CSCC Reports 2012: Medway Paddle - 8th December 2012

Julia joined the two Joneses for a relaxing paddle on the River Medway on 8th December.  We launched at Tonbridge by the leisure centre and paddled to the Anchor Inn at Yalding.  It was a mild, sunny day with no wind, so we couldn't have hoped for better.  Julia and Stewart made an excellent tandem team in a Canadian and I had to paddle hard in my kayak to keep up with them. We were followed virtually all the way by a friendly lady with a weimeraner dog who was walking along the river footpath, so we must have been paddling at exactly walking pace for almost 3 hours, which with little or no current assistance was not bad.  
This stretch of the river is a pretty, rural one.  We didn't spot a lot of wildlife that particular day, so my favourite moment was when we paddled past a converted oast house.  I love their funnels set at a jaunty angle. 

There are canoe chutes at the locks on the Medway which looked great fun, but sadly they were all temporarily shut - the river had clearly broken its banks in the preceding days and had only just retreated.  We chose to obey the signs and portaged round, although Stewart and I did go down the first chute which was clearly safe again.  I'd like to go back and do the steeper chutes - they reminded me of the log flume at Alton towers.
On arriving at Yalding we had hoped to visit the tea pot shop and indulge in the traditional civil service pursuit of drinking tea, but it too was shut.  Stewart and I went off to fetch his car, while Julia stood sentry over the canoe.  When we returned the sun had set and my car's thermometer was showing 1 degree celsius.  As a reward for her stoicism we bought Julia dinner in the Anchor Inn (a thatched building) and after thawing out by the real fire we headed for home.

Thanks for Stewart for organising this trip.  A touring trip in December hadn't sounded like a particularly sensible idea, but I'm glad I took the risk and turned up for this one! 

Julia's pictures are here http://www.civilservicecanoeclub.org.uk/csccgallery/thumbnails.php?album=39