Mike and I are back kayaking again and we are off on the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. While everyone else is seeing what the Easter bunny has left we will be kayaking 125 miles, with 77 portages or locks to run around, from Devizes to Westminster. What is a holiday without a few callouses. 

All the photos right now are from a couple of years ago, I'll update them when I have a few photos of us in Tinkerbell* (*Mike does not endorse me naming his boat Tinkerbell but the secret about what I call it in my head is out now). 

We start on the Avon Kennet Canal in Devizes with a bum numbing 15 miles without a portage before coming to a tunnel and then Crofton flight of locks. Down through Newbury and Reading to the Thames (confuse the shoppers in the Oracle shopping centre). On to the Thames, turn right and straight on until morning, or to Westminster bridge at least. The last 17 miles below Teddington are on the Tidal Thames and we have to predict our start time to ensure we reach Teddington for the tide window (I leave such calculations to Kari as head of logistics). 

The mental health services, that were underfunded and supported before lockdown, have become even more stretched as we have faced the uncertainty of a pandemic and lockdowns. We need to ensure that services remain in place to support those in need. 

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.