Reading back on the last instalments of Brendon ’ s adventure , we realise how far he has travelled around the coastline of Great Britain and what he has achieved .
We have followed Brendon battling up the west coast of Scotland , around gnarly Cape Wrath and along the crazy waters at the top of Scotland , finally reaching John O ’ Groats safely . From there , it has seemed that in the blink of an eye , he had reached Norfolk .
BIG LANDMARKS Since the start , the team has focused on the BIG landmarks , the Bristol Channel , Cape Wrath , John O ’ Groats and seeing this last one as ‘ halfway ’, although it is more than that in miles . Brendon , Will and Harry saw the east coast as a much kinder and easier paddle , but it proved not to be the case . Three good days in with some good northerlies and then a very frustrating time as paddling ground to a halt .
Having not seen his family for ten weeks , Brendon ’ s wife and children flew up to Aberdeen to spend almost a week with him – the boost to them all was immeasurable .
The crossing near Edinburgh was a huge effort , and the Humber ? In the words of Brendon , “ No one should ever paddle that .” Three shipping lanes , dry firing where Brendon was landing , constantly talking to coastguards , harbour masters and military before and during the paddle – the word ‘ eventful ’ doesn ' t seem to cover that day . Then on to the Wash for more of the same .
Lincolnshire to Norfolk was challenging and pretty emotional for Brendon and a real landmark in his eyes of returning to the south and , therefore , one paddle stroke closer to home . If you have been checking the Live Tracker , you will have seen the vast bodies of water he has had to cross and how far around the coastline he has paddled .
The joy of the east coast was civilisation , people and company , different faces which I am sure the whole team appreciated – a very different feeling from the isolation of Scotland .
Fast forward a few weeks , and after safely navigating the Thames Estuary and the Port of Dover , Brendon was paddling around the beaches of the South Coast , where he finally enjoyed the company of paddlers and supporters on the beach – the weather was kind for the most part . He could stop at any time if he wanted to chat and spread the word about his challenge and fundraising .
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