Winter Sailing in the good old days

[John Meadowcroft]

I came across this.  I believe that it is Robin Steavenson sailing at Newburn on the Tyne and that the image probably belongs to Howard.

[southerner (Guest)]

That’s not winter, that’s late July on the Tyne, easy mistake to make by someone who stays south of Watford.  If it was winter on the Tyne it would be dark; obviously.

[Chadders]

Yep it is on the Tyne but it is Hedley Robinson photographed by Robin Steavenson in the 1950's.  The image is repeated in the new book as it does show how tuff us Northerners can be.  See page 199 of the current soon to be old Handbook. 1936-2010 version rolling off the press at the time of writing. 

[icecreamman]

But Ryton was always cold whenever you sailed there Howard. Oddly sailing from over the other side of the river at Newburn has always appeared a teeny weeny bit warmer. Global Warming?

[John Hugo]

Note Hedley's sailing gear.   I think this was some years before wet suits.   (I didn't get mine till about 1967.)   Waterproof jacket over 3 sweaters and string vest, with waterproof trousers.   Wellies were "de rigeur", but shorter ones were more more fashionable than Hedley's in this photo.   Boats gained a bit of weight from spray freezing on the decks, but this was not critical in the days of metal cenreplates.     

[beachedblastit]

The conditions do explain the need for the huge amount of rocker and the metal center plate, it makes icebreaking more likely and damage less so.
Sadly still beached:'(

[icecreamman]

Following up on John's comments, I can remember when my father got his first wet suit. It came as a kit with yellow tape for the seams and made you look like a frogman from the second world war. The advice was that you actually immersed yourself in water to make the thin film of water warm up to your body temperature. I suspect that nobody would have tried this out at Ryton no matter how tuff or daft they may have been.

[icecreamman]

Following up on John's comments, I can remember when my father got his first wet suit. It came as a kit with yellow tape for the seams and made you look like a frogman from the second world war. The advice was that you actually immersed yourself in water to make the thin film of water warm up to your body temperature. I suspect that nobody would have tried this out at Ryton no matter how tuff or daft they may have been.

[Chadders]

Is it a family trait then saying things twice or were you shivering at the thought?   Must ask your father if he ever did follow those particular instructions on our journey to the Dinghy Show.

[Tricia]

On the subject of snow and ice we heard recently that Derek Davies has had a bad fall skiing in France. He had just successfully completed a weekend's cross country course when he decided to try out something on his own.  He landed badly and has fractured three vertebraeree months.  This means three weeks flat on his back in a French hospital, then about three months back in Exeter with a back brace (his mother's house in Exeter). As you can image he cannot do very much so for those of you with his mobile phone number I am sure he would love to hear from you.  Unfortunately he will not be sailing or skiing again this year!
 
Tricia Wood and David Peacock

[icecreamman]

Just a mistake in pressing buttons when being shouted at by kids Howard, or is it my eyesight is going?