Ross Rowing Club hosted a training camp for Juniors during the Easter Holidays. Over 38 young people took part in the 5 day camp in three training groups. The Performance squad who are preparing for the national regional finals on the 19th undertook a heavy training schedule, completing over 100Km over the 5 day period.

The intermediate squad continued to develop their core skills and 15 new juniors took part in the renown Discover Rowing Programme.

Captain Ian Howell, commented, 'This was the biggest and most successful camp we have run, allowing all levels to move their skills and performance forward. I would like to thank all the coaches who gave time to support the event and all the club helpers who provided lunches and helped with boating'.

On Friday evening the club hosted a party to celebration the amazing season in 07. The Junior squad amassed a mighty 70 wins, with National Bronze Medal and a host of medals in the indoor rowing championships in Birmingham and Cardiff. This impressive result was capped by the award by the Amateur Rowing Association of Coaching Team of the Year to the coaching team of the Junior Academy.

Kate O'Sulivan is Chairman of the National Coaching committee which means she is responsible for the development of coaching and coaches for the entire sport. Kate who lives in Northumbria was very keen to attend the Club event to illustrate how Ross Rowing Club has truly been recognized as a centre of coaching excellence. Kate made a short speech in which she outlined that Ross Rowing Club is a Model of in how it sets up and manages Rowing and should be recognized as fulfilling its Vision as 'World Class Environment to Enjoy Rowing'. Kate commented further that, 'the Club and town should be extremely proud of what it has achieved in creating a club for all with a great approach to enjoying sport and encouraging greater participation'.

To round off a very busy week, Ross Club hosted a family fun day for members families and Friends. The Club had also invited Evesham Rowing Club Juniors to take part in the day and the club held mini races for its new Junior Members.

The highlight of the afternoon was the tug of war competition which gathered the most vocal support! Additional events throughout the day were Ergo Challenges, and Demonstrations by the Territorial Army and the Fire Brigade.

The Club would like to extend its sincere thanks to both these organizations. This fantastic fun day was the brain child of Dawn Evens and Sarah Jones and the Club would like to express its thanks for their hard work in putting such a large event together. All in all it has been another amazing week in the life of Ross Rowing Club and the race season has not started yet!

Ross Cricket Club energetically embraced the England and Wales Cricket Board's NatWest CricketForce challenge for the fourth year in succession this weekend. CricketForce is a national initiative which encourages cricket supporters, their friends and families to give something back to their local community cricket club by volunteering to undertake major renovations to clubhouses and grounds.

This year, NatWest CricketForce 2008 attracted a record 1375 clubs - about 85,000 volunteers around the country to take part and the focus this year was on green issues in cricket. Ross CC has learnt a lot about recycling since it undertook a major refurbishment of its historic 1887 pavilion four years ago and this year was no exception.

'This year we have been fortunate to secure funding from the local council to erect new fencing to replace some dangerous leylandii. We are recycling as many of the old wooden fencing panels as possible and using them to construct a scoreboard for the new junior pitch and a storage unit for the sightscreen panels,' said Nick Tregaskes, Project Co-ordinator. 'Sadly a large number of the green wooden fencing panels were stolen early this week - we had been carefully dismantling them over the last couple of weeks so that we could reuse the majority of them to construct a scoring facility as well - it was to be one of our major tasks over the CricketForce weekend - our plans were scuppered with the theft of the panels. Not only is it hugely disappointing for the young people who play at the club - it's very disappointing for the volunteers who have given up their time to make these improvements.'

'This year CricketForce runs over three days - so work started in earnest on Friday, said Nick. 'We were out collecting materials from local business who very generously help us out with equipment, materials - some free of charge, some at great discounts. We can't thank them enough. Other recycling projects included remaking steps, constructing new benches, reinforcing the bank terracing using panels from a decrepit, but not discarded former sightscreen and using the chippings from the leylandii trees to line the terrace pathways - lots of barrowing - about a quarter of a mile each way!

We are keen water conservationists with water butts already in use at the club and we recycle any aluminium cans we use. We are also replanting trees that have been moved to provide wind breaks. Even an old barbecue has been given a new lease of life as a brazier to burn dead wood from around the grounds we maintain.

