[Stitcher]

Four pints and a 135 miles deal

By Fran Bardsley
6:00pm Friday 3rd August 2007
http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/d....php?fromrss=1

A publandlord is planning to put his 'Dutch courage' to the test by kayaking all the way to London to raise money for charity.

Rob Oakley, landlord at the Oxford Blue Pub, in Marston Street, East Oxford, will be joining two friends to canoe 135 miles along the River Thames to Tower Bridge in London.

The trio planned to start the trip, which will raise money for the Parkinson's Society, this weekend - but they have been forced to delay for a week after being advised against attempting the post-flood waters of the River Thames.

Mr Oakley said: "We have spoken to the Environment Agency and it has said it is still very dangerous. And even if we were the best canoeists in the world, which we are not, we would be pretty damn stupid to try it.

"Two of us have only had two lessons, so it would have been pretty foolhardy."

The trip has been organised by James Woodwark, whose father died of Parkinson's disease 15 years ago.
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Mr Woodwark decided he wanted to do something to raise money in memory of his dad and talked his friends, Mr Oakley and Daniel Sheffield, into accompanying him at a New Year's Eve party.

Mr Oakley said that it was the 'Dutch Courage' of "four pints of Kronenburg" which had made him agree to the event.

'It's going to hurt like hell, but I am pretty confident'
Rob Oakley

He said: "I have known James since we were 12 or 13, so I got to see his dad get slowly worse and worse.

"It is a great cause and a challenging life is good.

"I bought my pub about 16 months ago so that was a big challenge and this one seems like a pretty good way to follow it."

The trio will be paddling in sea kayaks, which are being lent to them by the Isis Canoe Club, based off Donnington Bridge Road.

They will be camping at sites near the river on their seven day trip, which starts on Saturday, August 11.

They also plan to spend one night in the garden of a Henley pub.

Mr Oakley said: "I do not feel very well prepared, even though I am pretty fit. It is the length of time we will be rowing every single day.

"It's going to hurt like hell and I do not know how much conditioning you need to do.

"But I am pretty confident we will manage it."

The team will carry some of their kit in the front and back of their kayaks, which are larger and longer than normal.

They will be met each day by a support team bearing clean clothes and refreshments.

They are hoping to raise a minimum of £5,000 for the charity and have already been pledged £4,485.

[jeanb]

And remember that Tom Isaacs walked 4500 miles around the coast of Britain several years ago to raise $$$ and awareness for Parkinson's disease!

Then he founded Cure Parkinson's Trust!!

[K Hamilton]

When did Tom Isaacs make his walk?

In July 2002 we were driving along the coastal road North of Ullapool, and came across a support van for someone doing such a tour - donated several notes, don't remember how much, but it sounded like a worthy cause. Didn't know that I would be diagnosed eight month later.

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At the end of May each year we have a local relay race which includes an 18 mile canoe leg down the Nooksack river, which is usually a few weeks past flood stage at that time, but sometimes is at full flow. Hairy. We ordinary mortals make it in about 2 hours, but the expert class manages to do it in about one hour, sometimes less when the river is moving fast. Just have to keep an eye open for the snags. The most embarrasing part of the whole race is when you have to climb out of the canoe and drag it up the beach to where the trail bikes take off - a good many participants fall over as soon as they step out of the canoe and discover that their legs have turned to rubber.

[jeanb]

http://www.coastin.co.uk/

You may have seen him.

Jean