Durham Regatta

28th June 1869
The Shields Gazette reported - DURHAM REGATTA The annual aquatic fete at Durham will take place this day and tomorrow, and from the number of competitors entered for each event, together with the unusual display of interest in the fortunes of the event exhibited by the townspeople, and the prospect of fine weather, the augury of the success of the regatta is exceedingly brilliant. The sports commence at one o'clock with the Scurry Stakes first heats, and the great event of the regatta, the Grand Challenge Cup is fixed for half-past one. The Durham City Club, the holders of the trophy, send forward a very strong crew, nearly the same as that which did battle for them last year. The event also contains entries of crews from University College, Durham, Tynemouth Rowing Club, Durham School, Wear (Sunderland) Boating Club, Tyne Amateur Rowing Club, Oxford University Boating Club. The Newcastle and Oxford crews arrived in Durham with their boats on Friday, and the Tynemouth crew on Saturday. In the Oxford crew is Mr. C. Ridley Carr, who has twice had the honour of a place in the victorious Oxford inter-University crews. The Tynemouth crew were accompanied by James Renforth, who expressed the greatest confidence in the ability of the champion crew to carry off the prize offered for professional fours. Amongst the professionals engaged are James Renforth and James Taylor, who will contend against R.D. Marshall and G.D. Newby in the pairs, and the champion is also entered against Alexander Hogarth, of Sunderland, and T. Matfin, of Newcastle, in the Brancepeth Plate for skiffs. Many of the crews from a distance will arrive in Durham this morning. Those who have already taken up their quarters on the scene of action were over the course on Saturday night, together with a large number of local candidates, and during the evening large numbers of people gathered on the race course and on Elvet Bridge to watch the "doings" of the various oarsmen, the appearance of the river until darkness set in being most animated. A new feature in the present regatta will the presentation of prizes, which will take place at nine o'clock on Tuesday night in the Town Hall, Durham. The display of fireworks which has always formed a brilliant finale to the Whole fete, will take place immediately afterwards, and and arrangements have been made by the Committee by which visitors from Newcastle will be able to take the mail train to Leamside at 11.25 pm immediately after the conclusion of the pyrotechnic display.