Nicola Baird
INFURIATED by the amount of litter bobbing around in Regent’s Canal I booked my first stand-up paddleboard (SUP) session to help clean up this watery route from Paddington to the River Thames.
I remember feeling a mix of utter terror and unexpected wellbeing as I gradually got the hang of paddling thanks to the patient guidance of Kiki and SUP yoga specialist, Rosie.
The inflatable 10’6” paddleboard felt somewhat like riding a horse (my secret childhood skill) but without a horse’s strange tendency to be spooked by crisp packets and joggers.
Fast forward five years and now alongside being an environmental journalist specialising in climate crisis reporting, I run (on summer evenings and weekends) a SUP social enterprise that puts all its profit into supporting Islington Boat Club.
It’s hard work, but what a lot of joy I get from paddling along Islington’s bit of the wonderful Regent’s Canal.
This year alone through SUP@Islington I’ve taught around 200 people how to paddleboard and introduced many to the calming joy of blue water exercise and an amazing array of N1 wildlife.
There’s the swan family, the Egyptian geese that live in City Road Basin, many white-beaked coots and all sorts of fish, from bream to sticklebacks.
Regent’s Canal, still known to some locals as ‘the Cut’ was officially opened in 1820 – around 200 years ago.
It may no longer be a transport artery, but it’s gained new life as a place where Islingtonians can chill out by taking a walk on the towpath, stopping at the many canalside cafes and pubs or – for the daring – put their balancing skills to the test by learning to paddleboard.
Yet 50 years ago City Road Basin, where Islington Boat Club is based, was close to being turned into a car park, until campaigner Crystal Hale, who lived nearby in Noel Road, helped save this large stretch of water – Islington’s biggest outdoor space – for us all to enjoy, including generations of local
kids who’ve learnt to kayak.
Surely it would be hard to get as much pleasure from watching a car park as we do messing about on the water; spotting narrowboats passing through locks or enjoying celebrations like the annual Angel Canal festival?
Looking back on that windy August day I’m so glad that I tried something different, despite being over 50-years-old and struggling to learn a new skill in front of the cool crowd.
In this age of climate crisis perhaps the lessons from this experience are that it’s always worth trying something new if it’s low carbon and local, and it’s never, ever, a bad time to pick litter out of the canal.
• Nicola Baird is a journalist and campaigner
