INSIDE YOUR WINTER 2012 ISSUE

3 Greek Odysey
A rudderless Jane Oxley evades capture by the Greek Navy? Honestly, the things she will do for some cheap ouzo. Do you ever see people paddling these things whilst on holiday and dismiss them as the stuf of rank amateurs? John Norris might make you think again. Plus a cautionary tale stressing the importance of water-buoys. Something for the more intellectual members of the club. Whitewater freaks are advised to skip these pages as they may cause your heads to explode. Tony Flannery glows in the dark. Jane Oxley gets wet and fed up. Can you fathom the deep significance of a root vegetable taped to a coin? It's winter and you're hungry. What you really need now is culinary advice from John Norris. No really, you do! See previous issue. Yawn. How to contact your committee, until the AGM at any rate when it will all change following a coup being plotted as we speak by Chris Porteous. Including the date of the AGM. Committee members not surgically implanted with a neural RFID chip will be vapourised and replaced by androids from planet Atmel.

EDITORIAL

6 Sit-On-Top

8 Canoepedia

10 The last Tuesday trip

12 Wet weekend in Dorset 12 Mystery object

13 Heater meals

15 Committee news 15 Contact details

16 Calendar

Well another winter is upon us and once again I have found an excuse to take a break from venturing out onto the water. Last year I suffered an injury whilst on an autumn walking holiday and it took me several weeks to recover during which time I broke the routine of paddling with the club on Sunday mornings. I did not get back in a boat until April. Now this year I find history repeating itself, with various things having prevented me from attending Sunday club sessions since the start of November. When will I get back in a boat? Hmmmm.... sometime in 2012 I think but not soon. I mean, it is so darned cold outside. So there we go, shocking as it may sound, it seems that I have to face up to the truth : I am a fair weather paddler! But, before all you die-hard sealskinned ice-breakers out there hold your paddles up and recoil in horror, I think that this edition of the newletter includes some pretty conclusive evidence to confirm I am the more rational paddler. For a start, there are the two items by Jane Oxley. One extolling the fun and pleasure to be had paddling in the warm waters and glorious sunshine of the Greek Islands. The other summarising the abject misery of a cold and wet weekend in Devon. And there is also the piece by John Norris about self-heating ready meals. No, do not get me wrong, it is cracking article but it does sum things up perfectly for me. Would you eat this stuff unless you were cold, wet and desperate?

Rodney Casbierd, Editor.

A little legal stuff....
This newsletter is a free publication for the Marlow Canoe Club. Whilst every care is taken, the newsletter and the Marlow Canoe Club do not accept responsibility for the opinions expressed or the goods and services mentioned in this publication. 2011.

COVER PHOTO
The cover photograph for this newsletter was supplied by John Norris and has been catchily entitled "Woodmill Sea Symposium 018".

SEA KAYAK

My Greek Odyssey
by Jane Oxley
In April 2011 a small group went on a voyage of discovery in the Greek islands. We found headwinds, snakes and ouzo. At times we shed tears and avoided plane crashes and capture by the Greek Navy too. April saw me flying in to Athens & then straight out again to Milos in the Cyclades. Slight hitch as the tiny plane taxied for ages we wondered whether the pilot preferred to drive to the island before it eventually took off. Ten bumpy minutes later he announced that there was a problem with the plane & would have to return to Athens. Big sigh from most of us, bit of a shame about the woman across the aisle who decided to start screaming, and she got louder with every bump. Finally arrived in a cloudy, cold Milos and met up with the rest of the group Rod, the leader, Steve & Josien who Id paddled with before (as have some of the Marlow salty dogs), Patrick - an American social worker, and Dimitrius a young Greek (god). The sixth member of the group, a doctor from NZ, hadnt appeared eventually a message came through that hed broken his back hang gliding, and so wouldnt be paddling. We spent the afternoon shopping for food, sorting kit and getting the boats ready we would all be paddling Lazer Rainbows, and Rod decided that Josien and I must have rudders just in case. I was determined not to use it, as a point of honour! Rod often laughs at my husband, Andy, & my opposite views on rudders I dont like them but Andy says If I go to hire a car, they dont say Would Sir like one with a steering wheel, or one without? So we were packed, everything in dry bags, 6 litres of water each and enough food for the first few days, when Rod came up with the weather forecast bad news, F7 blowing against us, from the SE. We wouldnt be going anywhere that day. So after a day spent exploring on foot, we were finally ready to start the morning was sunny and calm. We paddled to Poliegos the largest uninhabited island in the Med, for the first of our 7 wild camping nights. The rest of the days have turned into a bit of a blur! The weather was a mixture of relative calm, between F2 and 4, and the odd windy day,

