Talkin Tarn Amateur Rowing Club

Rowing races were first held on Talkin Tarn in the 1850s and the rowing club was formed in 1859 by local townspeople, several descendants of whom still live in the area. It is the oldest rowing club in the area apart from Tyne Rowing Club and is the 14th oldest non-university club in the country. Talkin Tarn is a lake just outside of Brampton in Cumbria.

28th June 1930
The Yorkshire Post reported:
REGATTA MISHAP ON THE TEES - Two Brampton Rowers Drowned. The annual Tees Regatta at Middlesbrough, which dates back for 50 years was marred on Saturday by the death two competitors through the capsizing their craft. The victims of the accident which caused the abandonment of the regatta were two young men from Brampton, Cumberland, members of the Talkin Tarn Rowing Club. Their names are:— Ernest Black (23), bricklayer, Mark Terrace; and George Stanley Robinson (19), painter, of Main Street. Black's body was recovered late yesterday afternoon. The three survivors of the crew are J Mounsey (bow), J. Pearson (No. 3), H. Ritson (cox), who clung to the upturned boat. Black was the only son of Mr. T. Black an ex-member of the Leeds City Police Force, who retired on pension five years ago, and is now landlord of the String of Horses Hotel, Brampton. Robinson's mother is a widow, and is now left with one son, Harold, aged 15, and one daughter, Marjorie, aged 9. Robinson was the principal support to the home; his father, who was also a police constable having died at Brampton, when only 38 a few years ago.

At the time of the accident on Saturday one of the best regatta programmes for many years was being carried out, near the Middlesbrough Amateur Boating Club's boathouse at Newport. The two victims were members of a Ialkin Tarn crew, who were taking part in a deciding race against the Bede College crew, with whom they had previously reached a dead-heat in a contest for four-oared craft. When just in sight of the finishing post, the Talkin Tarn boat capsized, and two of the crew, G.S. Robinson, who rowed stroke, and Ernest Black, who rowed No.2, were drowned. The water at the time was very choppy, largely owing to a strong breeze blowing down the river. The Teesmouth lifeboat was passing at the time of the accident, and immediately made for the sinking craft. A pleasure boat and a lighter, and a coble rowed by two river policemen, and other craft on the river also went to it. Members of competing crews who were on the river bank shouted to the rescuers, “Turn the boat over." but those for whom the advice was intended were too far away to hear, and some of those who had made the advice was intended were too far away to hear, and some of those who had made the suggestion, realising this, plunged into the water to render assistance. When, however, the boat was righted the two men already named were missing. One member of the crew had disappeared almost immediately the craft was seen to be in trouble. For a moment or two the other four were seen struggling in the water, and then it was observed that only three were making any attempt to swim. Two members of the crew and the coxswain were rescued by boats which went to their assistance. A tear in the canvas of the Talkin Tarn boat had been repaired, and it is thought just possible that the rough water may have penetrated the weak spot and caused the mishap. The regatta was, of course abandoned.