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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Poplar Blackwall And District Rowing Club
Poplar Blackwall and District Rowing Club is a rowing club in Millwall, on the River Thames in England, on the northern bank of the Thames opposite Greenwich on the Isle of Dogs, London.

Club history

Poplar Blackwall and District Rowing Club was founded in 1845 and is one of the oldest rowing clubs in Great Britain. It was established by a group of young lightermen as "The Blackwall Rowing and Athletic Club". Boats were carried to the river from a local pub.

After World War I there was an increase in membership from shipwrights, boilermakers and stevedores from the nearby shipyards and docks, although the depression in the 1930s led to reduced activity again.

The club reformed with its present name in 1935 and established a club and boat house on the present site in 1937: "the boys themselves constructed a launching ramp at Calder's Wharf", using North Greenwich railway station as a shelter for the boats.

In 1964 the club became aware of Greenwich Council’s plans to buy the existing site at Calders Wharf, which up until that point had been privately leased to the club, and relocate them to the South side of the river. The then club president, Dorothea (Dolly) Woodward Fisher O.B.E. negotiated with the council to reach agreement that they fund construction of a new building themselves under the council’s proviso that a gymnasium be provided and the club, "…should cater for the poor boys and men of Poplar, Blackwall, Stepney and surrounding Districts".

An appeal was launched to raise £75,000 for construction. Club president Mrs Woodward Fisher, who also ran a prominent lighterage business together with her late husband W. J. Woodward-Fisher, in Limehouse, took the helm in securing funds, "Mrs Fisher was wonderful and got all sorts of people on board. Ex Mayor of London Lord Rothchilds, Lord Cottesloe and many charities to help our cause."

Architects Forrest and Barber were commissioned to design the new club house, completed in 1970. The building has a strong modernist aesthetic, particularly visibly when seen from the South side of the river, characteristic of the architects’ previous projects which include the Harrison Gibson furniture showroom in Ilford, East London.

Activities

The club provides rowing and sculling for adult, adult beginner, junior, masters (mature categories). It has events for recreational and competitive sides of the sport.

The club house marks the finish of the annual Great River Race.

Taking the period since 2000 alone, PBDRC has seen members win more than 10 regattas and winter head races. The club has, at the top level, produced and enhanced international oarsmen and oarswomen: a few members of the club have represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games and World Championships in this period.

Competition history

In 1995 and 1996, juniors from the club (in a composite quad with the Windsor Boys' School) won the Fawley Challenge Cup at Henley Regatta.

In 2011, Ralph Humphrey and Robert Milligan's double won the World Masters in Poznan, Poland, the Britain Masters and the Henley Masters Veterans.

Year Competition Division Winners
1966 Henley Royal Regatta Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup, II- R Easterling and J T McCarthy (runners-up)
1968 Henley Royal Regatta Diamond Challenge Sculls, M1x Kenny Dwan (runner-up)
1968 Wingfield Sculls M1x Kenny Dwan
1968 Summer Olympics, Mexico M1x Kenny Dwan (6th overall)
1969 Wingfield Sculls M1x Kenny Dwan
1970 Wingfield Sculls M1x Kenny Dwan
1971 Wingfield Sculls M1x Kenny Dwan
1972 Wingfield Sculls M1x Kenny Dwan
1972 Summer Olympics, Munich M1x Kenny Dwan (9th overall)
1974 Henley Royal Regatta Diamond Challenge Sculls, M1x Kenny Dwan (runner-up)
1975 Wingfield Sculls M1x Kenny Dwan
1978 Henley Royal Regatta Double Sculls Challenge Cup, M2x MS Spencer and R Prentice (runners-up)
1979 Henley Royal Regatta Double Sculls Challenge Cup, M2x Ian Gold (runner up) (in a composite with Bewl Bridge's AC Rudkin)
1995 Henley Royal Regatta Fawley Challenge Cup, JM4x in a composite quad with the Windsor Boys' School
1996 Henley Royal Regatta Fawley Challenge Cup, JM4x in a composite quad with the Windsor Boys' School
1997 Henley Royal Regatta Queen Mother Challenge Cup, B4x (runners-up)
2016 Marlow Regatta Masters B/C Andrea Stock
2016 Novice JW1x Phoebe O'Hene
2016 Peterborough Spring Regatta IM3W1x Beverley Reid
2016 WJ16 1x Laura Stewart
2016 Masters F 1x Robert Milligan
2016 Henley Masters Regatta Masters B 1x Andrea Stock
2016 Masters C 2x Ralph Humphrey (in a composite with Medway Town's Shaun Martin)
2016 Euro Masters Regatta, Munich Masters C mixed 4x Andrea Stock, Beverley Reid and Ralph Humphrey (in a composite with Medway Town's Shaun Martin)
2016 Masters A 1x Andrea Stock
2016 Masters B 1x Andrea Stock
2016 Masters B 2x Ralph Humphrey (in a composite with Medway Town's Shaun Martin)
2016 World Masters Championships, Copenhagen Masters F 1x Robert Milligan
2016 Masters G VIII+ Robert Milligan (in a composite with Ardingly, Quintin and Worcester)
2016 Masters G IV- Robert Milligan (in a composite with Ardingly)
2016 Masters A 2x Ralph Humphrey (in a composite with Medway Town's Shaun Martin)
2016 Henley Sculls Head IM3W 1x Phoebe O'Herne
2016 IM1W 1x Andrea Stock

