Tees Rowing Club The Slipway North Shore Stockton-on-Tees TS18 2NL

1960s

1960

A quiet year. Fund raising in progress.

Old shell Eight purchased. Sawn in three before the very eyes of its previous owners (ULBC?) as a preliminary to DIY sectioning by Brian Lewis the TRC Hon. Boatwarden. The boat named “The Bay Horse” after the pub in Hutton Rudby.

1961

Death of TRC President Alf Tomlinson after a lifetime’s involvement in the sport on Teesside. He joined Middlesbrough ABC in 1912 and was Captain in 1920, led the search for new premises and subsequently the amalgamatiom with Tees RC.

1962

Planning permission obtained for new boathouse – estimated cost on a mainly DIY basis is £4000.

1963

Work starts on new boathouse on Easter Saturday. Steel frame built over old boathouse so that rowing activity can continue. Main part completed by Christmas.

Eric Colwell retires after a total of 35 years as Hon. Treasurer of MABC and TRC.

1964

Centenary Year. The present boathouse, built largely by the members is opened by the then MP for Stockton, Bill Rogers (now Lord Rogers) – you may remember him as one of the “Gang of Four” who broke away from the Labour Party and eventually evolved into the Liberal Democrats.

1965

Changing rooms, showers and WCs added to boathouse.

Grangefield Grammar School again become active on the river.

1966

First recorded Veteran win (Tim Wilson, Roy Smith, David Storry and Jim Brownlow at Dumfries).

Construction of two man rowing tank started.

1967

Lots of races – no wins. Novice crew goes off to Universities.

TRC Novice 4 1967

One of the joys of writing this history is to find that it has reached and been welcomed by former Tees members some of whom have not been heard from for many years. One such “lost sheep” is Chris Little who was one of the crew of Grangefield Grammar School students introduced to the club in the mid 1960s by John Green.

The photo above, taken at Durham Regatta, is of the Tees Novice 4+ in which Chris and others from Grangefield were joined in their gap year by Phil Stephenson. Chris recalls rowing down an enormous RAF crew and then being knocked out by Imperial College, the eventual winners, in the Durham Novice event. 

As far as I can recall this crew comprises: Chris Little (bow), Arthur Pearce? (2), Geoff Hodson (3), Phil Stephenson (str) and Wilf Ashman (cox).

1968

Death of John Baker, former club Captain and leader of the “build a new boathouse team”.

Tim Wilson of TRC elected Divisional Representative on reconstituted ARA Council.

1969

David Cruttenden of TRC wins Cambridge UBC blue.

Bequest from John Baker, donation from retiring President Tom Nattrass and a Government Grant enable an order for 2 Restricted Fours, 2 Restricted Sculls and a Tub Pair to be placed with Banhams of Cambridge plus 12 Oars and 3 pairs of sculls from Aylings.