SEA KAYAK

picking up to F6 and 7. The weather gods were smiling on us, as it was mostly in a useful direction. The length of the crossings meant that I was going to be further away from land than Id ever been in a kayak; I thought I might find it a bit unnerving, but in the end, it wasnt a problem for anyone. The difficult time on the crossings tended to be about an hour & a half out when the hazy outline we were aiming for just didnt seem to get any closer and the land wed left didnt appear to get further away. Breaking it up by rafting up for 5 minutes every hour for a snack and a quick chat helped psychologically. One day was particularly windy and I discovered that my trust in sea kayaks always turn into the wind is only true up to a point. We came out from behind the shelter of a small island and I lost control of the boat and was being blown downwind. I struggled to find enough strength to get the nose of the boat into the wind. Rod was shouting encouragement but didnt come over to help I think he was waiting to see whether Id give in and use the rudder no way! Josien, the other woman, didnt have my hang up. Evenings were mostly spent relaxing on the beach, cooking on a Trangia and open fires and drinking plenty of Ouzo. A couple of times we were close enough to a village to walk up to eat at a taverna and replenish supplies at a shop. One late afternoon, we arrived at a beach and started to pitch the tents. Id been asking Rod about wildlife on the islands he claimed to have never seen a snake apart from on Milos. The beach was rocky and it was difficult to get the tent pegs in so I was looking for suitable stones to help hold the fly sheet down. I found a nice big flat stone and lifted it and you can guess what was underneath. Im not saying it was an adder, just that it had a distinctive zigzag pattern down its back Suffice it to say I made sure I left the tent zip done up all the time! Eventually we arrived at Santorini, looking a bit the worse for wear (I couldnt get my fingers through my hair, let alone a brush) and I naively thought any difficult paddling was behind us. On arrival within the caldera, we camped below Oia one of the typical cliff top villages. It was an unusual camp site we each chose a gated terrace in front of a summer house and laid out our sleeping bags, hoping that the owners wouldnt return that evening! Our group swelled to 9 people as we were joined by a group from Jersey, led by Kevin Mansell who is on the BCU Sea Committee and a good friend of Rod. They had planned to arrive the following day and then paddle back to Milos via a number of different islands, but decided to cut their trip short and join us as the weather forecast wasnt looking good. Our first day exploring the Caldera provided the most challenging conditions Ive experienced; you can see the route on the map from camp 5 to camp 6. No problem getting into the lea of the western island but when we stuck our noses out from shelter, I knew we couldnt possibly paddle across to where we had planned to camp that night and would have to return to our terraces of the previous night. However, the men in the group (we were now seven guys to two girls) disagreed and reckoned wed make it ok. My friend Josien, who is a stronger paddler than me, sat in her boat and cried; Rod decided to tow her. I let everyone know that just because I wasnt crying, it didnt mean I wasnt frightened; a couple of the guys promised to stay close but thought Id be fine. And actually, once I stopped shaking and realised I could keep the boat pointing where I wanted it to go, it was more exciting than frightening; I didnt give in to advice to use the rudder. However, large breaking waves coming from

SEA KAYAK

the side are never going to be my favourite paddling conditions. The last two nights camping in one place allowed for plenty of time to explore for Josien and me, on foot for one day, as the conditions were too much for us. The last day was relatively calm and a later than expected ferry time to return us to Milos allowed for a final trip to the hot springs and the volcano in the centre of the caldera. It wasnt until we prepared for the final leg into the harbour that Rod warned us that the whole trip was illegal apparently in Greece you arent allowed to paddle more than 500m from the shore, so if challenged, wed got a lift there on a fishing boat and that there might be objections to us landing in the harbour. He wanted us to sneak in without the harbour master noticing us until it was too late, but we had to paddle past a Greek navy ship which probably let the port authorities know we were heading that way. We crept in single file under cover of the harbour wall, but as soon we were round the corner officials were running at us, blowing their whistles and shouting. Rod told us to ignore them and just do what we needed to do they did eventually stop shouting, shrugged and watched us struggle to lift heavily loaded boats up the 6 foot wall. A few hours on a ferry in the sunshine and we were back on Milos, unscathed but desperate for a shower. All in all a fantastic trip, my sea paddling skills and confidence increased so much - Id thoroughly recommend it as a trip out there for anyone who enjoys or even thinks they might enjoy the salty stuff and, the icing on the cake for me, I came back with my 3* sea.

