1st February 2012

BRIDPORT: Gig club misses out on Jubilee spot

By Paul Crompton

BRIDPORT Gig Club narrowly missed gaining a place in a unique celebration to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

The club had hoped to be one of the 1,000 boats chosen to take part in the £10million Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

The gig club – now in its third year - was piped to the post by Weymouth Rowing Club.

The seven-miles-long floating tribute to Her Majesty’s 60-year reign is set to be one of the largest public events ever held in London

Mike Carter, chairman of Bridport Gig Club, said: “It was unfortunate not to be chosen but when you think about it it’s not terribly surprising.

“Thousands tried to get in and I imagine they only picked one gig club from the county of Dorset and if they had to narrow it down they would chose Weymouth because it’s hosting the Olympics.

“It was a fairly extensive application process online which I think put some people off; it took some time to go through.

“We were encouraged to do so by the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Mrs Anthony Pitt-Rivers, because she wanted the county of Dorset to be represented and the town council was keen for us to represent Bridport.”

The gig club began in 2009 and got its first boat in 2010. It currently boasts around 120 members.

Adrian Evans, Pageant Master and Director of the Thames Festival, said: “The breadth and high quality of applicants made the selection process for participating boats very challenging.

He added a thank you to Bridport Gig Club for entering so enthusiastically to the event.

The Pageant will take place on Sunday, June 3rd on the river from Albert Bridge to Tower Bridge.

The flotilla will cover around 25 miles of Thames riverbank and pass under 14 bridges and take 90 minutes to pass any given point.

For more information, visit www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org

PICTURE: UNLUCKY - Bridport Gig Club has missed out on a spot in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Rover Thames this June