We're getting there

13th May, the day after my 61st was, originally, to be the first day of our challenge but we changed it to give us more time to train in the better weather.

As it was, the 13th saw us have a training session with the General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Burnley. Steve, who has never canoed before, boarded his inflatable kayak and we set off of in Leeds direction for half an hour before escorting him back to the hotel to help him out of the boat and back onto terra firma.

Steve joining us on his first ever paddle

We then set off on our own and reached Barrowford before turning and heading back to Burnley, a distance of over 14 miles. This is good but even better is that we managed it an an average of 4 mph, including a food stop.

Better still was the fact that although we passed a number of swans they all swam serenely by without their usual aggression. Andrew has decided that if we paddle by in silence they are less likely to trouble us so on the sight of a swan Andrew quietly states (he being in the front) "silent running" and we only speak again when a respectable distance away.

We also now have our poster prepared and for those local to Ilkley you will hopefully see one that is aimed at raising the awareness of the event to those folk not so internet-savvy.