Even now three years after the Sydney Olympics, most people still remember Sir Steve Redgrave winning an unprecendented fifth gold medal in rowing.

Most people still watch the boat race and fervently support Oxford or Cambridge despite, quite possibly, never having been to either city, let alone having attended either university.

Most people have heard of Henley Royal Regatta without ever having been near Henley-on-Thames. Rowing is a sport that many have heard of but consider to be a sport of the privileged – people who attend private schools and go on to university.

It may therefore come as a surprise to learn that for the last 60 years, residents of Erith and the surrounding areas have been taking to the water in boats exactly like those used in the Olympics. The boat race and Henley Royal Regatta and have been regularly competing successfully in rowing – where participants use one oar each – and sculling – two oars each – events around the country.

This year, Erith Rowing Club celebrates its Diamond Jubilee and since its foundation in 1943, has taught and trained many people from all walks of life and occupations to row and race with considerable success but with little publicity.

For many years, the club also organised an annual regatta, initially on the Thames at Erith as part of the town’s August Bank Holiday celebrations and latterly on Danson lake, where clubs from all over the country would compete. Sadly, the Danson Dashes, as the event was known, has not been held in recent years due in part to an increasing encroachment of weed on the lake in summer which makes fair racing impossible.

The club’s recruitment of new members has traditionally relied on word of mouth and people seeing its crews training on the river and on Danson Lake but in this its 60th year, it hopes to attract more people nto the sport by being more proactive.

It has an excellent fleet of boats catering for people of all shapes, sizes and ages and at all levels of expertise from beginners to the very hughest – a recent member previously won at Henley Royal Regatta and represented Australia in the 1976 Olympics.

It has a number of qualified coaches and uses Danson Lake to teach people to row before they take to the Thames at Erith.

There is also a clubhouse at Erith, in Saltford Close (behind the Running Horses pub), with plenty of car parking where winter land training takes place as well as social events throughout the year.

In recent years, Erith Rowing Club has been joined in the borough by Danson Rowing Club, which caters specifically for those ages under 18.

The two clubs work closely together and anybody of any age interested in trying rowing should, in the first instance, call the captain of Erith Rowing Club Fred Smith on 07950 115508 or Simon Hart on 07984 668732.

Alternatively, leave a note at the clubhouse. Danson Rowing Club will look after those aged under 18.