BOATS

Everything you wanted to know about sitting on top?

by John Norris
Just before I left the UK to pursue my American dream there was some discussion as to whether the club should consider the purchase of some SIT ON TOP (S.O.T) boats. Those who have been following my blog (americanwanderings.wordpress.com) will know that I have recently had the opportunity to try out a S.O.T. on the sea. I must emphasise that this was only a short trip through a hire shop but it gave me a chance that I might not otherwise have had. I cannot remember the specific model we took out but it was a name that I recognised.

Our coaches / guides were very proficient in ensuring everyone had a grasp of the basics before we set off, I doubt anyone would have got more in the 5 minutes allotted. Taking us each down to the surf they guided us all out through the low waves with only one being pushed back in. So long as you hit the waves at the perpendicular these boats will rise and fall with the water and nary a wobble, but catch the wave at an angle and you could easily be swept back in, but not off the boat. Despite this being a centre specification boat with a wide and short profile it cut through the water with a reasonable efficiency. Out on the water the boat reflected every movement of the sea, however small, sufficiently to induce violent sea sickness in one of the party, bad enough that a guide had to escort him back to the beach. I took mine closer to the cliffs than the guide liked and got called back a few times but I did not feel uncomfortable. All in all I enjoyed my time on the boat and might try out a more sophisticated design at a later date - I wouldnt rule out purchasing one either at the moment.

BOATS

Should the club buy one or two, that is for the committee to decide, but here are the pros and cons as I see them. PROS; 1.The boats are very stable, efficient paddlers and virtually indestructible. 2.Some have wheels incorporated in the design useful as they are not as light as some kayaks. 3.Suitable for those of a nervous disposition or of a large frame. 4.Nice platform for fishing or viewing the sea life /river life, dependant on the water. CONS; 1.You are very exposed in them fine in 30c and a not too salty sea. 2.Pleasant on the river but only on warm days and very susceptible to rogue boat wash. 3.Not as easy as you might think to get back on if you capsize. I went for a swim in the Pacific off mine and found it very easy to tip as I tried to get back on. The few times Ive been out of an open I have found it easier to get back in. 4.They are BIG where would we keep it? If we can resolve the space issue I think Id support the committee should they wish to add to the fleet. Please note that this brief piece is based on a single experience on a centre specification boat. There are much more elaborate (and costly) designs out there that will likely perform differently.

Got a camera? Get a waterbuoy

Sadly, whilst enjoying my time on the S.O.T. I lost my camera. I always keep the camera secured to me or to the boat Im in, but I do not use any sort of additional buoyancy specifically for the camera. Whilst coming into shore through a lightish surf on an outgoing tide the camera parted company with its strap and is now either at the bottom of the Pacific or in the hands of a beach scavenger. Either way Ive lost it along with some 400 pictures on the installed card (oops! not backed up). Heres the annoying thing though I still have half the strap. As far as I can determine the strap on my (ex) Pentax W60 consisted of a fine nylon line that attached to the camera, the other end of this being sealed in a plastic moulding offering a more comfortable webbing strap to hold on to. It appears that the fine line has pulled out of the plastic moulding and gone with the camera to the bottom of the briny. This happened in not too deep a water but the area was plagued with a red tide and visibility was down to less than a paddle blade length at the time, so no chance of seeing it. Can I suggest to members that they check their camera strap and, if of a similar design, replace it with a single length of cord and maybe a waterbuoy (or alternative) flotation device as well. Its not the camera youll miss so much as whatever was on it at the time. A review of the replacement NIKON AW100 will follow in a future issue.

CANOEPEDIA

Old but perfectly

The ancient models from the
Paddling is a very old activity and here is a good example of just how long us humans have been at it. Beginning in the late Old Kingdom (ca. 2250 BC) Egyptian burials were frequently equipped with miniature carved wooden figures representing people at work. Their activities were mainly concerned with the preparation of food and other commodities that served as offerings in the funerary cult. In 1920 a spectacular find of such models was made high up in the mountain cliffs of western Thebes (opposite present day Luxor). During routine cleaning of an ancient tomb the excavation team discovered a hidden chamber containing myriads of little brightly painted models of canoes together with statuettes of men and animals. The chamber was the tomb of Meketre, a high-official in Twelfth Dynasty Egypt responsible for accounting of all incoming and outgoing Royal goods (ie. the goods in/out bloke).

