Enjoy the Slow Pace and Picnic Spots On the Way, but Watch Out for Rubbish [Edition 2]

Evening Standard - London › July 24, 2009

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Summary

AS WE pull away from the mooring by Mile End Bridge, I feel less than confident. The punt feels like it could topple over at any time, and the scenery is stark, to say the least.

Only last Saturday I had my first experience of a Cambridge punt. It was idyllic as we admired the colleges in the evening light and passed couples lolling with their picnics on the river bank. How would this compare? As we gain momentum and I start to trust David's punting skills, the sun breaks out from behind the clouds, I notice some lily pads bobbing up and down on the water and it starts to feel quite pleasant. Then we float into an empty Strongbow bottle, followed by a shopping trolley -- a trend that continues during our two-hour trip. At Old Ford Lock we pass a complete BMW motorcycle dumped in the shallow waters. No matter how much cleaner the canal water has become, you can't get away from the rubbish.

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Enjoy the Slow Pace and Picnic Spots On the Way, but Watch Out for Rubbish [Edition 2]

To its merit, the journey does sh...

See the full content of this document