British champions

Year Winning crew/s
1972 Men 1x
1973 Men 1x
1974 Men 1x, Men J16 1x
1975 Men 1x
1977 Men 2x, Men J18 1x
1980 Men J18 4x
1982 Men J18 1x
1983 Men J18 1x
1994 Men J16 1x
1997 Men 4x
2011 Open J17 1x

See also

References

  1. ^ "Raising £50,000 for East End Oarsmen". The Tatler. 13 August 1966. p. 38. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Dolly Fisher – 'Tugboat Annie of the Thames'". 19 February 2017.
  3. ^ Fisher, Dolly. "Humble Beginnings - Dolly Fisher" (PDF). pbdrc.co.uk. Poplar, Blackwall & District Rowing Club. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  4. ^ Roberts, John. "PBDRC Our History. Poplar Blackwall & District Rowing Club". Docplayer.net. Emily James. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  5. ^ Official public information British Rowing
  6. ^ Solem, Karen (1 March 1997). American Rower's Almanac 1997. The Rowers Almanac Inc. p. 310. ISBN 9780965132718.
  7. ^ "2011 Masters' Regatta Overall Results" (PDF). World Rowing. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Saturday 4th June 2016 - Results" (PDF). Peterborough City Rowing Club. 4 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Sunday 5th June - Results" (PDF). Peterborough City Rowing Club. 5 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Henley Masters Regatta 2016 Results" (PDF).
  11. ^ "Euro Masters Regatta 2016 Munich RESULTS" (PDF). Rowing Club Port-Marly. 1 August 2016.
  12. ^ "2016 World Rowing Masters Regatta Copenhagen" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Henley Sculls Head of the River Race - 5 Nov 2016". Henley Open Events. 5 November 2016.
  14. ^ Railton, Jim (21 July 1972). "Railton, Jim. "Nottingham in their Olympic stride." Times, 21 July 1972, p. 10". The Times. p. 10.
  15. ^ Railton, Jim (23 July 1973). "Railton, Jim. "Rowing." Times, 23 July 1973, p. 7". The Times. p. 7.
  16. ^ Railton, Jim (22 July 1974). "Railton, Jim. "Marriage of two quads promises something special for Lucerne." Times, 22 July 1974, p. 8". The Times. p. 8.
  17. ^ Railton, Jim (21 July 1975). "Railton, Jim. "Rowing." Times, 21 July 1975, p. 6". The Times. p. 6.
  18. ^ Railton, Jim (18 July 1977). "Railton, Jim. "Rowing." Times, 18 July 1977, p. 7". The Times. p. 7.
  19. ^ ""Rowing." Times, 21 July 1980, p. 12". The Times. 21 July 1980. p. 12.
  20. ^ Railton, Jim (19 July 1982). "Railton, Jim. "Rowing." Times, 19 July 1982, p. 15". The Times. p. 15.
  21. ^ Railton, Jim (18 July 1983). "Railton, Jim. "Problems for British selectors." Times, 18 July 1983, p. 19". The Times. p. 19.
  22. ^ ""For the Record." Times, 18 July 1994, p. 22". The Times. 18 July 1994. p. 22.
  23. ^ "Full archive of results". Web Archive. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
  24. ^ "2011 Championships - Results of Sunday Racing". British Rowing Championships. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016.
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