Owner: Rockratrobinson URL:http://rockratrobinson.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:32:34 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: The blog of a young kayaker from the North-West of England. Follow me, Iain Robinson, on my constant search for water, in the hope of discovering a truely unique paddling experience whilst trying to escape the challenges of everyday life. Site statistics:Click here
Man down 2007-06-10 12:52:00 There was another Washburn release today so I posted a message on my club forum, got a bit of a response and planned to meet some mates at half ten in the top car park of the river. Easy days. We set off from Preston at nine, heading for Darwen where we were to pick a boating buddy up, and then off down the M65 onto the A59 and onto the road to the Washburn, finally arriving at the planned time of... half ten. Easy days. Got changed had a bit of friendly banter and then headed down to the river for some general Washburn fun. Easy days.Roger and I in the top Wave; pulling hard to cut back into the eddy besides the bridge (which the photo was taken from).One of my boating pals playing in the river wide hole. I haven't paddled with them for a while because they've been at Manchester Uni so it was nice to catch up.Another one of my pals in the same river feature.One of the rafts descending the river in a somewhat poor fashion. These raft guides were no Tryweryn raft guides. Throu
Necessary Evils 2007-06-16 04:47:00 Eventually I have the paperwork organised.Yesterday I was offered a job, in fact I was offered two jobs. One was from Acorn Adventure and I was on the verge of signing the contract when I thought, I know we'll see if PGL can offer anything. They did, and the offer was considerably better. This has meant that the last two hours have been spent trawling through paperwork, crossing the 't's' and dotting the 'i's' on contracts and CRB disclosures all with PGL letter heads. It has been somewhat stressful and only now have I managed to get it all in some sort of order.When am I going? Next Saturday, the 23rd June, leaving Dover 15:30.Where am I working? Camping les Tamaris. It's on the Mediterranean Coast and I'll be working mainly from sit-on-top kayaks. Not my first choice, but it's enough to get my Gap Year started.I think it is time to add some extra categories to the twenty I already have for this blog. I'll start with France and Work, but I will not be going through t Read more:Necessary
Shameless Self Promotion 2007-06-15 07:34:00 The postman came this morning - no it wasn't Postman Pat - and dropped some things through the letterbox. In the pile of things he popped through were my stickers from Bala Graphics. They look rather splendid when positioned on Roger in appealing ways. I've just got to decide upon a final position for them before peeling back the paper and adhering them to the shiny red plastic. They're a good advertisement for the blog during my gap year and a bit of shameless self promotion never hurt anyone.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
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Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3... 2007-06-14 04:38:00 This post has been created in my email account so that I can test this particular function of Blogger to see how it could work for me when I am on my Gap Year. If it works well it may just prove a god send when it comes to updating the blog.My Camper Van Money Box, given to me yesterday as a leaving present from two people I may not see for little over a year.Today, I've been on the phone chasing up jobs with PGL and Acorn Adventure. Both firms are going to get back to me, but I have said I can now start on the 23rd June instead of the 1st July. Hopefully this change in date will improve my chances of a job greatly. We can but hope.Yesterday I went to the pub to see some of my kayaking mates and if all goes to plan I won't be seeing some of them for little over a year because they won't be there next Wednesday, when it will be my last Wednesday night drinking session. Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...IainPS. I have had to do some alterations to Read more:Testing
Not long now 2007-06-19 11:41:00 Monday night: some of my stuff laid out on my brother's bed ready to be packed into The North Face bag on the floor.Today I sat two A Level exams, one in ICT and the other in 3D Design, which means that I only have one more exam in Business Studies left. That is on Thursday, but that also means I am that bit closer to leaving home to go and work for PGL in France. It's kind of scary to think that I won't see home for such a long time, but it is also quite a big step for me as a person who has never left the country before. In some ways I am looking forward to it, but at the same time it is quite daunting. After a couple of days I should be settled in and it will feel like second nature to be living in a tent in Southern France paddling a sit-on-top every day.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
960 minutes to go... 2007-06-22 10:00:00 It isn't long now till I'll be setting off for Dover and my ferry to France. I haven't done that much today, which has meant I have been able to sit at home and get a bit nervous about what is about to come. However, today has allowed me to clean both Alistair and Roger and move them up into my bedroom along with my paddle and spraydecks. This will be their home for the next seven weeks; they will not be seeing water in this time so I thought it would be best to bring them inside away from the harmful effects of Britain's fickle weather.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
