Sandford on Thames

It was wonderfully warm evening which may have prompted expansion of the initial sign up of six people to the point where ten of us set off in nine boats. Soren and Neil having to resort to sharing the Topo Duo (a two seat kayak) and the rest of us using sea kayaks. Spray decks and buoyancy aids were at a bit of a premium, with the new intake on the beginners course getting first choice on kit, but we got there in the end and set off en-mass towards our goal of a drink at the Kings Arms.

The trip downstream was very social and at a leisurely pace (partly because the magic duo had balance issues and spent most of their time going round in very elegant circles!). The water was quite busy in places and we saw quite a lot of the Falcon Club racing around as well some friendly banter with a Salter's Steamers party boat.

Due to the more relaxed pace heading down to the lock we had a rather quick drink at the King's Arms (which now has a very nice outside bar in the garden) before getting back in our boats. We decided that if we were to get back to the club by 8.30pm, we would have to pick up the pace a bit and get some exercise! To our surprise, Neil and Soren had sorted out their positions in their boat and, with Soren as the "engine room"in the back, they motored off at ramming speed leaving half of the rest of us in their wake! Thanks go to Niamh for planning a great trip and we look forward to others offering to take the lead on future trips.

-Paul Richards