Robin's Bloggin's

Cracking day's paddling with Craig, Claire and Will.  We set out from the Portsmouth Lifeboat station, and headed clockwise around Hayling Island with a strong spring tide behind us.  First stop was the slip by The Ship car park, by the road bridge for a coffee and snack.  We then headed on and pulled up for lunch on Thorney Island.  After a good feed and water, we pressed on and soon saw a seal in the shallows.  We paddled up reasonably close and the seal seemed to enjoy our presence.  Soon we encountered several more seals, which was wonderful.  We then headed out through the channel by Hayling Lifeboat station into the Solent, still with a very string following tide.  We had a final stop on the south coast of Hayling Island for an ice cream.  We then headed back westwards along the coast.  We were all rather knackered by that stage.   The mouth to the western channel entrance was just visible and slowly getting closer as we ...

A beautiful afternoon of bright winter high pressure weather.  Rob, Lesley, Polly Simon and I met at Swanwick at lunchtime, struggling a bit to find parking spaces.  It's odd to launch from Swanwick in the light - normally we do it on dark winter Thursday nights.  This was a whole different experience.  We paddled up-river, much enjoying the calm, bright conditions.  The usual route under the three bridges, around the bend and into the wonderful wilderness that is the upper Hamble.  We saw all sorts of wading birds including Oystercatchers, Brent Geese and some sort of Mandarin Ducks.  We went as far as Curbridge, where the water was too shallow to go further.  After a brief tucker break, we turned and paddled back down river into the low afternoon sun, and eventually back to Swanwick.  A cracking trip.  Thanks all!

Last weekend, a group of us (16 in total) rode approximately 160 miles from Southampton to Hereford.  The purpose of the ride was to raise money to support the wonderful work of the Hereford-based Royal National College for the Blind (RNC).  We had been planning and training since February.  We had been anxiously watching the weather forecast.  There had been the possibility of the tail end of Hurricane Lorenzo fouling up our plans, but thankfully it went through the day before we set off. (photographs are below the text...) The fun started at our ABPmer office on Town Quay, Southampton.  ‘Saint’ Helen arrived with our support van into which bags, spare bikes and miscellaneous bits and pieces were thrown.  Damon provided the warm-up act - an impressive pirouette at the end of Town Quay – first man down….!  Bruised rump and pride, but otherwise OK. We then crossed the start line with wonderful support and c...