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They came, and they went 2007-05-05 02:21:00 Yesterday, my Teva Sunkosi Water Shoes turned up. I tried them on and they only just fitted. My toes weren't scrunched up or anything, but they were touching the front of the Teva's when they were laying nice and flat. It was back on to Wiggle to fill out their returns stuff and then up to the Post Office to get them sent off to be exchanged for a Size 8. With any luck these should fit.What an interesting post this has been!!! I'll try and liven it up with a bit of news from the Freestyle World Championships. At the moment the big news is that Eric 'EJ' Jackson took his fourth title at the grand old age of 42 after what sounds like some poor performances in the Prelims and Quarters. He obviously is the man.On the women's circuit the UK took home a medal, a bronze medal to be exact and that went to Fiona 'Flea' Jarvie. I paddled with her a couple of times at the Youth Freestyle Series last year. The gold in the women's went to Canada, and another Jackson Kayak paddler,
It looked to be a good weekend... 2006-11-20 14:49:00 I've just finished checking out all the online paddling stuff for the UK. It was the usuall stuff really start off on the UK Rivers Guidebook and head on - eventually after looking at photos, videos and websites linked from UKRGB - down to Canoe Cafe for the same. What is clear is that the UK has been hit with some mighty fine river levels this weekend.On the northern side of the border, in Scotland, the Calair Burn was run.Over the other border, in Wales, tourist levels meant that it was possible to get down Fairy Glen and some dedicated soles at Bangor Uni. were on the Ogwen this morning to catch the water.The water wasn't just contained to over the borders. The Thames Valley witnessed some impressive levels and Hurley hit four gates and Sunbury Weir came into play.Whilst I was on the Upper Lune, the guys at Bread and Butter hit up the Ingleton waterfalls just down the road from where I was and they looked to have a fair bit of water in.As for the coming week, it's looking good
The English Access Situation 2006-10-10 13:58:00 This has been taken directly from the homepage of The UK Rivers Guidebook, one of the most popular websites in the British Kayaking community. Frankly, I couldn't put the situation, after the commission report on the viability of improving access to rivers by agreeement was released, any better if I tried myself.We have long been looking forward to the completion of the Environment Agency commissioned report on the viability of improving access to rivers by agreements. Knowing what we all know about the viability of Access
'Agreements', it could not fail to aid our case. However, the final report is now completed and incredibly it is a total whitewash, a laughably un-academic and unprofessional piece of work. Early on, the survey team took the amazing step of jettisoning any rivers from their survey, which might be difficult to secure 'Agreements' on. E.g. almost the entire Wear was openly dropped from their study. Despite this un-academic approach, in 2004 they still conclud Read more:English
2100 minutes to go... 2007-06-21 15:00:00 The Business Studies exam went alright I suppose. It was all about Google. Anyway I've now packed. My bag weighs 32kg so it's 9kg too heavy for flying. Good job I ain't flying to France!Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
Read more:minutes
2525 minutes to go... 2007-06-21 06:15:00 I've done some revision and cannot process one more piece of information on Crises Management or Social Audits so I decided I would take a picture of the stuff I've got to pack. Hopefully by the time the afternoon rolls around I'll be able to think business and answer the questions set by them delights at the AQA.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
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2805 minutes to go... 2007-06-21 03:15:00 The sum of my European wealth. It's not a lot, but it'll get me through the time it takes me to find a cash machine to withdraw money from my Travel Money Card.It isn't long now till I leave Preston for seven weeks and head over to France to start as an Activity Instructor for PGL at their Camping les Tamaris centre. Over the last few days I have been going through a mix of emotions; one minute I'll be reluctant to be leaving and then the next I can't wait to be in foreign climes. I suppose with it being such a big change to my everyday routine I am right to have some anxiety over what I am doing. However this should not hold me back and I am just going to have to overcome all these worries, get on with life and get settled in at the centre. It will feel like home after a week. Well it is going to be home for seven weeks so I suppose it will have to feel somewhat homely.Since I last posted, Tuesday, I have been getting my head in some books so that I am prepared, to a degree Read more:minutes
The South of France and the Blog 2007-07-04 02:26:00 I made it to the South
of France
and am working hard. However the blog is going to be a bit neglected as the internet is expensive here. I have a multitude of posts written down on paper and I will add them at some stage.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
