The Crew Cut

Easter came early at Crewroom HQ this year when hot cross buns were served to a crew of top international rowers including gold medalist Katherine Grainger (pictured top left). Katherine, and a group of other fellow elite rowers, were training for the Women's Head on the Thames outside the Crewroom Hub. During a break in their session, they popped into Crewroom to stock up on their energy levels for an invigorating snack. "We served them up some hot cross buns, cereal bars, muesli yoghurts, bananas, cashew nuts and fruit juices - and it all went in 20 minutes. "The ladies were training really hard and they clearly needed a healthy snack," said Crewroom's kitchen team. "We were delighted to welcome them her and they'll all be very welcome to come back any time!" Also joining the feast were top British rowers Heather Stanning and Helen Glover. Together, the ladies later posed for photographs for a national newspaper. And then they departed, rations devoured, climbed back into their boat and sped off back down the river.

While you are out enjoying the elements this spring, the team at Crewroom are also out and about - so catch us if you can and snap up some bargains. On Friday, April 10, you can find us revving up for this year's Brighton Marathon, which takes place on Sunday 12th. Through Friday and Saturday, Crewroom will be displaying its wares at the marathon trade show in the Brighton Centre on the seafront. We'll be showcasing our Americana summer range, so do come along and see us on stand number 45. Also on Saturday (11th), we'll promise you a warm welcome if you pop into our Pop-Up store in the Putney Exchange shopping centre. It's Boat Race Day, so our HQ shop will also be open on the Putney Embankment as Oxford and Cambridge battle it out on the water. And on Wednesday April 22, the expo supporting this year's Virgin Money London Marathon will get underway at ExCeL London and Crewroom will be there, at stand number 171. The London race is one of the biggest marathons in the world and no doubt many of our Crewroom friends will be taking part this year. We'd like to wish you all the very best of luck on race day - especially Christina MacDonald, the Editor of Women's Running magazine, who is competing despite recent knee surgery.

It comes as no surprise that newly-appointed Crewroom Ambassador Stacey Smithson is hooked on Stand-Up Paddleboarding - she learned the skills of her sport on the magical waters of the sun-kissed Caribbean. "I learned SUP in Belize, paddling in the clear blue, still, flat Caribbean Sea surrounded by tropical fish and dolphins. The scenery was always going to be a winner," says Stacey. Nowadays, Stacey, 32, is based in Nottingham, where she has just been promoted to Activities Manager at the city's famous National Water Sports Centre. Stacey is a keen CrossFit enthusiast and she also finds time to practise her SUP skills by training two to three times a week on the water, three lakes and the River Trent, which are all near her home. In September, she is taking part in a SUP marathon event in Holland - in fact, she'll be paddling an amazing four and a half marathons in just five days. Crewroom is proud to be supporting her with kit on her awesome challenge. "I will be paddling for seven or eight hours a day and I'm really looking forward to it," says Stacey, who stands just 5ft one and a half inches tall and tips the scales at 52kgs. "It proves that you do not need to be a powerhouse to be a strong accomplished paddler," she adds. "SUP paddling is growing rapidly in the UK right now. "Being able to get out on the water is very exciting for people, but it's also very relaxing and calming." To book a SUP class at Crewroom, contact Active360 here.

It’s windy, maybe chilly too. You need to get changed out of your wet gear before you catch a chill and you’re not quite sure how to get the job done. Luckily Crewroom's new compact Changing Kit will come to your rescue. If you tend to get worried about falling over and baring your modesty when you’re trying to change, Crewroom has some great news - it's our popular Changing Kit (rrp £65), the perfect accessory to end all your problems when it comes to getting changed easily. Ideal for a wealth of outdoor activities, including all you watersports fanatics, it’s got all the tools you need to change discreetly and dry off quickly when you’re out in the elements. The award-winning Crewroom design team developed their Changing Kit in collaboration with paddlers on the River Thames, who helped them finesse the technical aspects of the product. Produced in one size, with a handy black storage bag and a blue microfibre changing robe, it doubles as a pillow and you can use the bag to store all your wet or dirty gear. The thick neoprene bag converts into a changing mat, and the mat includes non-slip foot pads. Finally, it also protects your feet from sharp objects or the dirty ground when you’re changing. Crewroom say: "At paddle events up and down the country these days, you see people hanging around half-naked after they’ve been out racing. They feel awkward and don’t know where to change. “But that’s all a thing of the past now they can use the Crewroom Changing Kit to change discreetly and warmly with a minimum of fuss. Plus, the added advantage of this handy changing kit is that it folds compactly into a neat little pillow that is easy to transport whenever you are out and about having fun.”

