31Mar 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

River Thames: Section 12 – Windsor to Chertsey

Event, News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
Distance: 13 miles downstream Date: Friday 31st March 2023 Start: Windsor Leisure Centre Slipway, Stovell Road, Windsor SL4 5BZEnd: The Kingfisher Pub, Chertsey Bridge Rd, Chertsey KT16 8LF Paddlers:Dave Hillier (organiser)Chris HarperSue LeonConrad Chambers (trip report) Non-paddlers:Pierre Leon (researcher)Graham (shuttle driver) Dave, as usual, issued a completed risk assessment in advance of the scheduled date for the paddle.Pierre, also as usual, provided an excellent map, along with a detailed breakdown of the route.This one included multiple optional get-out points in case it was decided to split the 13 mile trip into smaller sections.Despite Dave’s empty promises of good weather, we met up on a blustery and rain-soaked morning at the Windsor slipway. As we got changed under the conveniently dry arch of the A332 bridge over the river, Pierre told…
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12Mar 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

Basingstoke Canal Mixed Craft Trip

Event, News, Recreational, Trip, Trip Reports
(Dave, Nigel, Sue, Pierre, Jai, Nathan, Phillip, Hannah, Conrad, Andy.)(Ana + 6 Paddle boarding with Ana) On Sunday March 12th 2023, 10 Nomads from Rickmansworth and 7 Paddle boarders from Stand up paddle boarding with Ana from Tonbridge met at the Mytchett centre for a 10 mile paddle along the Basingstoke canal, 5 miles up and return. Once prepped, dressed and ready to get on the water we gathered for the usual safety brief (given by Dave) and who carefully passed the warm up on to Nigel. There was also a group of ramblers gathering at the nearby campsite who gave a bit of an audience for 17 paddlers acting out their normal morning routine with some running up and downstairs, brushing teeth and doing all sorts of things in…
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03Mar 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

River Thames section 10b and 11. Marlow to Windsor

Event, News, Trip, Trip Reports
Thames Sections 10b and 11 Trip Report – Friday 3rd March, 2023 13 miles/21 km downstream, Marlow to Windsor. Lighter days meant we could finish off Section 10 and complete Section 11 (Paddle the Thames, Mark Rainsley), Paddlers: Dave Hillier (Trip Leader), Pierre Leon, Sue Leon, Phill Gent (with doggie guests Fifi and CoCo We assembled and unloaded at Marlow slipway in St Peter’s Street in good time for a long day’s paddling. We had become used to short ½ section Friday trips whilst daylight hours were reduced and were now set to do 1½ sections – a long day ahead. The weather was cold and overcast and stayed that way all day but at least there was no rain.  As usual Dave’s friend Graham came along to help with shuttling…
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12Feb 2023 by Chris Harper No Comments

River Stort (Canalised) – Sawbridgeworth to Harlow – or Vice Versa!

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Sunday 12th Februrary This Trip is no 16 In the “Pub Paddles book – The best Short Canoe Trips in the South of England” by Peter Knowles. We had to change the start. Fortunately, Dave had done his normal excellent checks the previous day and discovered that there was no available parking at the proposed Sawbridgeworth start. Therefore, the round-trip journey had to be started at the other end, Harlow Station. This was in a large pub car park, adjacent to the river, so at least it provided good free parking and a location for a finishing debrief over a beer. This trip was a bit like an Agatha Christie novel as the six expected paddlers reduced steadily down to three in the last few days. But no murders, just…
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05Feb 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

St Patrick’s Stream and Hennerton Backwater

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Mixed Craft Paddle of the Thames, St Patricks Stream, the Loddon and Hennerton Backwater. Paddlers:  Dave Hillier, Ana Tumbler, Jai, Anna, Vicky, Cathy, Julian, Claire, Sue, and Dee. 2 x Kayakers and 8 x Paddleboarders. This trip was a joint event between Nomad Kayak Club and Stand Up Paddle Boarding with Ana.On Sunday the 5th February 2023 we made our way to the George and Dragon pub in Wargrave that had kindly let us use the car park for this figure of eight trip. Jai and myself arrived early to find Julian warming up in stages manually pumping up his paddleboard. Looking out at the water the Thames had a flow on it but nothing like it was a few weeks earlier. The sun was making an appearance and the…
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27Jan 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

