How it was back then!
Hello all! I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and are now readying your liver for the annual abuse it receives on New Year’s eave. Now I have to admit that in my “adult” years I’ve never really relished Christmas time, but there is always one thing I do enjoy. Receiving huge and expensive presents! Joke, no what I do like is going home and seeing all the family, drinking a few Sherries and have a good look at the old family photos. This year we found some lovely paddling pictures from the early days, Mike and me wrapped up in our Perry Harris Hock cagoules (pretty sure I’ve a pink tank top on under my cag!) wild water B/A and our mighty first boats, Mike in his Prijon T-Slalom and me in the MI 355, both classic designs of there time……. Oh the memories.
an early paddling holiday to Belgium!
Mike doing a good old skhool burning man...
Me in the 355, what a boat.It looks like a few dry days for cast for now. Perfect weather for some long distance turkey burning paddling sessions!
IN THE SHOP WE HAVE 15% OFF AT THE MOMENT, ON MOST THINGS. COME IN AND SEE US.
Opening hours.
Whitewater Christmas
Opening hours.December 23rd Half Day 13:00 till 17:30
(Work Christmas Golf)December 24th Open 09:30 till 17:30
December 25th
Shut Christmas DayDecember 26th
Shut Boxing DayDecember 27th Open 09:30 till 17:00
December 28th
Shut SundayDecember 29th Open 09:30 till 17:30
December 30th Open 09:30 till 17:30
December 31st Open 09:30 till 17:30
January 1st
Shut New Years DayJanuary 2nd Open 09:30 till 17:30
January 3rd Open 09:30 till 17:00
Back to normal!
I hope your all getting into the Christmas spirit! It's nearly here...
Ghost paddling……
I’ve got old! But the best thing about getting old is that I can now wear pogies! And I don’t care if I look a bit odd on the water…… Brilliant.
As for the paddling, the weir pools are really high at the moment, the paddling is ok but, gives it a day or so, let the water drop and then we should be in for some good paddling. Shepperton is on 7 gates but the pool level is so high there’s only about a 30 cm drop, the resulting stopper is ok! But nothing to chunky. As for Sunbury yesterday was a great green wave level but today back to a big sticky hole. It’s ok but a wave would be better
A few pic's from last night and this morning, nothing great! Camera doesn't like the dark.
Ghost Slalom paddlers, Mike and Joel
The dawn patrol down @ Sunbury 6:30 OTW! Man Up or Move Out...
level.............
I keep forgetting to take pictures! Whenever me and the boy best go for a paddle, basically we have too much fun and forget to get out and take any pictures.
We had a great day on Saturday down at Hurley. Sunday the water came up and Hurley went to a big 4. The classic was held on a not so classic level but seams to have gone down a storm. Jon some how made it to the competition despite being handicapped by a large amount of Sambuca the nite before, he still managed to finish 6th well done fella!
With all the rain tho...
Shepperton now on 7, it's alright
Sunbury on 6, think it's good! big wave
Chertsey is out of order until May 09! when hopefully the water will be warm again.
Personally I spent yesterday down at the ROC, Wembely,
surprisingly this ended up ok!out again tonight so are try and get some photos soon.
What’s been going on!
Well, it has been a quite few weeks on the blog front, mainly because we’ve been spending many hours on the new web site! The site is now nearly there, the on line part is up and running well. Please place an order! And the other content part is getting close, give me a few more days and it should be there. Paddling wise, well it aint been that wet! Hurley seams to have held up well, good 3 gates still and even Shepperton and Sunbury have been ok, if you can catch them right. I’m not to sure why but we really seam to be in the middle of Olympian week too, Olympic GOLD medallist and really nice guy Tim Brabants popped in to buy a B/A on Friday, and then last night Mike found Olympic SILVER medallist Dave Florenc down on the water at Shepperton SCC, Shepperton the place to be!
(Cold days! down @ Cherstsey)This weekend if you can chisel your thermals out of your boats, get down to the Dart country park for the very popular Gene 17 weekend. Mike and Graham from the FatCats will be there giving there Greenland talk. Sound very impressive!
Oh, Other news! The BIG cheese has had his ear done!
(extract from www.faldoc.co.uk)
(Surfers ear what’s that?Surfer's ear is a condition of the ear canal where the bony lining under the skin develops a number of lumps (exostoses) that grow into the tube. This can eventually cause a partial or even complete blockage of the ear canal.
So what?If the ear canal is narrowed water and debris can get trapped behind the narrowing causing a very painful infection which is difficult to treat. In very advanced cases it can narrow enough to cause deafness.
Then what? Infections may require visits to the Ear Nose and Throat department at the hospital to have the ears cleaned out along with antibiotics.
Yes, but surely they can remove the blockage?
Well yes but... There is an operation where the surgeon digs a hole in the bone behind your ear and drills out the bony lumps. But this is a bit painful, carries the risk of complications and puts you out of the water for at least 2 months. And if you don't mend your ways it can come back again. Generally the operation is a bit of a last resort, although the surgeons like to do it before the canal is completely blocked. Its fearful reputation is perhaps not totally justified, and most complications and pain occur as a result of infection caused by premature return to the water. Nevertheless, "prevention is better than cure"
GET SOME EAR PLUGS OR AN EARWIG!)
(Hope your better soon mate, you’re booked in for the golf game! See you soon) That’s about it for now! Hopefully the rain will come, the Thames will flood along with all the other cool river in Wales and Devon and I can do a better blog next time! But for now Adious Amigos.
