December - The Basingstoke Canal Canoe Club

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2 WaterfrontNews The traditional Boxing Day FANCYHAT/DRESS PADDLE, will be held atHelen WillsWe are all very sorry to hear of the sadloss of Helen Wills who died early in November.Helen was 31 years old and had suffered withvery bad migraines for many years that becametoo much for her to cope with.Chequers Wharf 10.30 ish. Finish with amince pie and Mulled wine followed bythe famous 'Mummers play' at the formerChequers public house,(12 noon) not tobe missed!Quiz Night - Friday, 1st March 2002The Family were founder members of theBCCC and Dad, Brian was Treasurer for awhile. They enjoyed the club activities andholidays we spent together and Helen becamea Slalom paddler.They moved to Somerset about 10 yearsago but have kept in touch with members andcame to the 21st Anniversary Barn dance.Our thoughts are with Ann, Brian and herbrother, Roger.Trix & IanWe have again arranged a general knowledgequiz to help raise funds. Please come along. Thequiz is open to anyone, and there is noconnection with canoeing - except for the fundswe raise for the Club. The competition is forteams of six people and the cost is £24 per team.You will be provided with wine, soft drinks andsnacks to help answer the quiz questions andthere will also be a bar selling wines and beers.Our aim is for you and your friends to have anenjoyable evening even if, at times, you find achallenging question or two.An entry form is enclosed. Please come andjoin in the fun.----------------------------------------------------------Trips and ToursPooh Sticks Sloes the Party(29 September 2001)Mrs Beaton’s Household Management, circa 1950Sloe GinIngredientsSloes, gin, barley-sugar, noyeau or essence ofalmonds.MethodHalf fill clean, dry wine bottles with the fruitpreviously pricked with a darning needle. Add toeach 1 oz of crushed barley-sugar, a little noyeau, or2 or 3 drops of essence of almonds. Fill the bottleswith good unsweetened gin, cork them securely, andallow them to remain in a moderately warm place for3 months. A the end of this time strain the liqueurthrough fine muslin or filtering paper until quiteclear, then bottle it, cork securely, and store for use.Friday evening came, as did the pitter-patter of raindrops, and it (apparently) continued all night. EarlySaturday morning telephone calls changed the paddlefrom a day on the Thames to an afternoon on theBasingstoke Canal, it was felt that the current mightbe a bit fierce at Windsor weir.So its “Hunt the Tea Shoppe” along the canal instead.A Canadian with two and seven Kayaks brave thetempestuous water and broiling sun for a gentlepaddle, in a westerly direction from Odiham Wharf, tothe end of the navigable water.Soon after the start the lead canoeist frightened aswan and with six bounds (who’s counting) ourintrepid hero (sorry, swan) was free and doing itsConcorde impression.It was remarkable how the water became clearer thenearer we got to Greywell - said to be due to less runofffrom the fields and a constant feed of spring water.It was clear enough to see the bottom and the way thesides were angled to reduce wash damage, also toobserve the different species of fish, alive and dead (afair sized pike). A strange variety of Chubb floated on
3 Waterfrontthe water - bright orange and with handle and hose -ask through the Editor if there was a reward for thesalvage!The “siphon” to allow the Cresswell steam to gounderneath the canal is an unusual feature.A leg-stretch at Odiham Castle, once around the ruins,and on with the return.The blackberries were plentiful and plump, as werethe berries of the Nightshade family; this led to adiscussion on the merits and effects of variousculinary poisons - rhubarb leaves, Nightshade, SloeGin etc. as the makings for the latter had also beenseen. Now Pooh Sticks had a “maybe” bag (maybe itwill come in useful) and offered it for the collection ofthe sloes. A few in the party helped and sufficient fora bottle or two were gathered - more could have beenpicked but it was suggested that we ought to catch upwith the rest of the party. (The “pickers” look forwardto sampling the results in a few months time.)The “Hunt” revealed no “Tea Shoppe’s” and PoohSticks believes they are as mythical as the Snuffle-Pooch.Next Autumn perhaps the trip should be repeated,taking two Canadians, two scaffold boards, a stepladderand a couple of buckets - should get enoughsloes for a gallon of gin.P.S.Where do you get barley-sugar these days?“Pooh Sticks”Dart – to flit, dash, scurry, zip,zoom, whizExcuse me ! these may be analogous expressionsbut its canoeists we are talking about, remember.Less of the dashing and scurrying and a bit more ofthe laid back, mine’s a pint approach to life. Now,where was I ? Ooooh yes ! regular readers of thiscolumn will know that your author has a verypersonal view of whitewater trips. This, however, willbe an exception. Only facts to be relayed this timeso that if you are thinking about coming along onthese weekends this will tell you all you need toknow.On rising with the lark (yes I know it was October butas far as I know there could well be larks about) Iproceeded in a northerly direction from Dorking tojoin the M25. After some miles proceeding westwardI was relieved to spot the familiar signs on the M3and, coaxing the old girl in a southwesterly direction,(of come on now, do I have to spell it out ? that’s aeuphemism for “car) I duly arrived in Fleet to pick upRichard who was bidding a tender farewell to the oldgirl (Oh, come on again, that’s a euphemism for“wife”) and we headed on to pick up Colin who wasbidding farewell (though not so tenderly) to the oldgirl (I’m sorry, what do you mean you don’tunderstand. It’s a euphemism for “mother”). At 8o’clock we were off, next stop Dart Country Park forthe rendevous with the lads. (not an old girl of anydescription in sight). For those of you who may notbe familiar with the DCP (no, I’m NOT going to spellit out !) its located in a fine old English country housesurrounded by the sort of grounds that fine oldEnglish country houses were surrounded by.Our arrival took me back to my childhood. Sweepingup the majestic drive, the limousine new exactlywhere it was going. But, where were butler, nanny,cook, servants. Was I really expected to park myown car ? How times have changed. At least wehad a wing of the house to ourselves. Heavens !.The thought of having to commune with otherpeople. We made do with eight bedrooms, twobathrooms, two withdrawing rooms and a couple ofkitchens. Of course it wasn’t what we were used tobut we didn’t complain.In our party was a gentleman of a certain age whosepenchant was, among very many other things, thecomposing of limericks. No dear reader, I would notrisk offending your sensibilities before the nineo’clock watershed by repeating them in this columnbut I believe the Mayor of Casterbridge had a prettygood time in one and a lady who carried her “bits” ina paper bag was admired in another ! However, fora family publication the following rendition isconsidered unlikely to upset even the most delicatedisposition.On paddling the Dart onedayI heard a young gentlemansayOn a river like thisLife always seems blissBut its so easy to lose oneswayOooh I know just how he feels, Everard, I said, firstits this way, then that, right here, left there, roundthat one…….when actually all I wanted to do was toget to the Little Chef at Buckfast in time for an allday breakfast. No such luck but it was fun trying.And now for some facts….Water levels were a bit on the low side although allthe major features on the river including the TumbleDrier, the Microwave and Triple Food Mixer were allas soft as old pussy cats. As for the Corkscrew andthe Fish Slice their customary majesty held noterrors nor even the mighty cliff at Jilters Jump. So,no acts of derring do to recount that night. But whatof day two.
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December - The Basingstoke Canal Canoe Club

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