The Doggy Paddle 2019

Date :                    14th July 2019

From :                   Royal Leamington Spa                    To :        Stratford-Upon-Avon

Distance :            Approximately 18 miles

 

The Doggy Paddle is an annual event, open to anyone that is capable of paddling 18 miles on flat water. It is organised and run by Royal Leamington Spa Canoe Club and Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, as a fund raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

The paddle starts in Royal Leamington Spa, on the River Leam, merging onto the River Avon and on to the finishing point of Stratford-Upon-Avon.

 

This year, Hinckley Canoe Club joined the Doggy Paddle as a club, thus allowing members without their own kayaks or canoes, to hire them from HCC.

The HCC Team consisted of :-

  • Neil Smith (Team Leader)
  • Dave Clarke
  • Dale Clarke
  • Martin Stretton
  • Kat Smith
  • Steve Jowett
  • Mick Brennan
  • Chris Hill
  • Mike Dallaway
  • Ewan Corbett

Also joining us, as a non-club member, was Bob, a friend of Chris Hill.

The day started overcast, but warm, with a light breeze and the sun breaking out by mid-afternoon.

 

We all meet around 7:30am at the starting point, where we unloaded our kayaks, canoes and equipment, then we took our vehicles to the finish point, in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The organises of the Doggy Paddle arranged for shuttle service to bring drivers back to the start, after parking their cars at Stratford.

Before we commenced the paddle, we had a group photo taken and by 9:30am we were all on the water at Edmundscote Sports Field, just below the weir and heading downstream along the River Leam and onto the River Avon.

 

The first stop was at the weir of Warwick Castle where we were required to exit our crafts and walk them around the weir, as shooting the weir had been prohibited by the Warwick Castle estate.

 

After getting back on the river, we took the opportunity to pose for a team photo, before continuing our paddle.

A few miles later, we came to Barford weir where again, due to the construction of the weir, it was decided that we should portage rather than shoot the weir; the weir having a steep drop onto a large concrete step.

 

By around 1pm we reached Hampton Lucy weir, where a few of our group decided to shoot the weir before going ashore for lunch. The rest of us got off the water above weir, for lunch and a more than welcome exercise of our stiffening legs.

 

We spent approximate 1 hour, at Hampton Lucy, for lunch, being carefully watched by a herd of cows and a least one bull. After lunch we continued our journey, at which point many of us made the decision to shoot the weir; some of us for the first time, including Mick Brennan, Chris Hill and Steve Jowett.

 

Not long after leaving Hampton Lucy, we were paddling through the grounds of Charlecote Park where we were not permitted to land or stop, at the request of Charlecote House.

 

A couple of miles after Charlecote Park you we arrived at another shootable weir at Alveston, which we all chose to shoot. Shortly after Alveston weir we all stopped again for a short break before the final push to the end.

We finally arrived in Stratford-Upon-Avon and the finishing point, just past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, on the opposite bank, round 5pm, where we all got out and collected our well earnt certificates and another group photo opportunity.

 

Dale Clarke took the opportunity, at this point, to celebrate by taking a running jump into the river.

Back in our boat to paddle from the finish line to the marina, where we parked our cars. While getting back in the boats, Steve Jowett announced to the group that he was “Going over” and promptly capsized. Due to fatigue he required man handling to lift him back onto the shore with his shorts around his ankles.