PADDLER 24
PADDLER 24
Quickfire questions :
If you could paddle with anyone in the world , dead or alive , who would it be ? My Dad . He would just love to have seen how good everything has got .
Pick two celebrities to be your parents . Morecambe and Wise .
Which one sports person has inspired you ? When I was a boy , there was a football coach called Maurice Setters ( Sheffield Wednesday ) who had great , big , muscly legs . He told me a couple of things . He said don ’ t pick your nose and rub it in your eyes , and also do stuff every day to get big , strong legs . So I listened .
An ideal night out for you is ? It ’ s not really a night out now . It is more like an evening with loads of friends , lots of food , fun , joking and laughing .
What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island ? A fishing rod . A gold fishing rod .
Fancy dress horror
What ’ s your favourite day-trip paddle ? My favourite ones are the ones closest to home with great mates because you don ’ t have to worry too much about logistics . The North Devon coast is a real gem ; we ’ ve got some beautiful , committing paddles around here , and when you know all the put-ins and get-outs , where the most stunning wild beaches are to stop for a brew , it ’ s a winner . You can ’ t beat your own back yard really .
Do you have an ultimate achievement ? I would like to live a bit longer . I ’ m getting a bit older now , and I ’ d like to see some kind of transition for Reed from me being in charge . I don ’ t have a master plan yet , and I ’ m still enjoying it , which is great , but at some point , I ’ ve got to start thinking about a succession plan or moving it over to ensure continuity . Then I will have more freedom to travel more , and then I ’ ll get on my bike and cycle somewhere .
Where do you see yourself in 20 years ? With my current partner very much in love ( Jane told me to say that )!
Um , in an old people ’ s home eating Spam and sucking on Werther ’ s Originals . Otherwise , I ’ d like to be like my mum ; she is still body boarding at 86 , dancing three nights a week and swimming every other day , so hopefully , those genes have rubbed off a bit . That would be nice .
What do you do in your leisure time ? Sport and being outdoors . Apart from Viz , I don ’ t read , but I would like to read more when the rest of me doesn ’ t work . I ’ m not discounting reading , but there ’ s too much other stuff to do . I am a member of the Croyde Surf Life Saving Club and train with them weekly . I cycle on my road bike , swim , play tennis , and enjoy growing some vegetables in our garden !
What ’ s in your fridge right now ? I got tons of fruit and veggies from mending a friend ’ s dog basket . It was massive – he ’ s a huge , slavering beast .
What would you prepare for us if we came to your house for dinner ? Squires Fish and Chips from Braunton – the very best in the UK . At home , I would make hummus dips with loads of garlic for starters , homemade pizzas for mains , and , of course , apple pie and custard for pudding !
Who are your kayaking buddies ? Greenie ( Paul Greenway ), Chris Mitchell was but he ’ s in America now , Darren , other great mates from Devon , and Jane .
If you could be a wild animal – what would it be ? A vulture – they just float around on the thermals all day and they can eat anything as they ’ ve got very strong stomach acid .
What would you do with £ 10 million ? Give most of it away , get a new push bike , and clear off .
Favourite sports personality ? I can ’ t choose .
Favourite team ? It was Sheffield Wednesday , but now it is the Croyde Masters Surf Life Saving Team .
What three words describes you ? Alive . Happy . Tasty ( like an ice cream ).
Finally , any final shoutouts ? To endless amounts of people who are just very kind and have been involved in helping in my life and business . But a huge shout out to the whole world of kayakers who I have been lucky enough to work with and get to know for the last 25 years . You are a truly great bunch of people .