The weekend weather stayed fine, bright and windy on Friday and Saturday but a fine dusting of snow greeted everyone early on Sunday morning and despite the outbreak of some bright sunshine, glacial temperatures persisted throughout the day. Diabolical weather forecasts were cast aside and wind, sleet and some hail storms did not deter the volunteer work force of almost 60 people over the weekend. Numbers were further swelled on Saturday when a team of young people doing community service through West Mercia Probation Service, joined the club and worked incredibly hard all day on some heavy duty ground maintenance and clearing.

New in post, Glyn Harrhy, Herefordshire's Cricket Development Officer, was also on hand on Sunday to support Ross CC's Chairman, Steve Earl and the volunteer workforce and to see for himself the improvements that have been made at the club, since his last visit to Ross as a visitor on the field of play. Glyn endorsed the sentiments of Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe who said, 'NatWest CricketForce is an excellent project that gives a boost to local clubs up and down the country. It encourages volunteering and results in improved facilities for players at the grassroots of the game." Nick Tregaskes said: "Ross CC is proud to be part of the biggest annual volunteering event in sport - it's a great way to galvanize club and team spirit on every level at the start of the season. And the feel-good factor that comes from a job well done, isn't bad either!

The work does not stop with this weekend. Conditions are finally such that we are able to give our contractors, Dura-Sport, the go-ahead to install an artificial wicket for the new junior pitch. Work started at 8.30 a.m. on Monday morning just in time for the club's Registration Day on Wednesday, 16th April'.

After a punishing league campaign over the last two months, Ross took the opportunity to accept a challenge from a touring side from Abertillery. The Old Tylerians brought the sunshine with them and the game was played in great spirit. Ross were the team to take full advantage of the conditions, taking every opportunity to move the ball. As a result they ran up six tries, giving them a very comfortable 36-0 victory.

Both sides looked to play some good rugby from the off. However, it quickly became obvious that Ross had more pace and skill and they were ahead within 5 minutes. After securing quality scrum ball from the half way line, Ross moved the ball through numerous hands, before Adam Clements outpaced the fullback to open the scoring wide out left. This set the pattern for the first half with backs and forwards alike offloading the ball out of contact,and forcing Tylerians into phase after phase of defending. This quickly took its toll, with Ross running in another three unanswered scores by half time.

The Tylerians, with their wise old heads up front, contrived to slow the ball down throughout the second half, frustrating Ross's efforts to play a fast open game. However they did add another two scores before the referee brought the game to a close.

The Old Tylerians might have lost the game but they thoroughly defeated Ross in the singing and drinking stakes back at The Drop inn.

(In an era of league rugby, such fixtures remind you of what the game is all about.)

Next Saturday Ross are back in league action at home, taking on league leaders Bristol Saracens at Ross Sports Ground. Kick off is at 3pm.

Walking through the Wye Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is something that television broadcaster and natural history writer Iolo Williams is keen to promote and on Friday, 11th April he will be conducting a walk through Highmeadow Woods for the AONB. After the walk, Iolo will appear at The White Horse at Staunton-on-Wye to promote a new booklet that has been published by the AONB.

The new booklet, 'Walk This Wye' has a lot to recommend it to conservationists and walkers with an eye on using sustainable transport, especially as the twelve walks included tie up with local bus routes.

Produced in partnership with Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire Transport units, this book sets out a range of walks from easy access for up to 2 miles to more advanced walks of up to 8 miles, encouraging walkers of all abilities to get out into the Wye Valley and discover hidden treasures, historical sites and fantastic views.

The booklet is free and available from local Tourist Information Centres and from the Wye Valley AONB Offices, Hadnock Road, Monmouth. You can also order from the Wye Valley AONB website www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk.

The Wye Valley AONB are also involved in another special walk, the 'Help the Aged Big Spring Walk' which will take place on Sunday, 27th April. This walk will begin at 2pm at Tiddenham Chase and end at the Devil's Pulpit, overlooking the River Wye.

The Big Spring Walk is a national event, with lots of sponsored walks taking place to raise money for Help The Aged. If you would like to take the family out for a beautiful walk and raise money for a good cause at the same time, further informaiton and sponsorship forms can be obtained by contacting Nikki at the Wye Valley AONB on 01600 710846 or simply visit the AONB web site at www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk.

Ross-on-Wye Weather Station is located by the tennis courts and bowling green at 'Crossfields' and is one of the important stations around the country which regularly sends data to the Meteorological Office. This is why Ross-on-Wye is sometimes mentioned on the BBC weather reports. It is currently still a manually monitored station and readings are taken twice per day by husband and wife team, June and Rex Swallow.

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