November 2006 - Canoeist Magazine

34
CANOEIST November 2006
Costly dead fish
From Phil Sheardown, Canoe Adventures.
I’ve this morning received and read the BCU’s response to the
Brighton Uni/EA witless river access document. It fully supports your
commentaries in Canoeist (still sadly missed) at the time. The exercise
carries the hallmark of a costly dead fish.
Alternative to BCU being discussed again
From Andrew Wilkinson.
At a recent meeting relating to the changes to the BCU coaching
scheme and 1 to 5 Star changes Nigel Timmins said words to the effect
that Sport England pay our salaries; what Sport England want they will
get; the BCU membership’s interests are secondary.
Anywhere else the resignation of the person making that statement
that would be a forgone conclusion.
Meetings to discuss the changes/presentations on the same are being
time tabled with less than 6 weeks’ notice when many of those
attending have got diaries filled 6 to 12 months in advance.
There are, I understand, several groups looking into the
establishment of an alternative to the BCU which would be more
supportive of the clubs and club paddlers.
The last I heard, someone was looking into an insurance policy to
cover clubs and approved instructors and how to make use of
disaffected coaches.
Wet cut, Sir?
From Steve Anstee, Maidstone Canoe Club.
I am a coach at Maidstone Canoe Club; over a beer one lunchtime a
friend and I laughingly decided to try fitting a petrol strimmer to a
kayak!
Guess what. It worked brilliantly.
The feed back from our members has been hilarious.
The flying brick
From Paul Fessi.
I have just returned from 2006 International Birdman Competition
to raise money for Diabetes UK for children with diabetes.
I have raised to date £3,380 for this event.
As it involves chucking oneself off an 11 metre scaffold tower into
the sea I was offered money for charity to do it in a kayak disguised as
the flying brick.
I work for Hanson plc as an engineering manager.
I am a BCU White Water Coach and I thought it would be nice if
you could include the pictures of the day to raise the profile of
diabetes. Some of our top sportspersons have diabetes.
We have named the photos ‘What coaches get up to when the rivers
are dry.’