River Thames section 10a Trip Report Aston to Marlow

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Friday 27th January 2023  6 Paddlers: Dave (Trip leader), Nigel (Safety), Sue, Pierre, Conrad, Phillip and two chihuahuas (CoCo and FiFi) paddled downstream on the River Thames from Aston (Henley on Thames) passing Magpie Island and the famous Hurley weir onto Marlow.  This stretch of the river is described as “quintessentially Thames with attractive landscapes, appealing history and culture”.   It is also mentioned in “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K. Jerome as “wiggling its way through lovely countryside with constant interest along its banks”.  Believe me, it does live up to this fabulous reputation.  Winter kayaking is different from paddling in the Summer; it is just as enjoyable and just as thrilling and magnificent, but you really need to be dressed for the part.   Appropriate clothing…
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15Jan 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

River Colne & Canal to Coy Carp Trip Report

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15th January 2023 A local lake, canal and mainly the River Colne, downstream to The Coy Carp pub, near Harefield. 7 Paddlers: Ian Walker (Trip Leader), Dave Hillier (Safety), Martin Edwards, Andy Slatford, Dan Wickham, Nathan Ashford & Jai Auguste. Ian led this local intermediate white-water trip, mainly on the Rickmansworth River Colne loop. After many days of rain it was a more interesting trip than planned. This was an intermediate Nomad Kayak Club trip with Dave Hillier thankfully providing good rescue cover. It was good timing while the river levels up and just before the next cold snap. Fun was had by all & only 1 person had a couple of dunkings, However it was a good to get some rescue practice in. The main hazards were tree branches/logs…
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02Jan 2023 by Dave Hillier No Comments

River Thames Section 1b – Castle Eaton to Lechlade Trip Report

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2nd January 2023 6.8 miles downstream paddle, starting where trip 1a ended (Castle Eaton Red Lion Pub) to Lechlade. Paddlers: Dave Hillier (Trip Leader), Phillip Gent (without doggies), Ian Walker (Safety and Report Writer) Just 3 of us set off sliding into the flooded Thames after Graham (shuttle) helping with us with car shuttle leaving both Dave’s van and Phil’s car at the Lechlade carpark end point.  Weather for a recent change was sunny all day, felt bit chilly at 7 degrees Celsius on average for trip, but when in the sun quite nice with only a slight wind.   Dave gave our trip briefing, main warning being to watch out for hidden obstacles in the faster and much higher than usual flowing upper River Thames. The river is normally…
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31Dec 2022 by Dave Hillier 1 Comment

River Thames Section 1a – Cricklade to Castle Eaton – Trip Report

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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…
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24Dec 2022 by Chris Harper No Comments

River Thames Section 9b – Wargrave to Aston – Trip Report & Video

Event, News, Trip, Trip Reports
Saturday 24th December 2022 5.9 miles/9.5 km downstream, Wargrave to Aston. The reduced daylight hours resulted in the Section 9 trip, Reading to Aston (Paddle the Thames, Mark Rainsley), into two and this is the second part. Paddlers: Dave Hillier (Trip Leader), Pierre Leon, Chris Harper, John Murray, Phill Gent (with doggie guests Fifi and Coco), Jai, Sue Leon (Report Writer) We gathered at the St George and Dragon pub which has a kayak-friendly platform onto the river. Dave had previously sent out the lock status report as shown below (we were to traverse Marsh and Hambledon locks) and so we were expecting a faster flow and this was immediately obvious on looking at the river. We were travelling downstream although a few tandem kayakers seemed to be coping easily with upstream…
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