Monday morning after a short introductory meeting we met our instructors Loel and Keith, and our eight fellow paddlers in the Cromlech room for a briefing. We also talked about what each of us hoped to gain from the course.

Next was a trip to the stores, for waterproof cags and trousers, buoyancy aids and helmets, dry bags and barrels, paddles, ropes and a lovely big bag to put as much as possible in, oh I almost forgot the knife. This really was something else for someone who stands at barely five foot two. It really was heave ho, quickly change and down to the pond and canoes.

How can something that looks so graceful suddenly seem so awkward in the hands of the inexperienced. Did we really tell them we had done this before? Are there really that many different strokes? and can you run that J by me again please. Amazingly by lunchtime we were all still dry and somehow the chilly damp air wasn't registering at all. In the afternoon we went across to the big pond and after a few exercises we set off in a group for the other end. By now we could all travel in a more or less straight line, using lots of correction manoeuvres I should add. Here we did our confidence builders - close your eyes and try to get to the other bank - take it in turns to stand up in the canoe, now both together. It really was great fun, and I had this sense of the water becoming my friend.

This really was progress and in such a short space of time. We then went back down to the bridge and Mark and I swapped places, with me at the stern. Back to square one, or rather circle one, two. Bump this, circle three. Progress eh. Suddenly there was some commotion on the bank and the other Mark and Glenn were in the water, not sure what happened but there were laughs all round. Just as we thought we were getting somewhere Loel told us to head under the bridge. Due to lack of rain, the water was so low we had to be pulled down into the small pond and then it was time for tea and cake.

Next back to the Cromlech room to discuss weather and tides. For some reason I thought we would be in the ponds for another couple of days, but no, the next morning it was the big wide water for us . . .