Devizes to Westminster

DW Final Day: They think it's all over... It is now!

2010-04-04T12:44:00.001-07:00

Girl Power! Lollie, Ellie and Gemma.

Following a restful night at the Thames Young Mariners campsite (interrupted only by a couple of streakers - not from RHS, I hasten to add!), the crews were rudely awoken at 5am by the sound of saucepans being bashed by the marshalls. Support teams were on site early to clear the camping gear - spurred along by the loud, shouty man with the megaphone.

Come in number 175 - your time is up!

On your marks, get set... Go!

The mass start was fantastic to see - lots of very worried looking paddlers, jockeying for position before the rolling start. Fortunately, two of our crews (Alex and Chris; Will and John) had top 20 positions after day 3, allowing them to be into the group at the front of the pack.

A sprint to the car, and the support teams were off as well - either aiming to view the paddlers from the vantage points of the bridges over the Thames, or simply to get a parking space at St Thomas's Hospital for the finish at Westminster Bridge!

Concerned support teams at Westminster Bridge.

As yesterday, the flow on the river was good, but the paddlers had to face some strong head-on winds, making the paddle a challenging one. The first RHS crew home was Alex and Chris with a time for the day of about 1 hour 45 minutes. We await the final confirmation of their timings, but it looks likely that they have set a new school record of 18 hours and 39 minutes.

Happy but tired - Chris and Alex with their medals.

With all of the excitement, Errol and Rhys decided to have a little swim before the finish and had to be rescued - the rescue team managed to get them back into their boat and they completed the race (nothing to do with the fact that they had a fall and nearly broke their boat whilst getting onto the water in the morning!). Will and John had a good, solid paddle, despite their injuries and the fact that Will was held together with Duck Tape. Gemma and Dave crossed the finish with wonderful smiles on their faces, as for the entire race. Ellie and Lollie completed Day 4 alongside Monty and Joe (as seen below) demonstrating excellent teamwork. Ellie and Lollie found an interesting way to jump the queue for being extracted from the river at the steps of County Hall - by capsizing!

Teamwork in action. Ellie and Lollie with Monty and Joe finish together.

Parents, teachers and supporters (and there were many former pupils there to cheer on the RHS crews - thank you for your support) were delighted to see all of the RHS crews successfully complete DW 2010.

A happy (and dry) Errol and Rhys sporting their medals.

Once finished, all paddlers got themselves into warm clothes, had some warm food and drink and enjoyed the moment. The obligatory bottles of fizz were produced and were worn as proudly as their wrist bands and medals!

Back row: John, Will, Errol, Gemma, monty, Dave, Chris
Front row: Alex, Ellie, Lollie, Joe
Keeping out of the way: Lee and Les

The proceedings were rounded off with a few speeches - the paddlers were congratulated on their efforts; the support teams were thanked by Mr Menday and Mr Thompson on behalf of the paddlers, and Mr Menday and Mr Thompson were thanked on behalf of the paddlers by Jane Myatt. (This is the point where your author got somewhat emotional at the prospect of NOT being involved again next year. DW has been the most absorbing and involving thing that I have done for my son during his time at RHS, and I cannot thank Les and Lee enough for everything that they put into the training and the event. I feel confident that all other parents will feel exactly as I do, so a huge and public thank you to them for all that they do.)

Two of the boats used this year were bought with funds from the William Turner Memorial Fund, and the paddlers are very grateful for having had the opportunity to do the race with this support.

'So it's goodnight from me... And it's goodnight from him.'

So, that was DW 2010. A memorable and emotional 4 days for all involved.

CM

Paddlers: 125 miles
Support teams: Irrelevant!

DW Day 3: I've started, so I'll finish...

2010-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is NOT the way down the Thames!

But does it matter how you finish??? Our crews are experimenting this year with a variety of different techniques for crossing the finishing line. The following techniques have been tried so far:

1. Running with your boat - Alex and Chris on Day 1.

2. Capsizing just before the finishing line and crossing it upsidedown with the number not on display - Monty and Joe on Day 3. (Many thanks to Lee for shouting out their number to the marshalls so that the time was recognised.)

3. Keeping on going past the finishing line (in an attempt to make it a 3 day race maybe?) - overly keen Errol and Rhys on Day 3.

4. Paddling over the line with the boat the right way up - everyone else on every other occasion. (On balance - probably the best option!)

'Feed me!!!'

Who would have thought it! Hamsters in kayaks!

So that was DW Day 3. All boats were up and away from the bog that is Longridge Campsite, with the last boat departing at 9.04am. The flow on the river was fantastic, meaning that all crews whizzed downstream, with good weather assisting all. The rate of flow meant that the support crews had a major challenge keeping up with the super-speedy paddlers and the day flew by for all involved. Spirits were high for the paddlers, although there were some worried looking faces at the rate of water flowing around some of the weirs.

Gemma getting some running repairs to her hands.