Funeral boat
This boat is being paddled northward, downstream but against the prevailing wind, by 16 men whose varied size and arm positions create an impression of movement along the line. The boat has two rudders because the elaborate stern would not accommodate the single rudder that was common to ordinary boats of the time.

Quite possibly we are seeing Meketre on a pilgrimage to Abydos, the sacred site of Osiris, the god of the underworld. In many respects not that dissimilar to one of the clubs paddles to the Bounty.

CANOEPEDIA

preserved canoes
Tomb of Meketre in Egypt
The models are not instruction models for builders. The function of the Egyptian models was totally symbolic; their deposition in a tomb was believed to guarantee eternal provision of goods and food for the deceased in the afterlife. The models of Meketre are the most highly artistic of all currently existing Egyptian models and, despite being 4000 years old, their preservation is excellent. All the paint and linen cloth and much of the string are ancient. Sycamore wood was used for the hulls of the boats. Are any club-members also secret model makers? Have you ever been tempted to make a model of a kayak or canoe? If so please send your newsletter editor a photo of the model and we can assess it against the Meketre models in a future issue. Rodney Casbierd, Editor

Sporting boat
Among the pleasures of an Egyptian nobles life were hunting excursions in the Nile marshes. Papyrus rafts or light canoes such as this were used. Here, Meketre and his son are watching the hunters from a light shelter made of woven reeds. In the prow two men aim harpoons while birds already caught in clapnets are being presented to Meketre by a woman.

The presence of females from the nobles family is the rule in marsh scenes. Besides other jewellery, the young woman shown here wears a bead net over her shoulders. So, there you go lady paddlers, next time you go paddling with the club feel free to wear your pearl necklaces and diamond tiaras.

TOURING

10

The last day of summer

by Tony Flannery and Michael Axler
British summers are defined not by the heat but by the length of daylight hours. So summer emerges in March with enough light for us to paddle on a Tuesday evening, peaks with enough light to allow us to still be on the water after 9.30pm and sadly ends in September with insufficient light to sustain a viable evening session. So, sadly, a week later than normal we reached that epoch. The late evening sun still shone brightly as the first members prepared their selected craft for the annual trip down river to the kayakers temple, the Bounty. This evening, boats were not just hurriedly despatched from the club house, at least two were carefully washed and polished before being launched. Perhaps a sign of the esteem in which this trip is held by club members. The evening was one of the warmest all season and the river had a beautiful stillness throughout the trip. Tom organised the evening at the club house end, opening up at 5.30pm allowing those wanting to reach the Bounty in daylight the chance of doing so. As is so often the case, our eventual departure time severely reduced that chance. As we approached Bourne End our daylight was fast disappearing but the red glow of sunset could still be made out on the horizon behind us. A white smoke drifted across the river from fields on our right, votive harvest offerings from the villagers of Bourne End perhaps? Minutes later as we came alongside, our temple could only be made out from its own illuminations. Disembarking proved more awkward than normal as we were denied the most comfortable landing stage by moored motor craft.

TOURING
The evening was warm enough for all fourteen of us to sit outside and enjoy our chosen meals. Service was efficient and the food was appreciated. It must have been approaching 9.00pm when we elected to return. This was a chance to show off our own illuminations. Head torches and other devices were switched on, and what was now pitch darkness on the river was dotted with red lights heading back upstream to Marlow.

11

There was no moon so it was a strange sensation floating on the river unable to distinguish where the waterline ended and the sky began; nothing to do with the beer! The lights were a great assistance as we made our way back. Tobys kayak had the look of a Far Eastern fishing junk having had four glowing balloons attached, each lit by a concealed LED. We all made it safely back by 10.00pm. Grateful thanks to Tom both before and after the trip for making the clubhouse so accessible on the evening. Many thanks to everyone who could attend for making the evening so very pleasant. Editor's note : Next year can we please try not to schedule this trip to take place whilst I am on holiday.

