Marlow Rowers Return

Regarding the fire that broke out at Marlow RC yesterday, the club published a press release on its website today. It reads,

Following a fire at the club house in the early hours of Wednesday [3 August 2011], the job of clearing up and getting back on an even keel started in earnest last night. Club Chairman, Peter Hunt, praised the efforts of the local fire brigade who, at their peak, had fifty five team members tackling the blaze and rescuing as much of the contents as was safe to do. “Through their efforts much of the club equipment and memorabilia has been salvaged including the memorial to those members who made the ultimate sacrifice during World Wars One and Two”.

Club Captain, Sally Reay has quickly made arrangements for rowing to restart with the first oarsmen due to take to the water on Friday morning ahead of the busy weekend sessions. Club members are keen to return to training with a key event of the summer looming: the local derby at Maidenhead due on Saturday 13th August. Sally had spent much of the Wednesday fielding calls of support from Marlow businesses and members of the rowing community for which the whole club is grateful.

The painful process of returning the club house to full working order also started yesterday with club life member, Sir Steve Redgrave volunteering to join the club’s rebuilding task force and also launching the Fire and Building Fund, details of which are on the club’s website marlowrowingclub.org.uk/fire

On Saturday club members will be on Marlow Green and on the High Street to both launch the campaign and reassure the town that the Rowers have returned.

Mike Parsons 07545 093094

Club members and Olympians Katherine Grainger and Sarah Winckless express sadness in an interview in Bucks Free Press here.

Read what British Rowing is writing here.

(Photograph on top from Bucks Free Press)