All crews had a good paddle, with only the paddlers (not the boats!) needing running repairs today. But who would have thought that 38 miles could be covered so quickly - all paddlers getting great times, with Alex and Chris posting the fastest RHS time of the day of 4 hours 41 minutes. Alex threatened to give Chris a big kiss if they completed the day in under 5 hours, so watch out Chris!!!

'Surely we deserve a lie in on the last morning?'

The tide tomorrow is not outrageously early, and the instructions were up at The Thames Young Mariners campsite, advertising the mass start at 7.35am. Let's hope that all paddlers eat tons tonight and get lots of sleep in preparation for the final day.

Come on guys! Only 17 miles to go!

Paddlers: 108 miles
Support crews: 114 miles (in support - not including all of the extra bits to and from home/hotels etc!)

CM

PS Most bizarrely, the paddlers covered more miles in their boats today than we did in support in our car!

DW Day 2: The Sun Came Out!

2010-04-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

'Now where did we put that minibus?'

After a good night's sleep, the crews were up and away this morning for the paddle from Newbury to Marlow. The sun was shining and what a difference it made to both the paddlers and the support crews! The conditions held for the whole day, and all paddlers battled throughout the day - but at least the weather did not cause more challenges than the major one of paddling 36 miles.

Alex and Chris pulling away from Dreadnought Reach

Monty and Joe enjoying the sunshine.

Will and John at Colthrop Lock.

Pitstop RHS style - eat your heart out, Jenson Button!

Ellie and Lamorna sporting new hats today.

Rhys and Errol keep up the tempo.

David and Gemma still smiling after a swim earlier in the day.

It was great to see the crews coming into Marlow, with them knowing that they are now well over halfway. Gemma's beaming smile (which was in evidence all day - well, at least when we saw her!) was enough to brighten up anyone's day!

The Longridge campsite was a quagmire (again!), but at least the parking arrangements were better than last year (not difficult, as it was a nightmare and the police threatened to stop the event).

All crews were encouraged to eat, eat and eat some more after the evident troughs in energy levels observed throughout the day. Oh, and then eat some more.

Here's hoping for more sunshine tomorrow... .

Paddlers: 70 miles
Support crew: 88 miles

CM

DW Day 1: 6 Boats Started; 5 ¾ Finished…

2010-04-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

...and they're off!

An early start for all, a few early morning nerves, and then they were off! The 6 RHS crews set off on their 125 miles, 4 days marathon. The day started overcast but dry, enabling everyone to get away successfully between 8.30 and 9.00am.

The day proved to be a challenging one, as the weather misbehaved, drenching both the paddlers and support crews for most of the day. The portages proved muddy and difficult, with many crews having a few stumbles and even (sadly for the boats) falls. By lunchtime, it is likely that most of the support crews were as wet as their paddlers, with sideways rain pelting down!

It was good to see Mr and Mrs Blackett throughout the day – both were impressed with the effort required by the pupils and support crews, and we hope that they gained an insight into how demanding DW is for all involved.

Monty and Joe powering along.

Ellie and Lamorna make it easy for the support crews to find them!

All crews completed the day… but not necessarily on the water. Much to our surprise, Alex and Chris ran over the finish line along the towpath, carrying their boat (and they had been running for a mile and a half by that point!). They had had a couple of falls, their rudder came a cropper and they finished rudderless. A couple of other boats also suffered with the conditions, but, thankfully, Mr Thompson had his new tool kit to hand.

Les and his shiney new tool kit.

Will and John achieved the best time of the day (6 hours 17 minutes), so big congratulations to them for doing so well in the bad conditions.

Whilst the paddlers got themselves clean, warm and dry (before they got wet again putting up their tents!), Dr Thompson and Nurse Menday got to work on 4 of the boats – major surgery needed on Alex and Chris’s boat, two more needing attention to their rudders and one foot plate to be fixed. Thanks to the surgical skills of Les and Lee, all boats are in a fit state to go on the water tomorrow.

Dr Thompson and Nurse Menday in the operating theatre.

The report at the end of the day is that all crews found the day tough, but that they were pleased to have completed their first day of the race.

So as our little paddlers feed themselves and snuggle down for the night, the support crews get busy cleaning and drying kit, ready for everyone to do it all again tomorrow… .

Paddlers - 34.5 miles
Support Crew - 41 miles

So close, so close but yet so far...

2010-04-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Support crew - 100 miles
Paddlers - 0 miles

The 100 mile drive from home to Devizes has taken considerably longer than hoped, but we are here. And that is despite the worst that the traffic around Oxford had to throw at us, supper en route, plus a 20 minute detour as the road to Devizes was closed. (May prove interesting tomorrow for those coming directly here.)

Alex has made sure that his boat is on the trailer (which it is), has checked that he has the right kit for the morning (which he has) and is checking the 'Bag o' Death' (which is correctly packed). Any more checking and I will be changing his middle name to Tartan!

The emergency dry bag with its contents is affectionately known as the 'Bag o' Death' in our house. This is because Alex believes (in his wonderfully cheerful way) that it could be the last thing that he ever eats or drinks should things not go according to plan for the next few days... .

Well, the alarms - plural - are set, as are we.

CM

PS. Did anyone book good weather for us???

