A great start...TCC Blog - June '2019

This is not Steve's hat!

Hello Fellow Paddlers,

It has been a while since I have added a post here, but, the time has arrived. Spring has been a busy time for the club, with the Pick 'n' Mixer event in May and the Hasler taking full stage, the following week.

The 'PNM' event went 'brilliantly', we saw new people joining us and giving our great sport a go. New members also came to us, with keen new racers making headway. The event, scheduled from 9:30-Midday, ended at 2:30pm, for us, the fun was just to infectious! We are planning another one for August. Keep you eyes pealed for 'Pick 'n' Mixer 2', coming this August!

Andy Hargraves - Club Racer

The Hasler was a great success. With competitors, spectators and volunteers eating Oatcakes, we we set for the next few hours; all stages of racing were represented. There was little drama, though Graeme's portage was an interesting transition for many of the competitors. In short, it was a great event, well organised, and well attended. Here's to next year.

If you haven't been to the website, or late, check it out. It is changing, and there is an email coming out to members to ask for feedback. I don't mind it you are a member of the public, you can send some feedback via the contacts page, if you like, we would love hear from you. Keep a watch on the new 'calendar' system, as implemented by Gordon, it still has work to be done, but will show events and room bookings in the coming weeks. (Thanks to Mr. Hulmes for this.)

Make sure you come down to club for the Coffee and Cake event, this week. Have a paddle, then eat thy cake!

Our site is also pushing our welfare policy and needs you to know that there is contact link on the top of the website.

Thanks for reading, if there is anything that your would like to add, please let me know, you can contact me via the media contact option in the menu.

Until then, so long happy paddling! (...and thanks for all the fish!)

Gavyn.

Updates and Loot-Crates!

Hello everybody, my apologies for the delay in the new post, but I am still here and looking forward to providing the club with a running commentary of what is happening.

The thing I most wanted to let you know about was the new paddles that have arrived at the club-house. We are now treated to new Outrigger paddles that have adjustable handles, negating the issue of having length issues when on the water. What a boon! A carbon shaft, and lightweight fixings, make these a great choice by our V6 leader and team.

We'll get an outcome for how these are when they first hit the water. I am sure they will provide the club with many years of service.

It would be rude to not mention that our Dragon-Boats are still going for it, hitting the water (and ice) on a Thursday evening. Make sure you pop down and make yourself known to Dave, be one of the team, today. (Such fun!)

Good luck to the Polo team on Sunday, our B-Team are raring to go and they will do us all proud, I am sure! 

A quick introduction to the new sign for the boathouse, this is going to be up in the club-room and possibly downstairs, too. Taking pride in our club's home, and our resources, is common sense, but this is a nice reminder. Let's love our space!

Is there anything you would like to add to this blog, I also copy this into the news page on the site, so you can read it there, too. Make sure you send me any images for the archive, I love updated pictures for here and Facebook. Feel free to let me know if you want something on the site or Facebook, criticism is also welcome, just don't be mean, I might cry.

Good times, be safe!

December's Paddle: Festive Dips!

As our festive celebrations draw near, we are reminded about the joy of giving and how much fun it is to share it all with friends and family. We can also spend that time paddling on the lake and enjoying a calming float. It is that time of year when we have a little more time to spend on those personal-pursuits, whether it is with those loved-ones, or on your lonesome, there is something quite settling about 'floating' our cares away.

Now that the 'Tidy-Up and Check' has been done (there are a few jobs to be addressed, still), we are ready for our Christmas Paddle (mixed in with our monthly Brekkie-Gathering) on the 23rd. There is also the Winter-Paddle on the Shugborough-Loop to look forward to, this takes place on the 28th.
With so much going on in the next few weeks, it seems almost 'spoiled' to say that we have our Club's Christmas Meal before it all (21st.) So, December is certainly full of colour!

In other news, we are planning for the new season and looking for more people to join our family. Stay tuned to the site and Facebook to see how this progresses. We are looking to bring more to our groups, expanding on our already vast options. The new year will be a blast!

The racing team will be adding dates for their upcoming contest in the new month, with more to come and our own 'on-lake' competition being finalized, too. Keep your eye out for them...

Please come and join us on the 23rd. Having a jolly paddle, and spending time with the group can always be the step that provides you with a new skill. Just the time given to talking with our experienced members can offer you a world of new things to try, go on, give it a go!

The next blog-post will be out for the new-year, so for now, Merry Christmas, and be safe whether you are on the water, or out celebrating. I hope that the big-guy delivers some nice, new, paddling-kit for you to try on the water!

Gavyn.

Schedule: The Winter's Club

I just felt the need for this blog post to be about what is happening in December and beyond.

Sunday December 9th paddle and 'Tidy-Up and Check' Day - Regular Sunday paddle, followed by general tidy of boat house, equipment, equipment checks and repairs. If you're willing to help out with this please let me know.

