Kayaks reveal Henley’s sporting heritage

Kayaks reveal Henley's sporting heritage for Olympic Exhibition

International Canoe Federation Board Members from all over the world enjoyed a special dinner at the River & Rowing Museum in Henley (Friday 4 December 2009) and to commemorate the occasion many historic canoes, kayaks and trophies were brought to the Museum and reunited for the first time in 145 years. The guests were brought to Henley because of its historical links with the 1948 Olympics as the "Henley Straights" were the course for the canoe sprints. The event provided some unique insights into Henley's canoeing history and linked to the River & Rowing Museum's forthcoming community exhibition Our Sporting Life - Henley, part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Canoes have been used in the UK for hundreds perhaps thousands of years and while they were used recreationally in the 1800's, it was in 1865 that John MacGregor paddled across Europe and wrote his classic book "A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe". The voyage was credited with creating an interest in small boats for the lone traveller, leading to the formation of the Royal Canoe Club on the Thames in 1866 and starting the world sport millions of people enjoy today.

The event marked 145 years since John MacGregor popularised canoeing and was the first time that MacGregor's original 1865 kayak Rob Roy , which is on permanent display at the Museum, was reunited with the canoe of his friend George Gordon, Earl of Aberdeen who accompanied MacGregor on his expedition.

Other historic boats on display included:

• 1959 Paul Farrant's folding K1 (kayak single), a Klepper SL59. Paul was Britain's first World Slalom Champion.
• 1985 Richard Fox's Pyranha Image 4. Richard has been Britain's most successful Slalom Champion. This was the first time in many years that Richard had seen his boat.

In 1865, only one type of kayak was made - the Rob Roy. In 2009 approx 700,000 will be made - not all will survive 145 years. It is estimated that each year in Britain more than 1.2 million people go canoeing and kayaking.

Canoeing in Henley
The Eyot Canoe Club in Henley was established in 2003 but Henley's canoeing history begun over 60 years ago when Viscount Hambleden bequeathed money to the young people of Henley. The money was used to create the Thamesfield Youth Association in 1943, which then became Henley Youth Club for a number of years, and a temporary building was installed in the early sixties, known as the Riverside Boat Centre.

The old building became costly to maintain and eventually no longer met regulatory requirements for young people. It was in urgent need of replacement. For fifteen years members of the Centre worked to raise funds to rebuild the centre, raising over £100,000. The present charity, The Eyot Centre, was set up in 2003 and is home to numerous paddle sports - kayaking, canoeing and dragon boating. The Centre's members have gone on to represent the club successfully around the world - from Germany to Hong Kong and canoeists from the club have competed at the highest level as part of national squads.

The club was represented as part of the Thamesfield Youth Association when HM Queen Elizabeth visited Henley as part of National Youth Week and the new building was officially opened by HRH Duke of Kent in 2008.

Our Sporting Life - Henley
Developed by the Sports Heritage Network (which comprises all of the major national sports museums in the UK) and pioneered by the River & Rowing Museum, Our Sporting Life will be an official part of the Cultural Olympiad leading up to London 2012. The exhibition will run in the Museum's Kirkham Gallery from 13 March - 11 July 2010 and will celebrate sporting moments, heroes, objects, photographs and experiences that have inspired the people of Henley. Henley will then take its place on the national stage, showcasing its discoveries alongside other treasures of Britain's sporting life at a major London venue in 2012 during the Olympics.

Local people are encouraged to get involved and share their insights to Henley's canoeing and sporting heritage by logging on to rrm.co.uk.

Paul Mainds, Trustee and Chief Executive, River & Rowing Museum said: "The River & Rowing Museum was delighted to host the event for the International Canoe Federation. The Museum is very proud to have the Rob Roy canoe on display. We look forward to showcasing Britain's Rowing and Canoeing heritage as part of Our Sporting Life - Henley in 2010."

Paul Owen, Chief Executive of the British Canoe Union said: "We are extremely passionate about our heritage. These kayaks and their original owners have helped to develop the sport and recreation of canoeing over the years and has made it what it is today, the most popular watersport in the UK. That is certainly worth celebrating and reflecting on the role they have played."

Simon Toulson, Secretary General of the International Canoe Federation (ICF) said: "Britain unquestionably has a unique position in the history and development of canoeing and I am very much looking forward to seeing the boats that have helped to mould that history."

END

Press information
Eliz Helvacioglu 0207 221 7883 eliz.helvacioglu@kallaway.com
Catherine Yoxall 01491 415642 catherine.yoxall@rrm.co.uk

Notes to Editors
The River & Rowing Museum (rrm.co.uk)
The River & Rowing Museum is one of the UK's leading regional and sporting Museums, attracting over 100,000 visitors a year. The Museum also has a purpose built education centre visited by over 20,000 children and adults a year. The Museum provides superb value for money. Tickets are £7 for adults and £5 for children and provide free access for one year for the price of just one ticket. The Museum celebrates four themes explored through a wide variety of exhibitions and events across four galleries and special exhibitions:
• The past, present and future of the River Thames
• The historic riverside community of Henley on Thames
• The international sport of rowing
• The Wind in the Willows
Since opening in August 1998 the Museum has received numerous awards including the National Heritage/NPI Museum of the Year award, the Sandford Award For Heritage Education and the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.

Location, opening and ticket information
The River & Rowing Museum (rrm.co.uk), Mill Meadows, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1BF. Tel. 01491 415600.
• The Museum, terrace café and shop are open every day from 10am - 5.30pm in summer and 10am - 5pm in the winter
• Tickets give FREE admission for a whole year!
• Admission is just £7 for adults, £5 for children aged four and over, FREE for children aged three and under and £5 for senior citizens and concessions
• Free parking for visitors
The River & Rowing Museum is part of the Thames Valley Museums Group (TVMG) Family Friendly initiative - a scheme that brings together 29 Museums across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, to promote their popular appeal to the whole family.

The British Canoe Union
Set up in 1936 to send a team to the Berlin Olympics, the British Canoe Union (BCU) is the lead body for canoeing and kayaking in the UK. In 2000 the BCU federalised to become the umbrella organisation for the Home Nation Associations in Scotland (Scottish Canoe Association), Wales (Canoe Wales) and Northern Ireland (Canoe Association of Northern Ireland). In England, Canoe England was established, on a par with the other National Associations, as a division of the BCU, to support the development of canoeing in England.

GB Canoeing is the World Class Performance division of the British Canoe Union (BCU). It currently supports 20 UK athletes in their training and competition with the aim to win medals in significant international competitions. Canoeing continues over the Olympic cycles to consistently move up the medal table. In the Athens Olympics, there were medals for; Ian Wynne (Bronze), Helen Reeves (Bronze) and Campbell Walsh (Silver) www.campbellwalsh.com. In the Beijing Olympics British Canoeing became a Gold medal winning sport, with Dr Tim Brabants MBE www.timbrabants.com winning Gold and Bronze medals in flat water racing. In slalom, David Florence won a Silver medal www.davidflorence.com. The aim for the London 2012 Olympics is to win three medals, two of which Gold. For more information on GB Canoeing visit www.worldclass-canoeing.org.uk

The BCU is responsible for leading and setting the overall framework for the National Associations; including representing canoeing interests through coaching, competition and campaigning.

Today the BCU has a membership of over 60,000, including over 450 affiliated clubs and 145 approved centres. According to the RYA Watersports Survey there are an estimated 1.1 million people take to the water in a canoe each year. The vast majority do so under a watchful eye of one of the 11,000 BCU Qualified coaches or as part of an affiliated organisation.