Video: Punting in Oxford

Video: Punting in Oxford

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Naomi punting on the River Cherwell

I have  a rather unfortunate character flaw. If I try something new, and am not absolutely amazing at it straight away, I descend into a fit of fury. All my toys are thrown out of the pram, and I wail like a bratty child.

Which is exactly what happened yesterday, when I tried my hand at punting. We set off from the Cherwell Boathouse, just outside of Oxford, on a beautiful sunny morning. My friend Naomi got us out of the dock, and after a bit of shouted coaching from the boathouse, we were off. She took to it really quickly, and soon we were drifting down the beautiful River Cherwell.

A man who had been punting all his life called out his compliments when he found out she had never done it before. Ducks seemed to be shouted to each other in awe. It seemed to easy that I decided I wanted a turn.

I soon discovered that PUNTING IS REALLY HARD.

And then the toys came out of the pram...



There is a bit of a knack to it. If you're a better person than I am, you'll get the hang of it because you're patient. If not, you can always hire a chaffeur, or go with a friend who is stronger than you.

An even better idea is to take a jug of Pimms into the boat with you. You can get this from the teahut at the boathouse, who also have a wonderful restaurant. Maybe if I had Pimms on my side, I wouldn't have taken such a nasty turn. Maybe.

Cherwell Boathouse, Bardwell Road, Oxford OX2 6ST
Restaurant 01865 552746
Punts 01865 515978