A statement from Thames Tradesmen’s Rowing Club

Thames Tradesmen’s Rowing Club is delighted to return to its home at Chiswick Boathouse in West London – after support from British Rowing and the rowing community

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A boat-naming ceremony in honour of Alan (Woody) Sherman (wearing white) at Thames Tradesmen’s in 2017

After a period of nearly two years of great challenge and uncertainty our 123-year-old Club – Thames Tradesmen’s Rowing Club (TTRC) – is now back in its boathouse on the Tideway in Dukes Meadows, Chiswick.

This was ultimately made possible by the willingness of the London Borough of Hounslow to work constructively with the club to find a solution to the legal problems associated with its lease, and the club now looks forward to working closely with them to make the sport more accessible to those in the local community.

We at TTRC have been overwhelmed by the support which the rowing community overall has shown towards us, but we would like to particularly thank British Rowing – Annamarie Phelps for her early counsel and support and Mark Davies for his direct hands-on efforts to promote constructive negotiations between the parties, as well as a very special mention to Alan Meegan for his indispensable practical know-how, unstinting support and excellent, much-valued, advice throughout this difficult period.

Thames Tradesmen's Twitter challenges

Find out about Thames Tradesmen's RC's fun challenges on Twitter here.

We also cannot thank enough those clubs who came forward to offer us logistical support in order for us to continue to operate on the river during our displacement. These clubs include Quintin Boat Club, Mortlake, Anglian & Alpha Boat Club, and Fulham Reach Boat Club, all of whom offered us, indeed volunteered, their facilities in our time of need. We also enjoyed great understanding and support from London Youth Rowing and 1863 Boat Club.

These gestures, and practical help, together with the messages of support which we received from many clubs and fellow rowers during this period helped us enormously to come out of this process knowing that we are part of a great rowing community.

A big thank you to you all.

If you would like support or guidance on leases from British Rowing, then please do get in touch at [email protected] or contact Alan Meegan, our Facilities Consultant, direct at [email protected]