Tynemouth Park, model boat club

Founded in 1893. The boathouse still survives. It cost £102 12s. It was doubled in size in the 1930s. In the late C19, tinplate boats were made in German factories. In the first half of the 20th century, British-made boats became popular (Meccano of Liverpool and Bassett-Lowke of Northampton). Some model boats were powered by petrol engines or steam, clockwork or twisted rubber bands. The direction of the boat was controlled by setting the rudder or the sails. Radio control was introduced in the 1950s. Each boat operator is allocated a specific radio frequency, marked up on a pegboard in the clubhouse. Cheap plastic from the 1970s has made model boating more affordable. As well as lockers for members' models and kit, the model boathouse has a worktable for repairs and pre-race adjustments.