Eskmuthe Exhibition: To The Metal Marker And Beyond
Eskmuthe celebrates 10th anniversary with exhibition
Eskmuthe Rowing Club celebrated its 10th birthday in style in 2023 - with an exhibition at Musselburgh Museum.
The exhibition told the story of how the new sport of coastal rowing arrived in Musselburgh, and the building of two rowing boats (St Ayles skiffs) - Honesty and Steedie Falconer.
Honesty was launched in August 2013, named after the Honest Toun of Musselburgh, while Steedie Falconer - named after one of the last surviving fishwives of Fisherrow - entered the water in 2015.
The real Steedie Falconer died when the boat was being built, aged 95 - and by complete chance, the boat was given the number 95 as the 95th boat to be built as part of a growing coastal rowing fleet.
The exhibition related the history of coastal rowing, which started in coastal communities in 2010, and shows how St Ayles skiffs are built - using a kit, but still requiring considerable skill. It also features a small-scale model of the skiff, built by club member Graham Irvine.
The title of the exhibition To The Metal Marker and Beyond, was a tribute to the early days of the club, as Eskmuthe Rowing Club chair Gaynor Allen explained.
"All of the original members of the club were new to rowing and we saw the metal marker (at the rear of Booker as the waters of Musselburgh flow into Edinburgh) as a far enough distance to row.
"Gradually, we became more confident and would row to Portobello to land on the beach - and then started going further and further!"
The exhibition features images of some of Eskmuthe's longest adventures - including a 25km race up the River Tyne in Newcastle, a 22km race on the Clyde in Glasgow and long rows to North Berwick and Queensferry - as well as two world championships.
Eskmuthe has taken part in 'Skiffieworlds' in Stranraer in 2019 and Kortgene in the Netherlands in 2022. It also participates regularly in competitions far and wide - from Portobello, Port Seton, North Berwick and Dunbar to as far away as Ullapool.
The exhibition ran at the Museum on Musselburgh High Street from Friday July 21st, until Saturday 23rd September - on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10.30 am-4 pm. It was well-attended and club members were on hand to talk about the club to visitors.
The exhibition also featured expeditions to Holy Island and Amble in Northumberland, the Forth and Clyde Canal (including going over the Falkirk Wheel), Loch Tay, Loch Tummel, Portsoy and Findhorn in the North-east - and many more.
Gaynor added: "The club has grown over the years and we now have 80+ members, with a long waiting list. Two of our 'members' in full club kit (mannequins) were at the exhibition every day, while current members really enjoyed talking to visitors. We're pleased that the exhibition was very popular and hopefully inspired more people to take up the oars!”
Club Treasurer Pauline Crerar put together a timeline of events and pictures covering the whole decade of the club’s existence. She said: “It took a long time to put together but it was well worth it as a great reminder of just how many events we have taken part in. Here’s to the next ten years.”
Our exhibition has also been featured in the East Lothian Courier.
