Blast from the canoeing past

Many, many years ago I went on a mass protest on the River Seiont in Wales.

I’ve just come across a webpage documenting this. I do not see myself on those pictures, but If you want to look I was paddling a yellow Perception Sabre with a bright pink cag.

The protest was mainly against the intimidation that people had been using to prevent river access for kayakers, but also in direct response to some anglers allegedly assaulting some kayakers.It was a fine day and we all felt very good afterwards. Rivers are for all, right!

I gradually drifted away from the kayaking white water scene, and I’m now more likely to be paddling flat rivers in a canoe. Unfortunately the river access situation appears to have little changed.

Incidentally one curious fact is that since our garden backs onto the River Cam I’m actually a riparian owner now. How bizarre is that?