04Jun 2024 by Michael Quinn No Comments

The Big Paddle Clean Up 2024

News, Recreational, Reports, Trip, Trip Reports
Where: Rickmansworth - River Colne/Grand Union Canal & Bury Lake When: Sunday 2nd June 2024 Volunteers: 14 Bags Filled: 9 Distance cleaned: 4.9km As part of British Canoeing’s Clear Access Clear Waters, ‘Big Paddle Clean-up’ Campaign. Nomad Kayak Club members paddled the River Colne & Grand Union Canal in Rickmansworth on Sunday 2nd June 2024. The event was lead by our Clear Access Clear Water Champion Ian Walker Ian and Nigel paddled the large red canoe which acted as the refuse (and rescue) vehicle. A further 10 kayakers (Dan, Darrell, Anton, Robert, Philip, Sue, Annette) , Hannah & Rachael cleaning the River & Canal banks by foot. This main group set off from the club house along the Grand Union Canal. A sub group led by Graham Summers assisted by…
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17May 2024 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Polo Update

News, Polo
Congratulations to Nomads Polo squad (Aled, Anthony, Callum, Chilly, Lleyton, Nigel, Tony) for an excellent performance at the first 2024 Div3 SE polo tournament held at Nomads over the weekend of 27-28 April. With five wins and one loss we are ranked second and are well placed for the second tournament on 29-30 June. Our young players shone with some excellent sprinting from Lleyton and inspired goal keeping skills from Aled. Also a thank you to Chilly for organising.
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12May 2024 by Michael Quinn No Comments

River Colne Clean-Up Sunday 2nd June

Event, News, Recreational, Trip
As part of Paddle UK’s ‘The Big Paddle Clean Up’, Nomads plan to meet at the Clubhouse at 10am on Sunday 2nd June to once again paddle the Colne loop removing rubbish from our much loved river & canal preventing harm to the river and local wildlife. The main clean up will be on the River Colne between Batchworth and Springwell lock. Members will be armed with gloves, sacks, litter pickers provided by Paddle UK’s ‘Clear Access Clear Waters' campaign and will scour the river and banks from kayaks for every bit of rubbish they can find, that is not too big or too dangerous to pick-up. Open canoes will be used as bulk carriers for collected rubbish which will be transferred to Ian’s car at Springwell Lock and disposed…
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23Dec 2023 by Michael Quinn No Comments

River Lee at Hoddesdon Trip Report

News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
When: Saturday 23rd December 2023 Where: Dobbs Weir Car Park - River Lee to Broxbourne Mill returning along the River Lee Navigation Paddlers: Michael Quinn (Trip Leader/Organiser), Nigel Atkinson, Chris Brown, John Murray and Dan Wickham After a week of persistent rain we arrived at Dobbs Weir car park to be met with blue-ish skies and brilliant sunshine, perfect weather conditions for the Nomad pre-Christmas paddle. After an obligatory mince pie whilst getting changed we made the short walk across Dobbs Road bridge to the launch site below Dobbs Weir. The customary safety briefing and warm up ensued before we took to the water and headed south under the road bridge along the first section of the river. Whilst one of Santa's not so little helpers assisting with launching, the…
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25Nov 2023 by Michael Quinn 1 Comment

St Patrick’s Stream Trip Report

News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
When: Saturday 25th November Where: Reading Wokingham Water Centre (RG6 1PQ) to St George and Dragon, Wargrave (RG10 8HY), via St Patricks Stream approx. 5.5 miles Paddlers: Nigel Atkinson (Trip Leader/Organiser), Ian Walker (Organiser), Mike Quinn, Chris Brown, Britta New, Thomas Carrick, Conrad Chambers, Dan Wickham, Pierre Leon and Sue Leon (Report writer) We arrived at Wokingham Water Centre on a bright and sunny but very cold morning and unloaded just outside the locked gates (we were not going to be staying here and so it wasn’t worth paying £5 per person for entry and, in any case, the barrier height is such that those carrying kayaks on their roofs would have had to unload first). Cars were driven to the end point and Nigel acted as shuttle driver bringing…
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08Oct 2023 by Michael Quinn No Comments

River Ivel Trip Report

News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
When: Sunday 8th October Where: The River Ivel, Bedfordshire - 'Put in' Sandy to 'Get out' Tempsford where the Ivel joins the Great River Ouse Who: The Paddlers - Ian Walker (Trip Organiser and Report Writer), Tony McKenzie, Conrad Chambers, Sue Leon, Chris Harper, Sue Sleeman, Andy Slatford, Jason McNulty & Martin Edwards The section of the River Ivel that was paddled is generally Grade 1 to 2 with several different types of weir along the route, making it good for intermediate paddlers looking to get used to moving water.  The route running approximately 6 miles downstream, took about 4 to 5 hours paddle including a lunch stop. The trip gave paddlers the opportunity to shoot a few weirs and practice some ferry gliding however the tallest weir (approx. 2…
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30Jul 2023 by Michael Quinn No Comments

St Patrick’s Stream and Hennerton Backwater – Mixed Craft Trip

News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
St Patrick's Stream and Hennerton backwater Sunday 30th July This was a joint trip between Nomads and a group named SUP with Ana, organised by Dave Hillier. Twelve of us met at the St George and Dragon, Wargrave to make up a group of nine paddleboarders (one from Nomads) and three Nomads kayakers. The publican was quite happy for us to launch but we had agreed to park elsewhere as the car park fills at weekends at this time of year (and indeed it did). After a welcome and briefing from Dave, we set off at 0930, Westwards, against a steadily flowing Thames. This proved to be a good warm up and the one lock portage, a welcome break. We eventually arrived at St Patrick’s stream which was flowing steadily…
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22Jul 2023 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Llangollen Canal

Event, News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
Paddlers Dave H. Trip Leader Conrad C, Assistant. Hannah S, Report Writer, Rach H Jai A, Assistant 2. On Sat 22nd July 5 Nomads went to Wales. A trip that has been long in the planning. We finally made it to Wales ( to embark on a 3 night camping and kayaking adventure along the Llangollen canal from Llangollen to Whixall, approximately 31 miles in total. 11 miles of which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been a dream to kayak over the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (known as The Stream in the Sky); the highest navigable aqueduct in the world at 38m above the river Dee, and the longest aqueduct in the UK at 307m long. We also visited Horseshoe Falls, crossed the Chirk Aqueduct and paddled through…
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09Jul 2023 by Michael Quinn No Comments

River Cam through Cambridge

Event, News, Recreational, Reports, Trip, Trip Reports
9 July 2023 We met in the Water Street car park. A very nice, quiet spot east of the town centre. The weather looked a bit threatening and the weather forecast was mixed but Dave assured us the it never rains on his trips and on this occasion he was right. It was a beautiful day throughout. Given that this was my first trip I have to assume that this is always the case since 100% of my experience proves it. After Phil got his dogs settled onto the front of his kayak and following Conrad's slightly unorthodox entrance to the river we headed off upstream through the suburbs of Cambridge and it was peaceful and calm beginning to our 5.4 mile journey towards lunch before turning around and heading…
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