A PADDLE DOWN THE LOXLEY

Having passed Dam flask two days before and noticing there was water going down the over flow, I knew this meant there was a good chance that the Loxley could be paddled from where the Loxley and the Rivelin meet at Malin Bridge.

So Saturday morning, 9.00am I met with Julie Bob John Tim, and Deb driving the support vehicle at the bottom of Rivelin Valley Road. After cups of coffee and everyone admiring Julie’s new buoyancy aid, we stumbled down the over grown path to the confluence of the Rivelin and Loxley and off we went well for at least two yards. Who put that bridge there? I can tell you that the water in the Loxley tastes better than the Don. Deb took photos but missed the swimmer. And off we go again, the first obstacle is the weir at the back of Holme Lane builder’s merchants, it’s impressive as small weirs go and had a nice play wave.

We then weaved our way down to Hillsborough where Deb was there to greet us, more photo opportunities. After gingerly going around the 440-volt cable, which was looping into the river from the bridge above, we arrived at the weir head in the centre of Hillsborough. The on looking crowd or should I say the people waiting at the bus stop, where given a display of how it’s not as easy as they thought to go over a weir. Hutching and heaving I eventually went over the top (bus stop queue turn round, sucking their teeth look at their watch and scan the horizon, wondering when the next bus will arrive). Everyone else safely over the weir we continued down to Penistone Road opposite B&Q where there is a very low bridge. Once under this we came across the next weir were the goyt was blocked, so all the water was going over, nice!

On the way down to the back of Daniel Doncaster’s Bob and John removed small trees from breach in goyt and we carried on. Just 200 yards later we met the River Don opposite the old silver mill on Club Mill Lane. All of a sudden we were padding not steering as the water had slowed down and not mentioning the change in colour, we were soon upon the Club Mill Road weir (fantastic). Last years flood has knocked out some masonry in the middle so we had a very nice play at the bottom with the extra water.

On through Neepsend over the weir at Sanderson’s mill, still full of stone from the flood we then arrived at Ball Street Bridge and weir where the flood has made an island above the weir we got out and had dinner or for the southerner in the party, lunch. The next part of the rest period has been edited as unspeakable things happened including the cruelty to Wilson who was left behind on the island. Tim / Bob this will not go down well on your CRB check, and John you will be getting a letter from the Neepsend residents association, nuff said!

Over the weir and past Kelham Island Museum, five minutes on we meet Michael. (He said he had been shopping at Morrison’s a likely story! That’s for laughing when they told you I fell out of my boat Michael, anyway Michael took his shopping home and came to accompany us on our final part of the journey.
Over Ladies Bridge weir onto the Spider Bridge over Mill Walk weir and out at the Bailey Bridge at just before Norfolk Bridge. Michael met us there on foot and helped carry Julie’s boat the five hundred yards to the canal. Coffee time and one of Debra’s buns I threw one to a duck, the RSPCA said it would be ok in a week or two. Only kidding Deb I ate them all.

Well who should come around the bend of the canal but Dave Stannard and his pal Adam, they just happened to have paddled all the way from London just to meet us. NOT!
After we had all congratulated them we hung around for twenty minutes, as they wanted to get to the canal at the agreed time. So we followed Dave and Adam into the canal basin to a heroes welcome.

 I for one felt very humbled at the achievement of these two men, and I felt a bit of a fraud at being cheered on by the crowd, after all Dave and Adam had just paddled 300 miles and we only did 300 yards with them. That was a nice end to a nice day. I think we should do it again, next time Dave and Adam can come too.

Tony Canning