Ready, steady, cook!

2010-03-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

'Now where were they when I needed a hand in the kitchen today?'

The 'Red Tomato' was the clear winner in today's cookathon in preparation for DW. The 'Green Pepper' put in a brief appearance in the Bolognaise sauce, but the tomato was streets ahead with 5 tins of them plus a tube of tomato puree included for good measure.

Quite clearly, this was enough cooking (along with a serious dose of flapjack baking) to feed a small army, not just a rather hungry 18 year old son for 3 nights. The whole family were on the receiving end of a tomato and pasta based meal tonight, and there is plenty for them whilst I am supporting Alex for DW. Oh, and there's enough for a meal for 4 in the freezer on our return.

Well, the boxes and bags are just about packed, the roof box goes on in the morning, and when we load it all, I will probably discover that I just about have enough room for one change of clothes and a toothbrush (if I'm lucky!).

Time for a good night's sleep now, and the fun will start in earnest tomorrow... .

CM

Fasta Pasta!

2010-03-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

So, you're ready to go then, son?

The preparation is about to start in earnest... . Alex has asked to be fed more from now on - and actually admitted to being thoroughly full up after supper tonight. Result! As long as I don't get tempted to increase my food intake as well... ! So it's pasta all the way from now in our house, lots of fluids (excluding alcohol, naturally), more pasta and more pasta.

Following last year's experience with the delights of Travelodges, etc, I discovered that the kettles are woefully tiny. I had to boil ours 4 times on the first day to be able to fill one flask for coffees! So I am adding a cheap kettle to my shopping list for tomorrow - it will come in handy when Alex goes to university in the Autumn for his tea parties (he does like a good cup of Earl Grey).

So a good night's sleep is needed before a day of preparation, packing and cooking tomorrow.

CM

PS I wonder if there are any pasta-based breakfast cereals so that we can keep up the carbs at every meal?

Is anyone list(en)ing?

2010-03-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the day of the list. In fact, it is the day of the list of lists.

The list of lists is as follows:

List of things to buy (to be continued after yesterday's impressive start)
List of things to pack for Alex (teenage boy - suspect it may go horribly wrong if I leave it completely to him!)
List of things to pack for me and rest of the support crew (I pretty much forgot about us last year, but managed to muddle through!)
List of things to do (such as check the tent, put roof box on the car, to name but a few)
List of things to cook
List of paperworky things to take (such as Travelodge & Premier Inn reservation details - I do like to live in the lap of luxury for the weekend...)
List of things to find (following on from Lists 2 and 3!)

and finally,

List of things to do following Easter Monday (relax, put feet up, get pampered, etc.)

Well, a girl can dream...

CM

Full moon... half moon... total eclipse!

2010-03-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

'Are you sure that all of these are for use by serious athletes, Madam?'

Major excitement for all DW parents! Our local 'One Stop' convenience store has triple packs of proper Jaffa cakes for sale at HALF PRICE!!!

Get yourselves down there immediately, and stock up fast before they all run out!

I never used to get terribly excited about Jaffas, but they are such a staple for events such as DW that I am always on the look out for good deals. I did get some serious questions at the till about the volume that I was buying though - for some bizarre reason no-one ever believes the response that they are for use by some serious athletes!

The shopping list is taking shape nicely. I includes the following items (but no Jaffas now that they are safely purchased, ready to be packed):

Lots of blister plasters - for Chris's hands, if last year is anything to go by
Several gallons of Lucozade Sport (although I will be trying out the DIY recipes as well)
Numerous big bottles of the cheapest still water that our best supermarkets can provide
Paracetamol and ibuprofen (but I promise to tell teacher if they are needed by the paddlers - do you think they need to know how many the parents take?)
Tins of rice pudding and custard - my son, Alex, rather likes these for evening snacks
More than a few bags of chewy sweets such as fruit pastilles (more funny looks at the till)
Sterilising tablets or liquid - a long time since I visited the baby department of a supermarket, but Milton is very useful especially if your paddler has gone swimming with their Camelback on!

This list is by no means complete, but will be worked on for the next few days until I get more funny looks at my local supermarket... .

CM

PS I wonder if McVities would consider sponsoring the team one year???

DW minus 6

2010-03-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Who do they think they are? Teachers?

Welcome to all who want to find out what it is like being a parent of a DW paddler!

Today's briefing by the marvellous double act of Messrs Menday and Thompson will have either:

a. Reassured you that you are confident and capable enough to support your offspring through what is probably the toughest challenge of their short lives,

or

b. Left you wondering what on earth you have let yourself in for!!!

If it is any help at all, 12 months ago I was definitely in Category B... . Here I am in 2010 feeling confident that I can do the best for my son, and actually enjoy the whole event this time around.

So with 6 days to go before the start of the main event (yes, only 6 days), what happens next. Well, my bedtime reading will be the fantastic guide put together by Mrs Myatt (many thanks for this wonderful, informative booklet, Jane) and I will be writing my shopping list tomorrow.

My question as I toddle off to bed is this:

Who supports the support crews???

CM