things simple, we’ve arranged a return coach from the club to the venue. It leaves Ross Rowing Club at 5:00 PM and returns at 11:30 PM. Coach seats are an additional £8 each and limited to 49 spaces. Once they’re gone, you’ll need to arrange your own transport.
There’s also a raffle on the night — and the top prize is worth a look. One lucky winner will take home a brand new Concept2 rowing machine, worth around £1,000. Raffle tickets are £5 each, available in advance or on the night.
Only 12 adult tickets remain, and just 7 junior tickets are still available. Adult tickets are £55, with junior tickets at a reduced rate of £35. The event is open exclusively to Ross RC members, associates and their partners.
Everything, including tickets, coach seats and raffle entries, is available via the button below on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t leave it too late. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
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It’s nearly that time again, Pimms, Panama hats and some world class rowing on the Thames. On Wednesday 2nd July, Ross Rowing Club will be making its annual pilgrimage to the Henley Royal Regatta, and you’re invited.
Whether you’ve done it ten times or never at all, this is one of the great days out of the rowing year. Members (J16 and up) and guests are all welcome.
We’ll leave Ross early, coach departs Trenchard Street at 8:00 AM, and get to Henley in time for the morning’s racing. After that? The day is yours. Wander the towpath, settle in with a drink, cheer on your favourites and take in one of the sport’s most iconic events. We’ll head back at 6:00 PM.
Dress code? Smart. Tickets? £35 per person. Spaces? Limited, they always go quickly. Secure your spot via WebCollect using the link below, and we’ll see you on the riverbank.
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Shining a spotlight on what makes our club so special - its people
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WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: PART 1
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In 2025, Ross Rowing Club marks 150 years since its formal foundation. A century and a half of rowing on the Wye. But anniversaries have a habit of simplifying history. Draw a line, pick a date, celebrate the number. It’s easy to focus on the moments we can measure. What’s harder, and perhaps more interesting, is to ask what came before. Because the story of Ross Rowing Club doesn’t begin in 1875. It begins with the river.
For centuries, the River Wye was an economic engine. Long before anyone rowed it for sport, it carried goods and people through the Marches. Boats brought iron, cider, coal and timber to and from Hereford, river levels permitting. They stopped where the Hope and Anchor now stands, offloading barrels and crates, ferrying workers and cargo. Coracles, small round vessels made from local willow and tar, were still used regularly into the 19th century, particularly by fishermen and traders. These were not leisurely trips. The river was work.
But as the century turned, the work began to fade. Steam transport reduced the Wye’s commercial role, and by the 1830s and 40s, new forms of river use were emerging. Wealthier locals and visitors, drawn by the valley’s reputation for beauty, began to explore the river for pleasure. Sightseeing boats launched from inns like the Hope and Anchor, and organised excursions became popular. The Wye, once essential for trade, had become desirable for its stillness.
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Above: What is now the Hope & Anchor pub back in the 19th century.
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Out of that shift, rowing began to emerge. Not in its modern club form, but as a local activity, informal and irregular. In 1829, a crew from Ross travelled upstream to Monmouth and won a boat race. No photos, no commemorative programme, no mention of colours or crests. Just a local victory, passed on by word of mouth. But even small races like that helped establish the idea that the river could be used not only for transport, but for sport.
Throughout the 1840s, early regattas were held. Not every year, and not always in the same format, but they became a fixture of Ross’s summer calendar. In June 1842, the Hereford Journal reported on spirited racing that drew large crowds to the Prospect and the banks of the Wye. Events included traditional rowing, coracle races, and tub races. Spectators stood shoulder to shoulder at the front and rear of Mr Barratt’s Royal Hotel to get a clear view. The winning boat in the main race was awarded £3, equivalent to around £450 today. Not a symbolic prize. A serious incentive.
These gatherings were as much about spectacle as they were about rowing. Brass bands, teetotal tents, and fireworks were often part of the day. And yet, for all the effort, there was still no club. Only individual crews, ad hoc organisers, and temporary infrastructure. The regattas were dependent on enthusiasm, weather, and available funds.
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Above: Colonel Oswald Robert Middleton, who owned The Chase, seen here at a prize giving ceremony.