Leaving site 2007-09-03 09:52:00 3rd July 7:03pmI left site for the first time today. This means that I have been in Tamaris for 10 days without seeing any other part of the Languedoc coast, which i suppose is bad as a 'Gapper' is suppose to see the world. However I have a job to do and it was with work that I headed to Le Cap D'Agde. Whilst here I spent my time on the beach with a group of kids from Edinburgh, Scotland. They were on a snorkeling session and I was getting my competency in snorkeling. I wasn't keen on the idea but PGL prefer it if you can work on numerous sessions as they are then getting valuer for money, so I obliged.The actual session was good fun. The morning was spent on training the kids and me. Then after a smaller than normal dinner we snorkeled around one of the fish-tail groynes. Here we saw a multitude of aquatic wildlife hiding and swimming among the rocks. I'm still not sure about snorkeling however and it won't be a session I'll rush to do in the future. What I will rush Read more:Leaving
Sand 2007-09-03 09:40:00 1st July 10:03pmSand is a nightmareIt gets everywhere. To liveon a beach is hard.A Haiku by Iain Robinson about sand.Today was a good day for me. I don't know why really, but I just felt really at home down on the beach helping out with the sailing boats as there were no SOK sessions until the afternoon. Maybe because all the guys and gals of the water sports department have come to accept me as one of them and not just a newbie. This could be because yesterday I joined them in their protests against management.I've now been at Tamaris a week, have got to know some people really well and some just by name. It is only time until I know these just as well. The last two nights at half seven I've been on ENTs, which is the evening entertainment sessions. I expected these to be hell, but they haven;t been that bad. This may be because of the great kids in the village I was working with who are from Walsall, not Birmingham. They put me straight on that quite quickly.Good lines, s
SOKs 2007-09-03 09:31:00 30th June 6:30pmSpent a whole day working on the SOKs today. I wasn't meant to be, but another instructor had a bad back so I swapped with him. The morning SOK session went well, and it was cut short as the second group, who were heading for home at 2pm did no want to do it. Fair enough - half a morning could be spent sunning myself. The afternoon sessions went just as well, but both sessions went ahead. This was the first activity for this school so they were a bit more energetic compared to those which were leaving.However, this post isn't for babbling about the days sessions. It's to slag-off and big-up Sit-on-Kayaks. Firstly they are absolutely smashing for introducing people to kayaking. Kids, and adults, can get into any boat, grab a paddle and be off in a relatively straight line with hardly any interaction from me or any other instructor. Secondly a capsize isn't a big deal. The people can flip the boats over climb in and be off in minutes, again with little inter
Home Comforts 2007-09-03 09:20:00 28th June 7:59pmEven though I have only been away from home for 6 days, 8 hours and 28 minutes I have come to appreciate many things about living at home back up in the north and working for PGL on the Mediterranean coast. I miss warm showers. The showers at Tamaris are just crap. We have to share them with guests and by the time I get around to them, sometime before 6pm, they just pump out cold water. It ain't that bad as it washes all the sand off, but it would be better if they were warm. A good Internet connexion would be nice as well. It costs a Euro for ten minutes on centre and when at home I would spend two hours, maybe more a day on the old Internet. I am missing the Guidebook, MySpace, the numerous blog feeds I've subscribed to and the fact I could post to my blog with no hassle what so ever.However, I really like PGL food. Firstly you can have as much as you like and secondly it's random. Basically they serve you a main item; today it was chicken kebabs and rice.
Need for Speed 2007-09-03 09:18:00 27th June 7:09pmThere was no blog post yesterday as my day consisted of four Sit-on-Top kayak (SOKs for short) sessions all lasting an hour-and-a-half. The last two sessions I lead instead of sitting on the water shadowing the instructors so that I could be signed off as competent. This in itself is a bit weird as I am one of the most experienced paddlers on site. Most of them only hold their Three Star and haven’t seen a bank full, spate run in Cumbria, Yorkshire or in the Lune Valley. It’s a shame really as I would like to see one this minute and I hear some rivers are going off right now in Englandshire. Coming round to today’s activities it was a different matter. I left the SOKs for the day and joined the Bombard crew, which basically consisted of me and the driver. The Bombard is a four stroke inflatable RIB which tows the Banana boat, which is actually named the Ocean Rider because political correctness has gone mad. Whilst we were on the Bombard I was Read more:Speed
It's Christmas 2007-09-03 09:14:00 25th June 10:41pmIt’s Christmas
on site, which is a bit odd and all the other members of staff are really hyped up by it. I don’t know what it is but I can’t; maybe I’m still getting use to life on France or Christmas in June is just wrong. Today I was out on the water for the first time. I was in my Sit-on-Top kayak observing the instructors carrying out sessions. The sessions are very formulaic, but when I’ve got free reign of the sessions I’ll try and implement some more ‘formal’ coaching, which will hopefully add something to the sessions for both the guests and paddlers. The weather has been amazingly awful considering I was expecting it to be some sweltering heat pad and it may be likened to a rather miserable summers day in Preston. It does nothing for my tan and does even less for water activities. We had two instructors come off the water with mild hypothermia and all sailing boats rescued by the power boats. This meant we were hanging arou
