Bewdley Regatta 2026
- Alex Mitchell
- Jul 26
- 3 min read
Bank Gardening, West End Auditions, and Sunday Sprint Glory
What a weekend at Bewdley! It was a true gathering of the clans as our rowing groups joined forces, throwing together every conceivable combination of rowers, mixed boats, and family units. Who needs couples therapy when you can just put husbands, wives, and multiple generations into the same boat and hope for the best?
Saturday: 800 Meters of Drama & Pruning
Saturday’s 800m course was... character building.
While we picked up a few final spots, medals remained stubbornly elusive. However, what we lacked in silverware, we more than made up for in environmental maintenance and musical theatre.
🌿 The Alan Titchmarsh Bank Gardening Trophy
After holding the trophy for the last few months, Toby was finally able to hand over the prestigious (and heavily contested) Alan Titchmarsh Bank Gardening Trophy to its rightful new custodian: Scott.
Scott—ably assisted by Alex in their double—decided the local Bewdley riverbank foliage needed an urgent, high-speed trim during their very first race on Saturday morning. A selfless act of river maintenance, really.
☔ 10 Minutes of Rain, 100% West End Energy
After endless weeks of relentless sunshine, the sky opened up for a brief 10-minute downpour. Rather than seeking cover, Alex and Bonita immediately broke into a quick, spontaneous rendition of Singin' (surely that should be rowing) in the Rain.
Who needs a podium when you have theatrical flair?
Domestic Harmony & Dynamic Combos
Bewdley was a genuine test of household stability. We had the Lewis clan—Colin, Liz, Kathryn and her husband Jamie—practically needing a family tree painted onto the hull of their boat.
Meanwhile, Bonita and Ewart proved that rowing with your spouse works brilliantly, provided nobody looks back to critique the stroke rate.
Remarkably, all marriages, engagements, and family bonds remain 100% intact post-race.
We also had a great effort from Liz and Dawn in the WF2-, who despite only managing one practice beforehand we're fast off the blocks, only to be beaten by the oppo.
Sunday Redemption: The 500m Gold Rush 🏆
It turns out 800m is far too long anyway. Dropping down to the 500m sprint on Sunday triggered an absolute blitz of victories for Monmouth:
Sue S flew down the lane to take a brilliant win in the Women’s Single D.
The Open C Quad (Kathryn, Jamie, Ewart, and Paul) put on a masterclass of pure synergy to cross the line first and even convinced Paul to take up sculling full time.
The Women’s E Coxed Four (Kate, Shelagh, Liz, and Sue coxed by Bonita) delivered a clinical performance over two rounds to secure another win.
🌟 Star Performance of the Weekend: Defying Fate
The ultimate highlight of Sunday had to be the Women’s E Double of Sarah and Deborah. After three consecutive events where cosmic forces, bad luck, and the universe alignment kept stopping them from actually racing together, they finally made it to the start line—and stormed home to a hard-earned victory. Take that, fate!
A Massive Thank You
A huge cheers to Bewdley Rowing Club for hosting another belter of an event, and to everyone in the Monmouth camp who made our home base feel like an all-inclusive relaxation spa between races.
Special mentions go to:
Paul for towing the trailer like a absolute champ.
Darren and T (Theresa) who lugged more boats and blades than Odysseus on his way home.
Tim, Roan and Patrick for all the coaching.
All the people who provided food and cake ..Nick's plum cake was delicious.
Rest up those hands, put the Bank Gardening Trophy safely on Scott's mantelpiece, and get ready—we’ve got three weeks to polish the oars before we do it all over again at Stourport!
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