Well, it was a glorious start to the Stratford to Bidford paddle on a magically misty Sunday morning on the 1st of November 2015, where 2 women, 14 men and a boy, led by Dave Clarke, Dale Clarke, Michael Ward and Richard Matthews, launched as quietly as they could along the bank of the river Avon in order not to disturb the competing fishermen. As we paddled into the unknown with a small flock or curious swans, it wasn’t long before our silence and hushed voices developed into a clatter of chit chat and excitement as we got to know each other – some of us strangers, from all walks of life, from ages varying from 9 to, well, I’ll try to write poetically…a more mature and experienced age.
It was the loud rush of the first weir that managed to act as the group ‘ice breaker’ as we, some of us new, inexperienced and still finding our paddling confidence, approached the loud rush of the water which, sounding as if it were Niagara Falls, set my little heart racing. For what initially appears to be a solo sport, it becomes more and more evident to me as I spend time with my paddling comrades, either on the lake at home waters or on trips, that canoeing is most definitely a team sport. It is with words of comfort, cheeky banter and the knowledge that those in charge know what they are doing and will have us safe and sound in no time if anything goes awry, that we were able to go boldly down our first weir….which felt, well…ginormous when approaching and descending it and then looked absolutely piddley when turning to look at it on reflection!
With a little boost in confidence and some relieved exhaling and chattering we continued down the beautiful river and quickly approached our second weir….my little heart had just recovered and set to beating rather quickly again, as the sound of the falls of Niagara again rushed through our ears….again, we all took the plunge and those of us with a want to try it but a little hesitation were pleased that we gave it a go and that no one swam! On we went!
The third weir was scouted and deemed too dangerous as there wasn’t enough water, so we portaged (oh, get me with all the proper lingo!). This was a lovely time to stop for a quick cuppa and a bit of faffing with kit. Dale and Michael took the opportunity to show us how these weirs are done and skilfully manoeuvred the rocks with ease. Making it all look easy, we were very impressed! Getting back onto the water, we had the choice of a beach launch, or a seal launch. Being inspired by the skills of Dale and Michael, I opted for a seal launch, which was great fun! It was quite steep, a bit of a zig zag, and thankfully got me back onto the river safe and dry!
And so on we paddled, with the sounds of laughter, chit chat, birds tweeting and trees swaying. The sun had burned through the fog and we were treated to a glorious blue sky and a bright and warm day. We spotted some rather large cattle, a beautiful herring taking off and some glorious houses, gardens and boats. It wasn’t long before we approached our fourth weir, which was to be the most challenging and adventurous of them all. The route down was scouted and we were given direction. It was slightly more technical than the others and there was a big sense of achievement for most of us as we gathered at the bottom to share congratulations and breathe more sighs of relief. Now when I say ‘we’, I am referring to those of us new(ish) to canoeing who are building our experience and confidence…of course, Dale nipping down the weir backwards, (probably with his eyes shut) put our triumph into perspective. We needed to keep our wits about us, though, as there was a tiny stretch of white water to manoeuvre as well…..what an exciting trip this was turning out to be!
We continued along the river until we spotted a place to rest and have lunch, where the banter, chatter and laughter continued. After a rest, we carried on…hardly believing that this glorious weather and sunshine was possible on the first day of November. This part of the trip seemed to fly by, with more beauty to take in, and weirs five and six to have fun on. We reached the old bridge at Bidford in what seemed like no time at all and worked as a team to get each other, our boats and the equipment onto shore. Dale told us it was tradition to stand on a platform in the river and perform a tombstone fall into the water, which he demonstrated with much skill and elegance, which some of us then attempted, being goaded on by each other and the small crowd that had gathered on the bridge. And with that, we had a rather wet and humorous end to what, for me, was a magnificent day.
A great big ‘Thank you!’ to all our trip leaders (Dale and Dave Clarke, Michael Ward and Richard Matthews) for your words of wisdom, support and encouragement. Aren’t we lucky to be involved in such a fab canoeing club.
– Sara Wright
Video By Ady Steel