Tideway Scullers School

It is with great sadness that we inform you that Alec Hodges passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon (November 8th). Alec had been ill for a few months and had gone into hospital for treatment. Unfortunately his condition worsened despite his excellent fitness and the heroic efforts of hospital staff over the last few weeks.

The grandfather of the Tideway Scullers family, Alec will be sorely missed for a long time to come.

If you'd like to post your memories of Alec, just click on "Post a reply" below.

If you have any photos of him you'd like to share, please email them to iarlakd@gmail.com.

Marie-France and I feel very sad today. As a lot of people from the sculling club. Alec, we miss your happiness already.

Bertrand & Marie France VECTEN
8 bis rue de la Celle
78150 LE CHESNAY
FRANCE

A true Bastion of British Sculling. With such patience and vison, always happy to turn a blind eye when the boat race post was painted, Alec truly has set the standard at Tideway Scullers for the years to come.

Greatly saddended to see this news. His contribution to rowing and sculling on the Tideway is impossible to measure. So many people of all clubs will have been taught and encouraged by him, but that contribution will be a lasting memorial to a very special character who will be sorely missed but never forgotten up and down the river.

Andrew James - AK and LEHBC

Tideway Scullers School (TSS) would like to send their sincere condolences to Edna and Alec's entire family at this time. Alec was our patriarch for fifty years. The relationship was easy to understand. He loved TSS and we loved him. His spirit will always be with us and on the water.

Alec was a true genleman in both senses of the word. We first met when he ferried his young daughter Gillian to and from regattas and training sessions in the 1979 lead up to Moscow and the parental input was second to none. It was Alec who would open his boot and take out a tool box and help fix whatever was the problem with the boat when I had not got the right tool. Nothing was too much effort. He was always charming but, occassionally, one would see the steel underneath and realise that there was much more to the man. It was not until much later that it became apparent to me just how much when I saw him out every weekend with groups of lucky young persons half his height and 1/10th his age all morning in a double or a quad - both outings occupying his special place 300m either side of Chiswick Bridge and always a cheeful "Hello" or timely warning. TSS will miss that vital, unsung input sorely. A consolation is that I understand his efforts were recognised snd thanks were made.at his recent birthday party though sadly I could not make it.
My condolences to Gillian and family. He did have a fabulous innings of which you should feel proud despite your loss.
Best wishes,
Chris

Very saddened to hear this news. Alec was one of the true gentleman of rowing, a real ambassador of the sport and one of the first friends I made at TSS. He always had a spanner to lend and helpful advice to give.

Alec was the first person I met when I came down to TSS 20 summers ago, and like so many other new members ended my first day in a double with him! In all that time members have come and then moved on but Alec was guaranteed to be down there from 7.30 every morning with tea, donuts and a million different tools in the back of his Volvo. The very backbone of the club for several generations, a great supporter and a true gentleman. Very sadly missed, Teg and my thoughts go to Edna, Gill, Ian and the Hodges Family.

Alec coached for many years and virtually all the beginners from the club were under his tutelage at one time or another. He specialised in getting people started - taking them out in a double and then pushing them off in singles to row "around the bridge" and not out of his sight.

He loved a pretty girl and was frequently seen with some of the most glamorous ladies as they learnt the skills of sculling.

I particularly remember as a new member being sent to see Alec about finding a rack for my boat. He'd put his arm around your shoulders
and say "let's go and have a look". As we walked down the lines of racks, Alec would put his finger out and test the depth of dust on
some of the boats before finally saying, "Give me ten minutes to move this, I think your boat can go here". And the poor unfortunate who
hadn't used his boat for a while would find it moved when he next came down to the club.

Alec, you will be sorely missed - but our memories are still alive.

Grant and Rebecca Craies

Like many other new members, Alec was the first person I met when I joined Scullers on a Saturday morning in 1987. He came down the slipway in his wellies and helped me carry my boat up from the river; he found me a rack and made me feel hugely welcome.
Over the years I spent many evenings at TSS committee meetings with Alec looking out over the Tideway and discussing the latest 'crisis' at the club. These issues ranged from the perennial mice in the kitchen or the messy habits of the residents to fund raising to build the club a gym or setting the long range aspirations and objectives for Tideway Scullers. Alec entered into all debates with enthusiasm and was always the first to pitch in and take practical action to further to success of TSS.
Alec was hugely generous to the club and its members both of his time and financially; on many occasions Alec managed to mysteriously 'find' a boat for a promising but impecunious sculler and there are many of us who have reason to be hugely grateful that he allowed us to use his camper van on miserable squad training weekends at Thorpe Park.
Alec really was the backbone of the club and we will all miss him hugely. A visit to the Tideway will never be quite the same again.