I'm here 2007-09-03 09:10:00 24th June 9:19pmI eventually made it to Camping les Tamaris sometime after 1pm. That has meant I have been travelling for a hell of a long time. There were five hours from Preston, an hour and a bit for the ferry crossing and then a further fourteen or so hours to PGL’s head office known by everyone at PGL as Segs. From here the group of staff which I had been travelling with got split up. Some would be staying at Segs where as two others headed for the Alps and Embrum. As for me I was bundled into a minibus destined for Le Fosca with two girls I had travelled with since Dover. There would be a detour made to Tamaris to drop me off and then they would have a further three hours on the road. Tough.As for now I’m sat on my bed after emptying my bag and repacking it so it would be easier to live out of for the next seven weeks. I am not sharing with anyone. Well I am but he’s at another centre for a while. I don’t know whether this is a good thing or not as
Bon Voyage 2007-09-03 09:03:00 24th June 00:04amAnyway we’re driving through France trying to catch some sleep. However I can’t. The day kicked off early as I had to be in Dover at 1:30, two hours before the ferry departed, to catch a coach with a Plymouth boy’s school, get the ferry across the channel and head south to my centre. This meant over twenty-seven hours of travelling. Fun! I did spot a couple of English cars in France laden with boats heading for home. Hope the trip was worth it. I made it to Dover in good time, but as the clock got a bit nearer to three and there was still no sign of my lift I started to get even more worried. I rang the emergency contact number that PGL gave me, got the number for the coach driver and got a progress report off him: “Here at 4:30.” I sat around a bit longer waiting in this period I heard chatter from across the room that sounded PGLish and it turned out it was some more recruits, which I would be travelling with. They were even more wo Read more:Voyage
, Bon Voyage
My Summer Season 2007-09-07 17:46:00 You may have guessed by now from the multitude of posts made in the last couple of days that I've made it back to Englandshire where I have a free, reliable Internet connection. This has allowed me to post everything I've written whilst I've been away at Tamaris. I know it's not true blogging as it hasn't been posted as it happens, but it's the best I can provide.Anyway the creation of this post is one way I can put a definite end to my 2007 summer season in France at PGL's Tamaris centre. I stopped blogging whilst I was out there on the 20th August and then that post came about after a long break in posts. Why is this? Basically there wasn't a lot to write about. This doesn't mean nothing happened - something interesting would occur everyday - but I just didn't feel the need to write about it and post it on the blog. Reading back over some of the posts I've published since I've been back I get a very negative feel from what I've written. I am unsure why this is as Read more:Summer
, Season
Heading for Home 2007-09-06 05:46:00 Leaving site with some of the staff waving us off.20th August 2:56pmLife on centre has got better over the last few weeks and now everyone is winding down and getting ready to head back to England. I'm heading for home in eleven days, but won't be seeing Preston until the 4th September as I'm dropping into help my brother move into his new house in Camberly. Once home I won't actually be staying that long as the following Monday I'm starting training at Boreatton Park so I am suitably qualified to start my new contract up in Scotland at PGL's Dalguise site.I'll be at Dalguise for just under two months and will be earning a considerable amount when compared to my current salary. Whilst at Dalguise I'll hopefully get back in a Jackson Kayak and hit up the Scottish rivers just as they start to come into season. That is one thing I cannot wait any longer for; white water paddling I've missed it to bits and I just hope all my skills are still there waiting to be unleashed once Read more:Heading
The CRS 2007-09-06 05:41:00 Racing out to 600m in the SOKs.9th August 11:59pmI've not blogged for a while, mainly because not much has happened. I've got up for work; worked, had some PGL food, worked a bit more and then gone out with the staff. Well today was one of those rare occasions when the day runs slightly different. Today we raced the CRS. The CRS are the French lifeguards who patrol the beaches of the Languedoc coast. The lifeguards are exceptionally well built, fit individuals who's muscles constantly bulge out of their tight rash vests.The race was in a relay format which involved a 600m paddle for each member then a run of increasing lengths. For my team I was the first to go and to put it easily I absolutely annihilated the bulging biceps of the lifeguards with sound technique meaning I set off on my run a good 100m in front of everyone else. It was just a shame I couldn't hold that position during the run.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
Once again... A small world 2007-09-06 05:34:00 The bar maids of our local.30th July 7:49pmI was out in Vias Plage two nights ago with some staff from Tamaris and our group got mixed up with one of the holiday camps. I got chatting to an English lad who as it happened came from Blackburn, which isn't far from me. Small world. What's even stranger is that as the night went on and we chatted even more we stumbled on to what we did at home. He had just finished college - like me - and it was Runshaw College. The college I went to. From there it was one coincidence after another.What's been going on on centre? The Dragon Boats leaked so I got them out of the water and spent yesterday repairing them. Today I was on a fay off and over the next couple of days I've got to train up some new members of staff so they run the kayaking sessions like they are now, which has proved successful.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