Keep practicing your stokes on standard club trips. Ask someone more experienced about what the "next stroke" you should learn is and then just keep trying every-so-often. It is surprising how quickly you will get the hang of it and, the more strokes you learn, the more you will start to understand how to simply move your paddle around to control the boat as opposed to "going" for a specific stroke.
(tip courtesy of club member Chris Porteous).

TOP TIPS

INSANITY

12

Three go mad in Dorset

by Jane Oxley
Sometimes kayak trips are so frustrating that they end in a stream of bullets. Drove down to Corfe Castle on the Friday evening, in the rain. Put my tent up in the rain and wind. Went to the pub with Shades as it was raining too much to cook. Spent the night listening to the rain pattering on the tent and the wind whistling. Got up in the rain had a quick breakfast. Charles arrived and put up his tent in the rain. Drove to Kimmeridge, had a second breakfast in the caf, still raining and the wind had increased. Paid the 5 toll to take the car to the slipway. Went to look at the sea through the rain and realised it wasnt going to be possible to get out of the bay. Considered changing into paddling kit in the carpark and doing a bit of surfing. Realised I really couldnt be bothered (and that I didnt have my helmet). Drove back to the campsite, took the tent down in the rain, threw it in the car and drove home.

Oh, the joys of sea kayaking!

Bizarre ceremonial parsnip found in the Thames

Back in Autumn club member Tony Flannery allegedly fished this curious object out of the Thames near the clubhouse. A parship weighed down at one end with a sellotaped-on copper coin. Evidence of some kind of sinister MCC ceremony? Suggestions welcome, keep them clean please children.

FUEL

13

Heater meals
by John Norris
On the recommendation of Tom Bailey (who has tried a few cardboard military menus in his time) I ordered a variety pack of heater meals. Tom told me these were much better than the usual fare served up to the armed forces and certainly worth a try. Originally from the USA and now made and sold here under the Crosse & Blackwell banner, I bought a mixed pack of 6. 2 breakfasts & 4 dinners. Shortly after delivery the December 2010 snows came so I threw a couple in the emergency crate in the car and pretty much forgot about them. Until I did a recent 1* course with Gary and found I had little to eat and rediscovered the bags. Heater meals come in a sealed foil pouch with a shelf life of 5 years with everything you need to heat and eat the contents. 1 meal, a plastic spoon, an outer bag with heating element and a small pouch of saline solution which is the catalyst for the heating element. You just pop foil pouch into the outer bag ON TOP of the heater element. Open saline solution and pour into the outer bag. Seal outer bag with adhesive tag supplied, place on ground and wait 10-12 minutes. Steam will escape from the bag after about 5 minutes. I though Id try the breakfast first. Baked beans, little pork sausages and bits of omelette. 10 minutes after starting it was ready to eat and it didnt taste bad, at least as good as the all day breakfast tins from various manufacturers. Omelette provides a way for egg to be served easily in this format and is pre-cut. Thats the only complaint I have with this particular offering. A recent easy going sea excursion with PDCC from Hayling to Itchenor provided me with an excuse to try another. This time I went for Chicken stew with herby dumplings. Dinners go through the same procedure as the breakfast, but might take a couple of minutes longer. This was in a different class. Pieces (small) of chicken with a few bits of veg. in a suitable stock were supplemented with the herby dumplings. The dumplings tasted good but had the consistency of sausage meat rather than suet. Lets not kid ourselves, its not Cordon Bleu but it is more than O.K. in my opinion.

FUEL

14

There has got to be a downside and its the price. At the time of writing its 29.94 for 6 of the same or 1 mixed pack of 6 + postage / delivery, free on orders over 50.00. Chillis, Curries, and Stews are available along with the breakfast and a vegetarian option, but at 6.50 a pop you not going to be eating these on a regular trip. It did occur to me though that these would make ideal emergency rations. Particularly for those that had taken a couple of swims perhaps on whitewater, a cold lake or even a winter sea. Many of us carry a warm drink for just such an occasion but if you are able to offer the casualty a hot meal whilst in the shelter they will feel a lot better for it. If anyone is interested, the link is at the end of this item, but Id suggest that those that are get together and split a pack. As I said earlier, they are not cheap but they could be invaluable. The website says they are now available at COTSWOLD where I expect they will be available singularly and subject to your BCU discount but I cant see them on the website at the time of writing. http://www.heatermeals.co.uk/buyonline.php

Sea kayak available for loan

Ken Jeddere-Fisher has a plywood expedition sea kayak that he might lend to a club member rather than see it sitting unused. This might suit someone who finds the cost of a new sea kayak a bit daunting and is willing and able to do the little extra maintenance that a wooden boat requires. It is a Ken Littledyke design that has been modified to reduce the beam and so make it a good fast boat with excellent directional stability. The boat has a pump built in, rudder with lifting blade, 2 hatches and all the usual fittings. Paddles, splits, spray deck etc. may also be available. Please email Ken at kjf@apsley.co.uk for more details and pictures, with your phone number.

