Ashington Amateur Rowing Club

Ashington Amateur Rowing Club appears to have had a very short life of only 3 or 4 years and it is not known exactly where they were based on the (then tidal) River Wansbeck. Newspaper reports would suggest they only had one boat - a clinker-built coxed four. A representative of the Club, Mr. A.N. Mews, is shown as attending the 1939 and 1940 Northern Amateur Rowing Council Annual General Meetings at the Royal Turks Head, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and entries are recorded in the 1938 and 1939 Durham Regatta, but the Club probably ceased to operate as a result of the 2nd World War.

Some newspaper reports have been uncovered as shown below.

27th February 1939
The Blyth News reported:
After the success of the Ashington Rowing Club in the Durham Regatta last year, a reasonable sequel is the entry of a second crew for this year's event, and this. I understand, is what the club hopes to do. Their second crew, would of course, go in for one of the junior events.

8th May 1939
The Blyth News reported:
I See that the Ashington Amateur Rowing Club, entrants for the Durham Regatta this year, will be rowing under different conditions from last year. Owing to the fact that they are going in for the most important race of the regatta, the Grand Challenge, they will not be provided with craft by the Regatta Committee as was the case last year. I believe on that occasion they used a clinker built type but they will need a "fine" this year and will thus have to supply their own boat, The boat belonging to the club may not, in all respects, be equal to some of the latest craft but the keenness of the club which helped its team to victory last year is still a happy feature of practices and we hope to see them keeping their town "on the map" at this year's big rowing event.