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That changed gradually. By the 1860s and early 70s, the number of regattas grew. Other towns were forming clubs — Hereford, Worcester, Evesham — and a more structured version of the sport began to take hold. In Ross, the river was increasingly quiet of cargo boats. The old economic purpose had gone, but the water remained flat, accessible, and public. As social attitudes shifted, and as leisure time became more common for the professional classes, rowing filled the gap.
The Hope and Anchor played an important role in this next phase. Its riverside location and slipway made it a natural hub. Its landlord at the time, Henry Dowell, was also a boatbuilder and offered both equipment and support. Meetings were often held on-site, and the pub effectively served as the club’s first headquarters. It wasn’t just a place for a pint after racing. It was where the boats were built, stored, launched and discussed. The club formed around that practical access point.
Between 1870 and 1875, Ross Rowing Club emerged as a formal organisation. There is no record of a grand launch, no founding charter. The transition from informal crews to a structured club seems to have happened gradually, driven more by necessity than ceremony. Events needed planning. Equipment needed storing. Members needed coordination. The club was born out of momentum.
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Above: The sliding seat was introduced in America in 1857 and was introduced in the UK in the 1860s.
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Early membership was narrow. The uniforms and fees, the time required to train and compete, all favoured a particular demographic. Doctors, teachers, landowners. Men who had the means to take up rowing as a pursuit rather than a profession. This was reinforced in 1882, when the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) was established to govern the sport nationally. Its definition of “amateur” explicitly excluded anyone who made a living from manual work — mechanics, artisans, labourers. Ross affiliated with the ARA soon after, aligning itself with the amateur ethos that, while widespread at the time, was not without its exclusions.
Still, the club’s identity began to consolidate. Regattas became regular. Uniforms were introduced. Members wore caps and ties bearing the club’s badge. Photographs from the 1890s show rows of men in near-identical outfits, often posed beside wooden boats, with the river calm in the background. It was around this time that the August Bank Holiday Regatta became a fixture.
The scale of these events was significant. Posters from 1884 list races for sculling boats, coracles, pairs, canoes and even a “tub tournament” for members only. Athletic competitions were added, including foot races, a tug of war, and a donkey race. The King's Shropshire Light Infantry Band provided music. Sixpence gained you access to the field, with an additional charge for the Ladies’ Enclosure. On the day, ferries ran from the Dock at intervals, taking spectators across the river. The rowing course ran along the Backney Straight, and thousands lined the banks to watch.
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Above: A Ross Rowing Club Regatta poster from August 1896.
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By 1896, the regatta had a full printed programme, listing committee members, events, and prizes. The club was no longer a loose affiliation. It had become an institution. Membership still favoured the middle classes, but the event itself was for everyone. The whole town turned up. Boats launched. Races ran. Music played. And as the sun went down, fireworks marked the end of the day.
As the new century approached, the club kept growing. Training became more consistent. What had started as seasonal and improvised was beginning to take shape. But one thing was still missing: a base. Not a pub slipway or borrowed shed, but a boathouse. Practical. Permanent. Built for purpose. The turn of the century brought more than progress. It brought structure. With more equipment and better organisation, the club began to operate on its own terms.
Part 2 coming in the July edition.
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If you’re curious to learn more, there’s an excellent book in the Clubhouse that charts the club’s history from its founding in 1875 through to the year 2000. It’s the result of a huge amount of work by Brian Dean, Jeremy Whitehouse, Dave Wood, Julie Smith, among others, and is available to buy for £15.
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Lucy Burden didn’t join Ross Rowing Club out of ambition. She joined because her friend wouldn’t stop talking about it. For months, all Katie Smith spoke about was rowing. At school, over messages, between lessons. Eventually, Lucy gave in and decided to see what the fuss was all about.
It was Easter Camp, 2015. She was 13. She turned up not quite knowing what to expect. But within three weeks, she’d been selected for a crew to race at Monmouth Regatta. They won. That was the moment it shifted from something to try to something she couldn’t imagine not doing.
