top of page
Search

Club Clean Up 2025

  • Writer: Alex Mitchell
    Alex Mitchell
  • 15 hours ago
  • 2 min read

ree

High Water, High Spirits: The Great Monmouth Rowing Club Clean-Up!

Well, fellow Monmouth rowers, today certainly didn't go as planned! Instead of the exhilarating (and slightly chilly!) excitement of the Monmouth Winter Head, the River Wye decided to flex its muscles and put an end to our plans. High river levels meant the Head was cancelled. 😔


Weatherman Eric correctly predicted the river level on Thursday and cancelled the race, although no one decided to tell this tree trunck who battled for first place
Weatherman Eric correctly predicted the river level on Thursday and cancelled the race, although no one decided to tell this tree trunck who battled for first place

But does a bit of high water dampen the spirit of Monmouth Rowing Club? Absolutely not! 💪

Instead of sulking over cancelled races, we rolled up our sleeves and channeled our competitive energy into something far more domestic: The Great Club Clean-Up Morning! And what a morning it was!


ree

A Tidal Wave of Tidiness!

A huge, heartfelt thank you to every single member who grabbed some rubber gloves and showed up ready to tackle the grime. The spirit was truly infectious as we descended upon the club like a swarm of slightly caffeinated cleaning bees.


Here's a quick look at the 'Areas Attacked!' – because when rowers do maintenance, it sounds like a military operation:


  • The Kitchen: Got a deep, deep clean! We're pretty sure you could now eat your post-row snack off the floor. (Please don't.)

  • The Tank: Emptied and power-washed! It’s ready for a proper scrub and maybe even a snazzy new coat of paint. Watch this space for a glow-up! ✨

  • The Workbench & Cupboards: Tamed! No longer a scary dungeon of spanners and missing nuts.

  • The Attic: Tidied! We probably uncovered some historical artifacts and a few rogue gate spacers up there.

  • The Boathouse Floor: Swept and sparkling. Now we can actually see the lovely concrete again!


The Boat Bay Blitz!

Of course, we couldn't ignore the stars of the show! A special shout-out to the crews who got hands-on with the fleet:


  • 5 Fours and anEight (NH) were rigged and given the ultimate pre-season MOT.

  • We checked everything from heel restraints (safety first, people!) to gate spacers, riggers, steering, and that ever-fiddly cox wiring. They are now officially race-ready... for whenever the river behaves!


ree

The Erg Masterclass!

And finally, our indoor warriors, the ergs, received some much-needed TLC. Thanks to Phil, who delivered a true Masterclass in erg cleaning. We now know the secret to a perfectly dust-free slide. We might have missed the head race, but we definitely earned our maintenance merits!


ree

The Sweet Reward! 🍰

No successful operation is complete without fuel, and the most important thank you of the day goes to Louise! She kept the whole team going with a brilliant supply of delicious cake. Proof that a little sugar and a lot of goodwill can conquer even the messiest of boathouses!


ree

So, while we missed the competition, we gained a sparkling clean club, perfectly checked boats, and a strong reminder of the wonderful, can-do attitude of Monmouth Rowing Club.

High river levels can stop a race, but they can't stop the team spirit!


See you all back on the (calmer) water very soon! 🚣‍♀️



bottom of page