Fun in the river

[nickk]

Very lucky here being on the riverbank,there’s a 1’ drop here that causes a fast channel,just deep enough to swim and drift,in the shallow still pools water is lukewarm already.

 

[Ubique]

A mate of mine lives in Pembridge, we've taken Canoe's (or possibly Kayak's) down that stretch in as good and slightly worse weather, enjoyed it every time - a great place to be. Also had a bit of fun in the wooded slopes above Baskerville Hall, probably verboten now!

 

[frank horton]

good to see some of the kids with floatation vests......

 

[armalites]

When you've grown up in a rural area this kind of thing is completely normal for kids. For many kids it's the sort of thing they only ever get to do on holiday. It's great to see as a society many young people grow up never having done anything that challenges them physically or mentally.

We have friends who's kinds have good lives and have had chances to see lots of places in the world but they still talk about the time jumped off the bank into the stream or went on the rope swing at our house years later. It's amazing to see a kid who is a bit cautious finally pluck up the courage to take a leap into the water and then go on to do it for hours.

Seems like it's all about having fun but these experiences can have a massive effect on the rest of their lives.

We are very fortunate in Herefordshire that there are still loads of places you can go that won't be overrun by people.

 

[armalites]

good to see some of the kids with floatation vests......

I totally understand that point of view although personally I think risk/challenge builds strong people. We all want our kids to be safe but I genuinely believe if they don't explore their limits they will hold themselves back. You cannot learn to evaluate a situation unless you experience things, that's how common sense is formed.

 

[nickk]

That’s my son,a strong confident swimmer,as he lived by a fast and rapidly rising brook from the age of 7 months,we had private swim lessons for him from a young age,before he did any wild swimming.

 

[Migmac]

Any hot weather we got during the summer holidays, we spent on the river Tweed. Great fun, no adults anywhere.

 

[magnet]

We spent our young days in and around the local river. Inner tubing making rafts fishing and swimming. Simpler times.Great to see youngsters enjoying the water.

 

[pedrobedro]

We used to camp on a site with a river (the Manifold river) with a right angle bend at the corner of the field. In the middle of where the river turned it was about 6 feet deep for a short distance and I was swimming in it when some young girls on the bank stopped and asked me how deep it was. I stood up then walked into the middle and was submerged then came up again. They accused me of kneeling down in the middle to make it look deep.

 

[Brad93]

Quite a few times i've swam in the chelmer. Nothing quite like wild swimming although i still prefer the sea.

(Always swim upstream of the sewage works and never after it's rained)

 

[tom2207]

We spent our young days in and around the local river. Inner tubing making rafts fishing and swimming. Simpler times.Great to see youngsters enjoying the water.

Same generation , school hols were spent dreaming of getting a truck tire inner tube , Esk was my river , I think it was just before health and safety was invented.

 

[dobbslc]

We used to jump off the bridge over the canal in Cassiobury Park in Watford, there was a wier in the river that leads to a secret old water mill ruin that we used to play in.
40 years later my two boys trying to reach the mill island using trees branches

 

[nickk]

@Ubique ,they used to hold motorcycle and 4wd trials in that wood,I’ve competed in at least one,trouble is ,all the sections are the same type,not so challenging or interesting after the first round.

 

[nickk]

Different type of fun this week,local young farmers group,my sons in,raft building.