Over the next few years, rowing became the structure around which everything else fit. Early morning sessions before school. Evenings on the Wye. Weekends filled with regattas: Evesham, Llandaff, Bewdley, Penarth, Gloucester, Ironbridge, Stourport. She even made it to National Schools at Eton Dorney.
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Above: Alistair Green (Cox), Heidi Brodholt, Emily Hermon, Katie Smith and Lucy Burden at Evesham.
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The highlight came at Evesham in 2017. Their final had been delayed for hours, and they were racing late into the evening against the reigning National Schools champions. They weren’t supposed to win. But they did. The result didn’t sink in straight away. Everyone cried. It’s still the race she remembers most vividly.
Throughout it all, she was always supported by her parents Clare and Paul. Her Dad had lost a leg to cancer at 13, and later, an arm to infection when Lucy was just six. They drove her to every session, but he had to wait on the riverbank or sat in the car, because Ross’s old clubhouse, like many, wasn’t accessible.
That changed in 2022. After severe flooding forced a full rebuild, the club installed a disabled access ramp. Paul stepped inside the clubhouse for the first time. A small thing on the surface, but a huge one for them both. It remains one of former Facilities Director Torsten Pope’s proudest moments, and one of Lucy’s most personal.
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Above: Paul Burden, Lucy’s Dad, entering the Clubhouse for the first time after it’s rebuild.
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As a junior, Lucy was part of the club’s high-performance squad, coached by Paul Brodholt. He made an impression that stuck. He pushed her, but kept it fun. Gave her space to improve, to figure things out. At one Junior Awards Evening, after all the other trophies had been handed out, he surprised her with the Captain’s Award. She hadn’t expected it, but it meant more than any medal.
By then, rowing had become part of her identity. She describes herself as a rowing nerd, watching race videos, analysing technique, constantly trying to learn. “I love it,” she says now. “The anxiety, the thrill, the energy, the people. I loved all of it.”
But the sport has a way of testing you. During a regatta, Lucy injured her back. The pain lingered. Physios couldn’t quite pin it down, but the message was clear: keep rowing, and risk long-term damage. So she made the hardest call. She stopped.
She stepped away from the stroke seat. But she didn’t leave the river.
Instead, she moved into coxing, first with juniors, then with the senior men. It was a strange time to bridge the gap. Juniors and seniors were still quite separate. But she made it work, coxing the senior men’s four: Graham Watling, Dave Sykes, Phil Davis and Steve Randall. They won a few events together, including a run at the Masters Championships in Nottingham. “It was like having four rowing dads,” she says. “They looked after me.”
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Above: Lucy with Graham Watling, Phil Davis, Dave Sykes and Steve Randall at Stourport Regatta.
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Then came university. Lucy started her degree in Optometry at the University of Plymouth and joined the boat club, rowing out of Dart Totnes on the River Dart. She coxed, coached, drove safety boats thanks to training she’d done at Ross. She raced at BUCS and WEARA events, and served as social secretary, managing the social events as well as the racing.
But something wasn’t sitting right. Optometry wasn’t what she wanted to do. After a year and a half, she changed direction, leaving Plymouth to study Primary Education at the University of Gloucestershire, specialising in maths. It was a big shift, but it made sense.
That clarity came after working at a school in Torquay. The school was under-resourced and in a tough area. “It was sobering,” she says. “It made me realise how lucky I’d been. And how much I wanted to help.”
Since then, she’s worked alongside her degree at Marches Family Network, supporting children and young people with additional needs. What began as a volunteering role in 2020 has grown into leadership. She’s now a senior club leader, running sessions, building relationships and giving her time to those who need it most.
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Above: Lucy coxing the University of Plymouth Men’s 8 at the University of Bristol Head in 2022.
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Rowing is on pause, for now. University, work and life don’t leave much space for it. But it’s never far away. She still follows races. Still rewatches old footage. Still thinks about getting back in a boat.
Whether that’s as a cox, a coach or maybe, if her back allows it, returning to the stroke seat, Lucy’s open to whatever comes next.
And when that moment comes, it won’t be a question of where. It’ll be Ross. Because for Lucy, that’s where it all started, and where it always makes sense to return to. After all, some places never stop feeling like home.
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Ross Rowing Club - Founded 1875
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