The annual British Rowing Tourers Dinner comes to Durham for the first time when it takes place at the Royal County Hotel on Saturday, March 21st 2026. The poster can be found here and places can be booked using the form here.
The dinner is organized by British Rowing’s Recreational Rowing Committee (one of several committees and panels reporting to the British Rowing Board) who meet regularly and arrange rowing tours and other recreational rowing activities that take place around the country and overseas. The committee includes a representative from each region and is co-ordinated by John and Caroline Turnbull.
As well as the annual dinner, which provides an opportunity for touring rowers to come together socially, the committee has arranged a tour in the UK each year since 1994, and a European tour every 2 years since 2015. The list of previous tours can be found on the poster.
In recent years several rowers from Durham ARC have taken part in the British and European tours which are increasing rapidly in popularity, with this year’s UK Tour of the Norfolk Broads in June, and European Tour to Poland in September already fully booked.
Seven members from Durham ARC took part in the 30th anniversary tour of the Upper Thames in 2024. Previous British Rowing European tours have included visits to Germany, Lithuania, Holland and Portugal.
Tours are also organized by World Rowing and by other bodies in individual countries, such as the tour of the Canal du Midi in 2018.
For many years the annual dinner was at Leander Club in Henley but in recent years it has taken place in different regions, including York in 2024 and Worcester in 2025.
Anyone with an interest is invited to attend. Social gatherings are an integral part of the touring and recreational rowing experience and new participants are always welcome. Overnight accommodation can be booked for those travelling to the event.
There will also be an opportunity to row on the River Wear on the Saturday afternoon before the dinner.
To find out more about tours and recreational rowing visit the Recreational Rowing website.