Now that our International Canoe camping tour of the River Thames is in the past I would like to congratulate and thank all those who participated, and in particular the organising team, for making this what must have been the most outstanding canoe-camping meet ever held in this Country.
The Thames, of course, is an exceptional river. Its length just right for a two week tour, a meandering sylvan little river at the start, growing into a large industrial and tidal river at the end with much to interest, both on the water and along its banks. Its locks with their efficient and ever pleasant keepers keep the group together, and so help the important social side along.
Visitors from abroad, all over Europe and America, outnumbered our own people, and although there were almost two hundred paddlers there was room for more. So where were all those English “enthusiasts” we meet? Don’t they realise that the best canoe-camping river in the world is on their doorstep and that this was a golden opportunity for them to tour it? We should have been saying “Sorry, fully booked”.
Lastly, thanks to the canoeing trade who, with their generosity, made it possible for us to help canoeists from the poorer nations to attend.
Dennis G. Lees