Alec was an absolute gentleman.Sitting at Henley having lunch with him this year in Remenham we talked about the time he coached my husband Rob and his crew,in the 70's, and at the 11th hour had to jump in the crew himself and saved the day. He always was selfless and incredibly kind to all of us.
For years he cleaned the TSS kitchen every morning before we all got up! He bought all the nosh for breakfast for us and kept an eye on our progress in the boat. How we will miss him, dear Alec.

We have lost a good friend

It was with much sadness that I read the news about Alec. Although I gave up sculling several years ago, I have very fond memories of my time at TSS. Alec was the first person I met when I arrived in March 1993. He had the very great ability to make everyone feel welcome and part of the club, an irreplaceable friend to all. Alec is responsible for my truly great friendship with James Stewart another TSS member of that time. Alec suggested we double scull together and gave me James’ phone number to arrange an outing. We had a few seasons together and most importantly in the Alec Hodges 2x – a particularly fast boat!



We are both very grateful to Alec, we were each other’s best men and I am godfather to James’ children, for that and many happy years sculling we owe a lot to Alec. Our thoughts and best wishes to Alec’s family.

Marc and James

Alec - what a legend for TSS.

I have lots of great memories of you at the club and yet have only known you since 1997. We will all miss you lots.

Thoughts are with Edna & family.

Claire

What a wonderful father he was to his own family and his extended family at TSS. A real gem who will be sorely missed. I just hope that they have sculling boats in heaven,

Annabel Eyres

Really sad to hear the news about Alec, and all my best wishes to Edna.
Alec was the first person I met at Scullers many years ago, and for many years I'd go out in a double with him on a sunday morning. I have so many good memories of rowing with him in the mornings before work, he was funny, kind, generous and a great coach.
I can't imagine going to Scullers and him not being there. He did so much for me and really made me love sculling. He often ferried me to a regatta and always made sure I had a boat to use and would often treat me and a couple of other girls to christmas dinner. It will be strange to be on the Tideway and to not see him pottering around on the river- for me, he's very much part of my rowing experience.
I'll miss him a lot but seek consolation in the fact that he seemed to do something he loved every day of his life for most of his life.

In 2001, it was Alec who shoved me out in a single on the tideway for the first time and told me not to go beyond UL. How many of us wouldn't have joined TSS without his initial interest and encouragement? Alec had time for everyone; it didn't matter who you were, whether you wanted advice,
a spanner or a boat. He asked for very little in return other than a smile and the odd cup of tea. The club will not be the same without the grey Mercedes outside in the mornings.

My memories of Alec stretch back into the 60s and, in particular, a trip we made to Bled in 1966 to watch the World Championships and the GB (TSS) 8. We went out with Dickie Knight (Molesey) and Ron Macdonald (Vesta) and stayed in a boathouse on the lake for 7s.6d a night and ate each night at the Hotel Toplice for about 30 bob.
I watched as Scullers grew and grew and always, quietly behind the scenes, was the smiling face of Alec coaching, helping and supporting.
The Rowing World has lost one of its true characters. Donald

It's difficult to close the good memories down to one time. I, like many other budding scullers, was taken out by Alec in a double on my first day at the club. It was then that I realised how much work I had to do to get faster.

There was his great joy at finding great talent. He marvelled at one girl's progress in his sculling course and believed that she would go far. He ferried her around the country helping her with all the slogging that goes with a developing Sculler. Debbie Flood has done rather well because of that.

His tireless devotion to TSS and rowing was notable that he was down at the club 360 days of the year until his health forbade him. I don't think any of the past residents could claim that affinity to the boathouse.

A legend has passed on. I'm honoured to have known him.

a wonderful wonderful person and will be missed by so many people. his wonderful character and his willingness to help everyone. i know i will miss alec. My thoughts go out to Edna and the rest of family. I have many happy memories of Alec at TSS.