Year: 2022

31st December 2022 4.1 miles/6.6 km downstream, Cricklade to Castle Eaton. The reduced daylight hours resulted in the Section 1 trip (Paddle the Thames, Mark Rainsley) being split into two and this is the first part. Paddlers: Dave Hillier (Trip Leader), Andy (Assistant), Pierre Leon, John Murray, Phillip Gent (with doggie guests Fifi and Coco), Jai, Sue Leon (Report Writer) We gathered on the last day of 2022 at a small parking area near the Cricklade slipway and the weather was set to be gloomy and wet most of the day, Cricklade is approximately 15 miles/24 km from the source of the Thames at Kemble and so it was more of a stream than a river. As we waited for the others to arrive a few dog walkers passed by on…

Thames Section 9a Trip Report - Friday 25th November 2022 6.2 miles/10 km downstream, Reading to Wargrave with a side paddle along St. Patrick’s stream. Because of the reduced daylight it was decided to split the Section 9 trip Reading to Aston (Paddle the Thames, Mark Rainsley) into two trips with a break at Wargrave. We also took the option to paddle St. Patrick’s Stream.Paddlers: Dave Hillier (Trip Leader), Pierre Leon (Route Planner), Chris Harper (Consultant), John Murray, Phill Gent (with doggie guests FiFi and Coco), Nigel Atkinson, Dean Edwards, Conrad, Sue Leon (Report Writer)We gathered and unloaded on the road outside the Wokingham Waterside Centre (RG6 1PQ) which had been the get-out point of our Section 8 trip. Although there are restrictions for parking here before 10 am we…

Basingstoke Canal 13-11-22This was a round trip, 7km each way, starting at the Mytchett Canal Centre and turning around at Ash Lock. Paddlers Dave Hillier (Leader), Pierre and Sue Leon, Nathan, Jai, John Murray, Phill Gent and Coco and Fifi. This stretch of the Basingstoke Canal is more like a river than a canal; as it morphs into lakes and slowly meanders its way through the Surrey and Hampshire countryside. It was a most picturesque paddle especially with the autumnal colours, as leaves of yellow, red, brown and black fell from the trees onto the water like rain. The put in point was the Mytchett Canal Centre where Dave did his safety talk and we all limbered up by mimicking chickens; fortunately, we were more or less alone. The weather…