Wednesday 25 March 2009

Thanks for invaluable help

Right from the start we have had the benefit of encouragement, moral support and help of a more practical nature from family and friends. Kirstine Pearson and Mark Jordan made sure we could get to Crosby Beach at silly o'clock in time to start the trip.

Long standing NWSK paddlers Anne & Andrew Taylor welcomed us aboard their narrowboat at the end of day 1 and filled us up with plenty of tea and bowls of hot soup before allowing us to stay the night.

Another long standing NWSKer, Peter Roscoe met us about half way through day 2 and hurled a barrage of supportive phrases from the towpath. He also wins the prize for holding the video camera the most steady.

Jean's Husband, Andy Brown met us at the beginning of day 3 and took charge of the video camera whilst we portaged and paddled 'the Rochdale Nine' in central Manchester. By the end of that day as we weary 4 neared Smithy Bridge Mark Jordan and Paul Reynolds met us at the station car park and I was promptly handed a can of beer! (hurrah!) Paul then took us to his house where we spent the night. The next morning Paul was kind enough to give us a lift back to the canal.

Jean's mum and 4 year old son, Christopher came to meet us giving us a welcome morale boost. Photo Credit: John Coates

Later on day 4 a local NWSK paddler Richard Hayes came to our rescue. Liz and I had become exhausted and it looked as if we might not reach Brighouse. Richard picked us up from near where he works in Mytholmroyd and took us the rest of the way by road, giving us a fighting chance to tackle the next day with more gusto. The next day Richard came to the rescue once again by driving us and our kayaks around a 5 mile stretch of impassable drained canal with closed towpaths.

As we reached Goole and salt water once again we were thankful to be able to call upon the services of Sabina. Whilst Jean and I began the paddling of day 7, Glen and Liz stayed ashore with illness and exhaustion. They met us as we took a break beneath the Humber Bridge and helped us ashore as we landed at Paull shortly after dusk.

Finally Kirstine, Mark and Andy joined the crew of the Humber Lifeboat station to meet us at the end of our voyage before taking us home.

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