Membership renewals were sent out back in November and there are still a large number overdue. If you haven't completed and returned your membership, please do so as soon as possible. Here's the list of who's yet to renew - it's also pinned up on the club noticeboard.

If you haven't received one, perhaps you have moved and we don't have your address. Yes, difficult to remember little old Richmond Canoe Club amongst the gas, electricity, phone, bank, and so forth. But if you let us know your new address we can send the form to the correct place.

You can download the Senior Membership Application and other membership forms here. And once you've done that, fill out the form, write our your cheque for subscription, put it in an envelope and drop it in the box to the right of the Galley in The Shed.

If you're craving a social, how about joining Claire and Grant to celebrate their engagement. Saturday 21st at the Malborough Pub from 1930.

And for the following week, a posse of paddlers are heading on down to the celidh (or is is ceilidh?) at Ealing Town Hall on Friday 27th January. What's a ceilidh? The briefest of internet searches says it's "a sort of party, involving alcohol, traditional music and dancing, which is found in Scotland, Ireland and some parts of northern England." Apparently popular in Ealing as well, tickets are £13 quid (£11 in advance). Sonia and Neil Muncey are leading the club on this. More details and tickets can be got from the website www.ripeevents.co.uk.

After a flurry of Gift Aid donations over Christmas and the £744 pounds won and raised at the New Year's Day parade, the total funds raised to date is £32,162.

That's a great effort and thanks to all for your kind donations and the time that goes into making the various events happen.

Looking for winter training? Not sure what to do and where? Read on.

Richmond members are still hard at training for the fast approaching marathon and sprint season. Members continue to paddle during the week in the evenings on most Tuesday and Thursdays. Meanwhile in the morning Henry H is on the water at 0630am Monday – Thursday. If you want to join in drop him an email and he'll let you know when he is down and not.

Trevor continues to take gym sessions Monday – Thursday at St Mary’s. Contact him at the club for details.

So now there's no excuse for not keeping fit for summer.

The Devizes Westminster organisers are looking for volunteers to help out with the race.

They're looking for three people to help in the DW kitchen in Westminster on Easter Sunday and Monday. It's an early tide so you'll need to be able to start early.

If you can help, contact Graham Stonehouse at the club or drop him an email.

Pictures of the Frank Luzmore K2 race and the New Year's Day parade are in the Gallery now.

Membership renewals were sent out back in November and there are still a large number overdue. If you haven't completed and returned your membership, please do so as soon as possible.

If you haven't received one, perhaps you have moved and we don't have your address. Yes, difficult to remember little old Richmond Canoe Club amongst the gas, electricity, phone, bank, and so forth. But if you let us know your new address we can send the form to the correct place.

You can download the Senior Membership Application and other membership forms here. And once you've done that, fill out the form, write our your cheque for subscription, put it in an envelope and drop it in the box to the right of the Galley in The Shed.

News from Nicola Park who is down in South Africa doing the Dusi thing... sort of. Click here.

A good race, what looked like ideal conditions up at Elmbridge turned steadily worse as 68 crews (that's 136 paddlers) competed the 13-mile course from Shepperton down to Richmond.

Rain, cold, wind - at least the current and tide was favourable.

Thanks to all for turning up and making a race of it. And thanks to all the Richmond volunteers for making the day run so smoothly.

Results from the Frank Luzmore here.

If you want to know what the tide is doing at Richmond, have a look at the Admiralty Easytide websited provided by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO).

There's a link on the Links Page. Have a one-click try here.

No, it's not April Fool's Day, but you might think it is once you've read this.

Happy Smoother paddling.

We don't have a letters page, but if we did it would have a copy of this email that we were copied on:

To All Richmond Councillors,

Just to let you all know that, despite a late party on 31st December, I attended the New Year's Day Parade through London.

The brilliant float was kindly organised by the Richmond Canoe Club and I was the ONLY Mayor to walk with their float.  The rest sat in the VIP stand for 4 hours and were very cold.  It was a long 8 hour day.

I have to say that the Richmond Canoe Club do a fantastic job and deserve the successes they achieve.
The fotos on web site below show [[Richmond Gallery]].

Robin

Cllr Robin Jowit
Mayor of Richmond upon Thames

If you're around, we still need a few volunteers for Sunday's Luzmore Club race. Please contact Alison Staite by email or at the Club on Saturday.

A quick note to remind you that our K2 race - The Luzmore - is this coming Sunday 8th January.

If you are remotely fit then make the effort to race. If you don't have a partner, turn up at the club on Saturday and Trevor or Peter B might be able to pair you up. If you have a partner and no boat don't just assume you can take any club equipment - again talk to Peter and Trevor.

If you are not racing then please think about helping out. We need people at the start up at Elmbridge, taking entries and marshalling and we need people at the finish to help with timing and race food. It would be nice to see some new faces helping out this year.

If you are available to help please email Sean Martin or Alison myself know or talk to them on Saturday.

Here's hoping for a mild weekend.

And video too... large file, broadband or at work only! Click here... and thanks to Director Tim Killip

A 5-month old Caiman K1 slalom kayak with a green and white deck has been stolen from Kew Road. The owner has asked use to keep an eye out for this boat in case someone tries to sell it.

If you hear anything, call Dave Kelly on 07765 248722.

Bizzare! - Club pictures now on the Gallery - CLICK HERE.

Official snaps here. Select 2006 New Years Day Parade, RCC are on page 40.

Despite meeting at 10.30am, which on any given day would be a reasonable hour but seemed insane on new year’s day (especially for those of us who got to bed in the wee hours!), the New Year’s Day parade proved to be a fun and successful event. We raised£750 for the club - £250 was collected from the buckets and £500 was from a prize that we won for our float.

Many thanks to the 30 people who came on the day and helped out. Big thanks also to Harold, Peter Barnes and Marcus for spending many hours creating the float and painting it. And thanks to Peter Quibell, Frances and Kim Wetherall for constructing the float. And to Tim for all your help and for making it possible for us to take part in the parade.

Here's to next year. Any volunteers?