LOCAL RETAILERS
Riverside, Oxford. 01865 248673. http://www.riversideoxford.co.uk Marsport, Reading. 01189 665912. http://www.marsport.co.uk Berkshire Canoes, Reading. 01189 425640. http://www.berkshire-canoes.co.uk WWC, Shepperton. 01932 247978. http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk Paddlesport, Warwick. 01926 640573. http://www.paddlesport.co.uk

COMMITTEE

15

Day to day operation of the Marlow Canoe Club is governed by the club committee. The committee usually meets every two months in order to allow wounds to heal and provide sufficient time for tension and animosity to rebuild for an even better scrap next time. The last commitee meeting was held in slightly ad-hoc fashion at the end of the Tyne tour, mainly in order to exclude those committee members not on the tour, notably your paranoid editor. There are even allegedly minutes available for those with sleep disorders. Main issues coming up for discussion seem to be maintenance matters such as tree felling and a new secure access system for the club-house. Feel free to give us your views.

KEY CONTACTS
President
Tim Ward 01494 482959 wards@btinternet.com

Chairman

Adrian Cooper 01844 344580 adriancooper@googlemail.com

Secretary

Jonathon Garner 07765 226790 joncgarner@googlemail.com

Treasurer

Kelvin Abbott 01753 654923 kelvin.abbott@btinternet.com

Membership

Rod Edmonds 01753 671389 r.edmonds@etoncollege.org.uk

Coaching

Gary Fletcher 07881 815280 marlowcoachingofficer@gmail.com

Equipment

Chris Porteous 01628 485049 chrisps@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor
Rodney Casbierd 07960 900980 rbcasbierd@yahoo.co.uk Ben Kelley 07849 325553 beng433@hotmail.com

Women's Representative
Melinda Livett melinda.livett@yahoo.com

Youth Representative

Social Secretary

Melinda Livett melinda.livett@yahoo.com

Whitewater

Chris Porteous 01628 485049 chrisps@gmail.com

Touring

Lee Niven 07824 828024 leeandsue@talktalk.net

Sea

John Norris 01494 483833 j.k.norris@btinternet.com

1* Course Co-ordinator
Simon Knowles 07786 836012 s-knowles@tiscali.co.uk

Pool sessions organiser

Dave Goddard 01494 863862 dcgodd@googlemail.com

CALENDAR
Monday 2 January
Committee meeting. 7.30 pm 9.30 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

16

Saturday 7 January
Pool session, 7.15 pm 8.15 pm.

EVERY SUNDAY
Club session
Doors open at 9.30 am. On the water for 10 am.

Weekend 14-15 January

Devon weekend trip.

Saturday 4 February
Pool session, 7.15 pm 8.15 pm.

Monday 6 February

Annual General Meeting. 7.30 pm 10.30 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

Weekend 11-12 February

South Wales weekend

EVERY MONTH
Pool Session
Saturday, see calendar for time and dates
Chalfont Leisure Centre, Nicol Road, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9LR. 5 adults, 3 juniors

Saturday 3 March
Pool session, 7.15 pm 8.15 pm.

Monday 5 March

Committee meeting. 7.30 pm 9.30 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

A BIG THANK YOU

to Mel for organising a fab Christmas meal for the club, despite circumstances trying to conspire against her.

Weekend 10-11 March

North Wales weekend

Woodmill Sea Symposium 2012

Our annual Sea Symposium will return to Woodmill on the 14 & 15 July 2012. The event is a full weekend dedicated to sea kayaking in the South, featuring river and sea expeditions, instruction from our highly skilled staff, land activities and courses. This is will be the third year the event has run and it is growing in popularity each year. Woodmill Canoe Shop

Only joking
Little Johnny wasn't very good at spelling. During an oral spelling exam, the teacher wrote the word "new" on the blackboard. "Now", she asked Johnny, "what word would we have if we placed a "K" in the front?" After a moment's reflection, Johnny said, "Canoe?