International rower Jess Eddie (pictured right) has scooped a double windfall to fuel her ambitions to win a medal in Rio. Jess, who recently agreed to become a Crewroom Ambassador, will be fully kitted out with our clothing and training kit as she prepares for next year. And in addition, the talented Northerner has also been awarded a sponsorship deal to help her buy her first boat. The Putney Exchange shopping centre has generously agreed to contribute several thousand pounds towards Jess's costs. And her double delight was plain to see when Jess popped into Crewroom this week: "I'm really thrilled with all this support, which is only going to make me train even harder," she said. Anne Partridge, Putney Exchange Centre manager, said: "Jess is an extremely talented and committed sportswoman and we are delighted to sponsor her and help her realise her ambitions of owning her own boat to enhance her chances of being selected to represent Team GB in Rio." International rower Jess Eddie (pictured right) has scooped a double windfall to fuel her ambitions to win a medal in Rio. Jess, who recently agreed to become a Crewroom Ambassador, will be fully kitted out with our clothing and training kit as she prepares for next year. And in addition, the talented Northerner has also been awarded a sponsorship deal to help her buy her first boat. The Putney Exchange shopping centre has generously agreed to contribute several thousand pounds towards Jess's costs. And her double delight was plain to see when Jess popped into Crewroom this week: "I'm really thrilled with all this support, which is only going to make me train even harder," she said. Anne Partridge, Putney Exchange Centre manager, said: "Jess is an extremely talented and committed sportswoman and we are delighted to sponsor her and help her realise her ambitions of owning her own boat to enhance her chances of being selected to represent Team GB in Rio." Jess (pictured above with Crewroom Director and former elite rower Baz Moffat, left) started rowing as an eight-year-old schoolgirl on the River Wear in her native County Durham. And today, she gains some of her inspiration from following a family tradition, in the footsteps of her great grandfather, who was a rower in the late 19th century. “His name was Watson and I was always told about him when I was a child by my Nana (my grandmother on my mother’s side). It must have been tough for them back then. He used to row on the Tyne and do races there. "They would race against the gentry. The North-East was one of the places where professional rowing began. Now it's nice to think about him lots of generations later,” says Jess. “Maybe deep down, rowing is in my genes.”

Crewroom is proud to announce that we are set to make our debut as official sponsors of the hottest running team in the UK. We’ve gone nuts for the Royal Parks Foundation’s in-house Half Marathon running squad, Team Squirrel. The Parks’ award-winning half marathon event is the most iconic race in Britain and in the coming weeks and months, we’ll be organising a whole host of fun squirrelly activities for you to join in with. The race takes place this year on Sunday 11th October but training and preparations for the event have already begun. Crewroom, who are also the official suppliers of Team Squirrel’s running vests on race day, will be hosting Team Squirrel training runs at lunchtimes. A group of Crewroom’s own staff will also be competing in the race in October, along with a number of celebrities who have been recruited. Team Squirrel’s official mascot, Chester the Squirrel, will also be joining our training events, and squirrel tails will adorn many runners. We will also be producing a half marathon training plan for you and Crewroom’s Founder Kate Giles, a keen runner herself, will be linking up with runners on Facebook. “We’ll be hosting some Q&A sessions on Facebook so that people can ask whatever questions they like about kit. Lots of runners have kit queries as they start to prepare for a race and we will be there to support them,” said Kate. “Also, squirrels are my pet dog Vinnie’s favourite animal. He loves chasing them. So I thought now was the right time to formally support Team Squirrel at the parks as my dog needs a lot of exercise."