skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Although it doesn't include the River Kennet, a new book from well known international paddler Pete Knowles is now available for anyone searching for a wider range of canoeing and kayaking destinations in the region . The excellent "Pub Paddles - The Best Short Canoe Trips in the South of England" offers easily accessible guidance to 26 suggested trips of between 3km and 18km distance.
[Image courtesy of Rivers Publishing U.K.]
Already drawing acclaim from within the UK canoeing community, this book "has filled a significant gap in the coverage of paddling guidebooks", enclosing the recreational easy-paddling map of the SE within a boundary ranging from Colchester and Cambridge in the east, across to Oxford in the west and down to Southampton.
With a strongly family friendly focus, most of the trips are 'graded' as either "easy" or "very easy", and just 3 are described under a heading of "experience needed", although reference is made to some of the local playspots on route. Clear maps and plenty of photographs support the easy to follow descriptions of put-in and take-out locations, with parking places noted throughout, and useful suggestions provided for either shortening or lengthening trips.
As the title indicates, riverside pubs also make more than an occasional appearance, and for this reason I'm grateful to the author and his co-contributors for not having included the Kennet, as I now need to do some research to remediate the clearly identified hole in this blog.
"Pub Paddles" is available through major on-line and high street booksellers.
ISBN: 978-0-9550614-1-7
Following yesterday's General Election in the UK, all of the constituencies through which the River Kennet flows are now Conservative territory.
Flowing down the valley, the Devizes constituency has a first time MP in the shape of Claire Perry, who has inherited this safe seat from Michael Ancram, and increased her party's share of the vote to over 55%.
Downstream in the neighbouring Newbury constituency, the incumbent MP Richard Benyon has similarly entrenched his position, with a 7.4% increase in vote share giving him 56.4% of the total votes cast.
In Reading West, Labour MP Martin Salter stood down and handed the seat to the Conservative's Alok Sharma, who has hammered the previous party positions into reversal with a 9.6% increase, taking over 43% of the vote.
Long standing Wokingham MP John Redwood continued the trend of Conservative improvement by increasing his share of the vote by 4.6% to take 52.7% of ballot papers cast.
In Reading East 2005 first time MP Rob Wilson substantially improved on his previously slim majority by taking 42.6% of the vote, 6.9% up on his previous share.
What does this all mean for access to and navigation of the River Kennet? Probably no change in the status quo of attempted restriction... so paddling continues as normal.
The annual Crafty Craft charity race along the Kennet and Avon canal took place today, with a wide assortment of home made vessels travelling from Hungerford (or Kintbury for younger participants) to end on the Kennet Navigation in Newbury.
Around 30 groups of adult and junior competitors braved the 'traditional' bank holiday weather, but despite the increasingly grey skies only occasionally parting to bathe the race in sunshine, and a cooling wind driving a few rain squalls later in the day, tired but exhuberant entrants crossed the finish line to cheers from local crowds.
With a "Battle of the Bands" theme to coincide with the local live music competition final being held alongside the wharf in Victoria Park, the idea that this is fundamentally a fun event was clearly demonstrated in the costumes, decoration and smiles on display.
An early junior team are returned to the water by their support crew having clambered around the West Mills swing bridge. Juniors have an additional 7 locks to portage, adults have 10.
Able West Berks CC on the home run after paddling under Newbury Bridge.
Newbury MP Richard Benyon at the finish line, where he repeated his view that improved access to rivers and waterways is best achieved by local agreements.
Junior team #5: the Boatorhead rock crew. If you can't lay your hands on this much polystyrene...
...then a few plastic containers lashed to an old Rotobat did the job nicely for the air guitar girls.
The Boys Brigade make it to the finish despite a stern list to starboard, but anxiously look over their shoulders as they are closely followed in by...
...the Spice Girls!
The Black Eyed Peas Brains. Later inspection of their craft revealed...
...a secret helmsman.
The twin torpedo of adult team #17 reaches the finish. Scary to think that 6 grown men would go out in public wearing such masks. The blue message on the side sadly proclaims "We love Louis Walsh".
The flower-power punks...
...and the peddle-powered lumberjacks.
Congratulations to all the participants, and to Newbury Round Table for their organisation and marshalling of an excellent event!
Edit: The final results are listed here with loads of additional pictures.