Going to the Chapel and we're going to get married 2007-09-05 05:54:00 The Conga through Vias Plage.27th July 8:55pmOne thing PGL does amazingly well, apart from kids activity holidays, is themed nights for staff. At the moment there is one themed night after another as we build ever closer to a PGL wedding. This is all fictitious, but provides great fun as all the staff have a role to play in the wedding. I am the Grooms Famous 80's Rocker Cousin. Last night was the Stag night so the lads hit the town in style with a giant conga through Vias Plage, which totally bewildered passers by. It was an amazing night.I have also moved tends so I am sharing with yet another person. They aren't an Instructor like my previous tent mate, but a Bogger. A Bogger is a PGL site worker so they work different house to us Instructors. This means we won't be crashing into each other in the tent much.Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...Iain
Read more:Chapel
, married
Today is another Day 2007-09-05 05:42:00 The Dragon Boat heads before repairs began.25th July 9:49pmThe other day I lied when I said I had 24 days left. Well I wasn't at the time, but after today that count has been extended because I have extended my contract till the end of the season. This happened today during my meeting with the Recruitment Team where I have also sorted work out for when I return home before going to New Zealand. I could either be working at Boreatton Park, Shropshire; Dalguise, Perthshire or Barton Hall, Devon until November. Once sorted I can be off to New Zealand and after four months return to France for work at Embrum, Segries or even Tamaris. I know this means I will only be in New Zealand for four months, but licking at it realistically I would have been struggling to fund 6 months of travel with limited income.Something about today: I had a quality day on the water and I started repairing the Dragon Boat heads and tails. This is part of my job description as Head of Paddles.Good lines, sta Read more:Today
France: 31 days gone; 24 days left 2007-09-05 05:27:00 The Cobra resurfacing after being hit by a wave.23rd July 8:11pmI haven't blogged much recently. This isn't because nothings happened. I'm working for PGL; every other day there is some earth shattering event, which affects the whole of Tamaris, but I've just not had time or the motivation to scrawl a post out. Anyway I now have some time and a bit of motivation.Last night was the first night of the season where we had no children on site. Why was this? Travel Ban day in France
messes with our arrivals and departures giving the staff a free night for once. This meant a big party was in order; bigger than normal as there were no restrictions on noise. So with the theme of a Smarty Party by the end of the night we had many male members of staff dressed as women and vice-versa. It was hilarious and made even better by the fact that I had a day off the next day.I say a day off but I did about an hour-and-a-half 'work' as one of the power boats slipped its anchor in the big su
Paddling... but not the normal paddling 2007-09-05 05:19:00 The Dragon Boats moored up on the canal.18th July 8:31pmThis afternoon I was taken off session along with twelve other instructors to attend a Dragon Boat Helm course with a chap who was flown out specially. The reason for such a large number of instructors being trained for a session which is seldom run is because soon it will be run on a regular basis. This is because of events on the 16th where the Long Boats were destroyed which means Dragon Boats will now replace them. The swap in sessions was planned, but not so soon.Down to the course. It was OK. Not the most inspiring course. A lot of it was spent working on your guns as you paddle the Dragon Boat whilst someone gets instruction on being a Helms Man. My turn at the helm was short lived as it was very like, in fact, it was just one big stern rudder so I got the hand of it fairly quickly with only a few mishaps. Now the problem, once qualified, is how to run a session for kids and how to make it interesting. This is even
A Dag Creation 2007-09-04 04:07:00 The surf rolling onto the beach.16th July 9:12pmYesterday afternoon at briefing three kayaks, and I mean proper sit-in-kayaks were sat outside the Water Sports Office. They're for instructors to play in. Great. One of these was some sort of old school play boat made by Dag and by no means beats Alistair.Anyway today after a hard days work, and I mean header than normal - we had two broken Bombards, two sunken Long Boats and two lost Feva masts - I took the Dag creation out for an hour before tea. The sea was quite rough - hence the hard days work - meaning there was a fair bit of surf; maybe four to five foot at times. It was good to get out doing some 'real' paddling. I'm now a bit more motivated again for some SOK sessions. What my brief surf session did make me realise is that I;m not as paddle fit as I use to be.I've got a busy week ahead of me what with sailing training both Tuesday and Thursday, staff meetings Thursday and Friday, an interview for Head of Paddlers tom Read more:Creation
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