Friday December 21st, club Christmas meal at Totally Delicious, 7.30pm, there's just a few days left to pay your deposit and choose meal choice.
If you want to book a place, email info@trenthamcanoeclub.co.uk

Sunday December 23rd, Club-Christmas-Paddle followed by bacon baps, mince pies & mulled wine, along with the annual raucous raffle !
If you are bringing a raffle prize please can you gift wrap it just to add an extra twist to the mayhem, thank you.
If you're not paddling and can assist with the catering please let me know.

Friday December 28th, Club trip, Shrugborough Loop, with lunch 1.30/2pm approx. at Canal Side Farm Cafe -  places are limited due to limited number of coaches available for this trip, you may also need to transport your own boat. For full details please email me, menu available for meal choice which needs to be booked by December 21st along with deposit.

In the coming months, the club will also be having some Winter-Talks. Once these are scheduled, we will pass on the information, watch this space.

For now, take care, and be safe.

Gavyn.

A Message from the Vice...

Hi, everybody (did you hear that as if it was the Doctor in The Simpsons?)

Another few weeks goes by and there are still brave-souls on the lake every week. Make sure that you contact Marie for any information regarding the Racing Team. They are still in training mode and would love to see you give it a try. Facebook is on a roll and the website is slowly coming into its first completion. Make sure you check-out the new festive logo (see above); it is, very, nice...

There is a message that is all about the Lyme-Lottery, you can see the PDF by clicking, here.

Supporting the club is a great thing to do, but also allows us to support the community, too. Our club relies on the people around us and the generosity of the volunteers that offer their time and effort into keeping Ruth's Legacy alive! Watch for Ruth's grand-entrance onto the website, a place that she should be given 'pride-of-place', and thus, her story be shown to all.

Stay safe on the water and keep lit. Following the club policy on this one could save getting wet, or worse!

Be good.

Gavyn.

Into the Winter...

Hello, and welcome to another blog entry for Trentham Canoe Club. Having had our first official committee meeting since the new roles were announced, we are making plans for trips and paddles.

As these are confirmed, they will be updated to all forms of communication, at least those that we offer, anyway. It is amazing how quick time is passing, before we know it, it will be the warm season and things can be normal, once more.

I want to ask you a question. Is there anything that you would like to see on the website? With the first phase wrapping up, I want to look at new extras that we could try and use. These will be beyond the basics, such as, more photos; This is something that is being worked on, and will progress over the next twelve months. Drop me a line via the website; the Media Contact form is like a train track to my phone's email client!

As we verge on the new idea of using more than two forms of communication, I want us to keep Email at the heart of it. Using email is direct and 'report -able', I know that isn't a true word, but it sounds good and gets to the point! With the use of Facebook being fast and semi-reliable, we are not always watching the walls, therefore must rely on Email as our first port-of-call. There will be more about this in the coming months.

The website has no Membership Form to download, but will soon. The new GDPR compliant one is on its way to me, and shall be uploaded in the very near future.
Make sure you check out the new avatars on the Committee page. They look great and are 95% complete. Mine is at the bottom of this post, so take a look.

I have just purchased a new set of Palm gloves for the winter paddles and will review these on the next blog. I am hoping to get on the water, this Sunday.

Until then, happy paddling, stay safe, stay lit!

Media/Press - Gavyn

A late, late-night post...

Having been caught in the bustle of life for the past two weeks, I thought it was time to post some updates and news.

Though nothing has been done to the site for the past week, I am ready, now, to change more and complete the opening alterations for the pages. As a club, we have made changes to our Committee line-up and we are looking forward to a year of up-scaling what we do and showing everybody the delights of paddling.

Dusky waters...

This post is primarily about paddling at night. It is a new thing for me, and I am loving the magical experience that it offers. There is something great about paddling on a Sunday morning, the early light of day is cold, but feels safer. It is only when you try paddling at night that you realise how capable we are at navigating, observing and tackling problems in the darkness.

Even though it is cold, the addition of a set of gloves (for which I am now the owner of a fresh pair; I'm not a fan of cold hands) is a superb purchase and will change how you feel. Adding the spray-deck makes things surprisingly warm and you quickly forget the cold over the joy of paddling. What about you? Known faces and new faces should try it out, get on the water and enjoy the calm, quiet, nature of being on the silent-evening water.

Red lights and the Moon!

As an update, the site will shortly have a new Committee page and be given section specific contact. Having made changes, we have heard from new people wanting to be a part of the family, is it time that you were one of them?

Come and join us, we would love to see you at the boathouse, taking the advice from our amazing coaches and drawing on the best resources to offer. Just make contact, join us on Facebook, or pop down and say hello. The club is waiting to hear from you!

For now, happy paddling, stay lit, and be safe on the water.