Taking notes on River Running

The conflict of interpretation and opinion between river anglers and river kayakers gains heat and interest as the Welsh Assembly discusses access to water issues,

It was rather timely, then, that I was invited by Nige to go kayaking on the river Ogmore. My sea boat would be a little out of place here, so he kindly provided me with something small and plastic that floated.

The anglers on this river are gaining or should I say retaining a reputation for their take on who can partake on this (their) waterway.

Chris and self are the numtys on this trip, but looking forward to it. Having gone a short way down the river we pass an angler who shouts something at as and whips out his mobile to begin a conference call. Are we expecting trouble? I think positive vibes.

Chris enjoys the calm and tranquility

Onwards we venture. Chris then realises he has left his keys in the car. Not his car, which is at the get out, no, he has left them in one of the cars at the get in. He and Rhys walk back to fetch them. After what seems like ages they return with the key and a couple of notes that have been left on the windscreens.

Lies, damn lies and interpretation

The signed up for excitement is yet to come.
Paddling down the picturesque river, we go over some small weirs and even do a bit of surfing on a river, how crazy is that! Yayeee.

Nige captured some of our short trip with his Spielberg skills

Rhys counts the number of numptys getting back off the river safely

It was an enjoyable day all round which started a bit of additional topical debate.

Thanks to Nige and Rhys for being our warrior leaders. I hadn’t been on a river and had such entertainment since my early teens. I remember paddling down the Ogmore from Bridgend all the way to the seashore, and recall being followed by a green clad man along the river bank who purported to being a bailiff. It seems I was paddling faster than he could trot and I don’t recall what he was saying. The atmosphere doesn’t seem to have changed in 30 years.

I’m thinking rivers now and am reminiscing of a crazy paddle trip in fiberglass ‘snipes’ down the tiny river called The Thaw from just above Cowbridge to as close as we dared get to the sea, at Aberthaw, before we thought we'd get consumed by the cement plant – I’ve just google earthed it and it looks as if we could make it all the way! Sounds like a plan to me . . .