Wine, walking, football.....and some sea kayaking in Dartmouth!
- Aug 7
- 2 min read
This year's summer trip took us to Dartmouth, where many of us tried sea kayaking for the first time.
As is tradition, Phil arrived on the Wednesday to carry out his important research into the local ale houses. Ted also arrived on Wednesday and pitched up in the grass field, where he could gaze at the stars from his teepee tent.
A few more of us arrived on Thursday and, after pitching our tents, headed down to Blackpool Beach. The weather had clearly been pre-booked, as there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Rachael, Steve, Ted and I had hedged our bets by booking a beach sauna, just in case it wasn't that warm. As it turned out, it was warm—very warm—but we still went into the sauna. Staying in there was more like torture than pleasure, but it quickly became a challenge, and we all earned our imaginary badges.
Friday is always walking day. Kieron and Phil set off early and walked to Dartmouth before catching the train to meet Ena in Paignton. The rest of us followed the South West Coast Path from Slapton Sands to Dartmouth Castle, taking in the spectacular coastal views along the way. From there, we caught the little ferry across into Dartmouth before hopping on the bus back to the campsite.
Back at camp, Phil fired up the barbecue and, once again, did an amazing job cooking a fantastic selection of meat. Lynne had organised all the essential barbecue extras, so nobody went hungry.
Then came the carnage: the annual wine-tasting competition. Amid much laughter and some frankly terrible scores on the doors, a winning team eventually emerged to claim the prestigious Newbury CC Wine Tasting Cup (a virtual trophy roughly the size of the FA Cup). The main takeaway was that we're all absolutely hopeless at wine tasting—apart from spotting the non-alcoholic bottles, which everyone managed with ease. To be fair, I think my dog could have done that.
Saturday's sea kayaking was simply brilliant. The weather was once again perfect, although the wind had picked up a little. We paddled out to the mouth of the River Dart and across to a small island where we spotted seals. After lunch and a swim on a secluded beach, we headed back up the Dart, making essential stops at both a pub and a café a few miles along the way before returning to where we'd started.
Saturday evening was spent in a local pub enjoying a meal before heading out into the beer garden to watch England beat Norway.
All in all, it was another fantastic weekend. Thanks to everyone who came along and helped make it such a great trip.
Next year... Swanage!
Cheers,
Paul