The dedication stone above the front entrance reads:
A.D. 1934
JOHNSONE BOAT-HOUSE
E.R.M.C.
PRESENTED TO THE ETON MISSION ROWING CLUB
BY THEIR PRESIDENT HONBLE GILBERT JOHNSTONE
IN MEMORY OF HIS ETONIAN WET-BOB BROTHERS
FRANDIS LORD DERWENT HONBLE CECIL AND HONBLE SIR ALAN JOHNSTONE
ETON 1864 - 1868 1868 - 1874 1874 - 1877
http://www.ara-rowing.org/clubs/eton-mission-rc
7 comments:
Hi Sóna
I know rowers & boat people in general are supposed to be cool people, but there could be so much more made out of this amazing little building.
There is no garden at all, when there is so much potential to make this a very attractive oasis of green & colour!
The impression they are starting to give, is one of rather aloof sports people, ducking their heads down through the Wick, getting into their club-house, communing only with their fellow sports people, doing a few canal rows, then ducking their heads out of the Wick again!
I know that once a year they organise the coracle festival for us here in Hackney Wick, but that's not enough!
Please Eton, club together and get some greenery going on your land! The rest of the Wick will be ever so grateful!!
Dorothy Stein
Hi Dorothy
I agree!! I walk my dog opposite every day, and have always wondered why the rowers don't make more of their little patch of green.
The boathouse itself is lovely, but could be made spectacular with some trees and flowers. Imaging a lovely Virginia Creeper going up it's walls?!
Come on Eton, you can't all row at the same time..... Those with green fingers could do some planting while those with wet fingers could do the rowing.
Tony
I agree!! There is too much brick showing!
A beautiful Ivy or Creeper would be just the ticket!
If these Eton people are not careful, this boathouse will be included in all the CPO's that are coming the Wick's way. The best way for them to avoid that, would be to start making their building a better part of the community, and there is no better way to do that, than by making it more attractive for us all to look at!
Shirley
Hi Shona
These rowers should take more care of this building, and make it more accessable to us locals if they want to keep it.
It's not a listed building, so if it has to make way for the new foot-bridge, they literally won't have a leg to stand on.
But.......
If they started doing things for kids in the Wick, if they started putting something back into our community, if they spruced up the immediate environment around the club-house - then maybe they will be left alone when the planners start walking around.
But then this goes for many of the buildings around here!!
Peter Bride
Just to put a few things straight here. The club is not able to provide facilities for the local youngsters as we have done in the past years. There are no current members who are allowed to teach or coach under 18 year olds. There are now strict rules and regulations on that type of activity. The Lea RC has such facilites and coaches readily available.
I understand that there are such difficulties these days but there must be something that can be done. The more industrial end of the Wick is not making a case for itself at the moment against any ideas that the planners may have.
This little corner of Hackney has such a great history in serving the young people of the community and it needs that life around again. With 2012 fast approaching, its a great opportunity. If we don't act now, we'll be paved over .
Robert
There is a whole collection of youth institutes dotted around London that were originally funded and set up by PUBLIC SCHOOLS , to enhance the lifes of Boys and Girls of the Inner City. Thats what these clubs were set up for. In Notting Hill and Paddington for example THE RUGBY CLUB, THE HARROW BOYS CLUB and STOWE YOUTH CLUBS, were set up by the respected Public schools of the same names, and they exsist still to this day. This Rowing Club is as much part of the history of ETON as it is Hackney Wick. So surely getting younger kids and youths from the area involved was its Sole aim. And not to become a private club but part of the community as a whole. Ironic when the OLYMPIC Rowing has seen so much success at ETON DORNEY for Team GB Rowers , ETON DORNEY being the home of ETON public school rowers. I wonder if their many scholars and associates know of their history right on the banks of the OLYMPIC STADIUM.
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