Bob Jones 1938 – 2023
We were very sad to hear about former member and influential club captain Bob Jones’ death recently. His good friend Bill Mitchell remembers a giant in not only TTRC history, but in British rowing history in this obituary.
By Bill Mitchell
Bob joined Tradesmen’s in the late 1950s. He rapidly became a driving force for the club moving into its own clubhouse in 1962, the first time we had had our own home time since 1923. The social life of the club was very strong, with Bob being a major influence. Anyone around at that time is still amazed at his performance of ‘Jake the Peg’ at the children’s party – far better than Rolf Harris!
Bob was very good club oarsman, but he is most remembered for being a magnificent Club Captain. He was Captain for only three years, 1966-1968, but he revolutionised, not just Tradesmen’s, but British rowing with so many clubs following Tradesmen’s lead.
We had thought we were good and trained hard, but little did we know! He persuaded Jim Railton, the first Director of Training appointed by the then ARA, to coach TTRC. He was not allowed to have any coaching role for the ARA because he had never rowed. But Bob had the vision to bring him to Tradesmen’s. The training immediately became scientific, and very innovative. We were the first club to train using controlled cardiac rest periods, strictly controlled land training, and an intensity with constant measuring and testing previously unknown. It paid off; in 1968 we were the first club crew in the Head of the River Race. We also went to a continental regatta in 1968. One of the first if not the first club to do so. Bob also nurtured our outstanding juniors who soon went on to great international success, laying the foundations for the great Tradesmen’s years in the 70s and 80s.
All this was at the expense of his work; he was close to losing his job because of the time and effort he spent on Tradesmen’s. Soon after he stood down as Captain, Bob moved to Yorkshire and had little contact with rowing, apart from his annual visit to HRR and the annual Tradesmen’s old farts gathering.
However, he decided in 2008, the 50th anniversary of his winning novice sculls at Hammersmith Regatta, to try his luck in Masters sculls. Needless to say, after having been out of a boat for so many years he was soundly thrashed, but he was reinfected with the rowing bug and set about training very seriously – would he do anything else?
Bob sculled at York and Hull, becoming one of the most successful masters on the circuit. His loyalty to Tradesmen’s never ended as he always rowed as Tradesmen’s; in some years providing most of the wins credited to the club! He was still competing when he was 80!
There is much more that could be said about a man who was a giant not just in Tradesmen’s history, but in British rowing history. We all owe him a great deal.
