I am Roger Beaman. I first paddled a kayak on a Scout camp at Bala in 1972. It’s fair to say that I have been paddling canoes and kayaks ever since, with a trip down the Grand Canyon, a week of paddling around the Isles of Scilly, a circumnavigation of Menorca and six days of Norwegian fjords and coastline being some of the highlights of the past 11 years. While I am not suggesting doing any of those trips as part of u3a, I am suggesting a St Ives u3a canoeing and kayaking group for those able to paddle and with their own equipment.

If you are interested in joining like-minded people bobbing about on local (and maybe not so local) waters, then I’d like to hear from you. I have both an open canoe and several kayaks (including sea and whitewater, and even a 3-man kayak if you want to bring your partner and the dog), so happy to use a single or a double blade when on the water.

This is not an invitation to have paddling lessons from me (I can point you in the direction of 3 clubs in the county that can help), although if you want a few tips and tricks, I am happy to help. And while I do have what I consider to be a reasonable amount of paddling gear, I am not a general outfitter for u3a. Initially I envisage some simple trips on the local rivers, but very happy to discuss looking further afield if people want to travel.

(Free image)