River gods claim two
Saturday 20th April saw the annual New Sheridan Club punting excursion to Oxford, traditionally held on the Saturday nearest to St George's Day. On the day we gather at the Magdalen Bridge boathouse, struggle upriver to a picnic spot, engage in a leisurely lunch, then punt back again. It's easy to imagine a sunny afternoon spent trailing one’s fingers in the water, but the reality is a bit messier. The forecast was looking chilly at about 10 degrees, though in fact it didn't feel cold and, more importantly, it didn't rain. However, punting upriver is always hard work, and upriver feels more uphill these days: the water is always high and the strong current is constantly pushing you backwards and throwing your bow to one side or the other. Even those who are not punting can expect a certain amount of mud, and showers of twigs and leaves as we negotiate our way under overhanging boughs and bushes. In fact D-Boat (which I think contained no one with any punting experience) no sooner had left the boatyard than found itself carried in the wrong direction. The crew then had the good sense to hire a youth from the yard to punt them as far as our traditional rallying point by Magdalen, at which point they dispensed with the vessel and distributed themselves among the other boats. Still, it was an adventure, and a convivial picnic was consumed in a meadow further upriver that may or may not have had a name.
Usually someone falls into the river at some point, and this year the River Gods claimed two victims, both from the same punt—Stuart Mitchell was swept off by branches as the punishing current from a weir mercilessly pushed the boat into the far bank. Then, on the way back, I myself was punting and slipped on the wet deck. (Memo to self: wear deck shoes next time.) This is the second time I've plunged into the water, and on both occasions I've been wearing the same suit—could it be cursed? At least this time I'd had the foresight to take my phone out of my pocket before I started punting…
You can see some more photos from the afternoon at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheridanclub/albums/72177720316583632.
Stuart Mitchell's clothes dry off during the picnic