Tag: London
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Paddle London: Seen from the Water – Gasholders
Beloved Victorian engineering or eyesore? I’ve always had a soft spot for gasholders and researching Paddle London has given me front-row views of some of the best ones from the water. In the latest “London, Seen from the Water” post, I paddle past the restored frames at King’s Cross and Bethnal Green on Regent’s Canal…
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Paddle London: Seen from the Water – Street Art
Vandalism, activism or art? Researching Paddle London has turned me into a bit of a street art spotter. Along London’s waterways, there’s the political, the playful, the beautiful and the downright odd. I’ve rounded up 10 pieces and places that stayed with me, from Camden to Hackney Wick and beyond.
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Paddle London: Seen from the Water – Glimmers
Urban paddling is full of tiny surprises — a sketcher at City Road Lock, a bookswap box at Enfield Lock, a coot nesting in a boat fender. I’ve put together ten small glimmers from my London paddles that made me smile.
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What my book Paddle London is all about
I wrote a book! After two years of researching, paddling, planning, photographing, mapping and working with Bloomsbury, Paddle London, my guide to 40 paddleboarding routes in and around Greater London, is now available to pre-order (https://amzn.eu/d/3BUBviV). It’s full of the practical details paddlers actually need: launch points, portages, distances, public transport, car parks, licences, safety,…
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Santa SUP Season: Festive paddles in 2025
Santa SUPs are brightening winter waterways across the country. Costumes, music and charity spirit make these events wonderfully social. And if you fancy joining in, there’s a handy list of 2025 festive SUP events included.
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SUP Tips: Who pulled the plug at Richmond?
The Richmond draw-off is when the PLA lifts the sluice gates and lowers the Thames between Richmond and Teddington to its natural tidal level for annual maintenance. Water levels drop – here’s why it happens, what changes on the river and what paddlers need to know.
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SUP Tips: Tides, Weir & Flow at Richmond, Thames
Ready for a Richmond Thames paddle? Know the tides, river flow and how the Richmond lock and weir impact paddling.
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SUP Stories: Tilda (London)
What do you get when you combine lower back pain, Bill Bailey and a love for travel? For Tilda, that’s how she discovered paddleboarding. An Unexpected Beginning Tilda didn’t set out to fall for SUP. She was just trying to fix her bad back and avoid the gym. A TV clip of Bill Bailey paddleboarding…
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SUP Stories: Louise (London)
If you’ve ever paddled on the Thames in southwest London, chances are you’ve seen Louise out on the water. Always smiling, always quietly outpacing the rest of us. She’s been paddling for over a decade and was one of the first to take the ASI instructor course with Steve West in Brentford back in 2012.…
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SUP Stories: Anu (London)
A New Series: Real Paddlers, Real Routes I’m starting a new blog series celebrating people who’ve made SUP part of their lives. Not pros. Not influencers. Just real paddlers, finding joy on the water. Each post will share why they paddle and their favourite route, one they’d recommend to two others, who I’ll then interview…
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SUP Route: London Legacy Loop, Limehouse
I like paddling with my partner. But she doesn’t always want to paddle with me. This surprises me, especially since I’m the one who even pumps up her board. Evidently, her reluctance stems from my tendency to prolong our SUP trips. She claims that they frequently turn into never-ending odysseys. This notion is entirely baseless.…
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SUP Route: Richmond 5am Club, Thames
Early bird? No, I’m not a morning person. In fact, I’m barely even a person until I’ve had my second cup of tea. And staying up late into the night? Night owling is not my style either. So what does that make me? Perhaps a daytime squirrel, darting about during the daylight hours. I’ve been…
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SUP Tips: POV: London Paddleboarder
One day I will be a paddleboarder with a decked-out camper van. My van will be called ‘Wanderlust Wheels’. It will have solar panels and the trendiest coffee-making gadget. I’ll seek out the best paddle spots and explore crystal-clear lakes, meandering rivers and scenic coastlines. But until then, my everyday SUP life in London is…
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SUP Route: Richmond-Hampton Court, Thames
I cheated this winter. I completely neglected my relationship with SUP and had an intense affair with the gym. It was all physical. In the warm embrace of the indoors, I was swept away by the allure of the barbell, kettlebell and sorry, the ski erg! More about my gym Barch in a separate post…
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SUP Tips: Checklist for Safe Adventures, River Thames
Are you ready for some SUP on the River Thames in London? Hold your horses, cowperson! Before you hit the water, let’s go over this quick checklist to keep you safe and sound on your SUP adventure: And there you have it, my simple checklist for a safe and enjoyable Thames SUP adventure. Don’t forget…
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SUP Route: Putney-Richmond, Thames
I travel to Putney on the District Line and walk to our launch point. So thankful for my wheelie bag! Like most Saturdays, the Embankment is heaving with rowing crews. Just before low water, the ebbing Thames has left the concrete slipway along the riverbank muddy and slippery. We pump up the boards and wait…
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SUP Route: Weybridge, Thames & River Wey
Sometimes I wish I had a car. Getting from Richmond to Weybridge riverside on public transport was complicated with the usual weekend engineering works – 90 minutes for a modest 17km. Seriously! It would have been a feasible bike ride, but I am yet to carry my SUP bag on my trusted electric Brompton. At…
My SUP Stories 