Preparations continue in Cambridge and Beeston

Preparations continue in Cambridge & Beeston
First time seeing a lock in action

Today Beth and I visited Beeston lock to get a sense of how it all works - having never used a lock before. Serendipitously, not one but two narrow-boats entered the lock as we were there. It was a very simple paddle-design lock, with only a slight difference in water level. It also didn't require a navigation key or windlass, so we remain ignorant to that whole part of it. The first boat-man moored outside, and climbed up to open the paddle gates. It didn't look at all difficult, but very fun. He drove in, and a second boat entered guided by a woman and daughter. Then the rear gate was closed - once again, very easy looking - and the water was allowed to fill up from the other side. This looked simple too. The boats rose slowly, with no rushing water or danger, until the front gates were opened.

We'd been concerned - in our ignorance - that the punt might capsize with the rushing water. The lock was so enormously spacious and the water so controlled that this is clearly no concern. In fact, we're both rather looking forward to the locks now, all 113 of them.

Blessedly the 2-week weather forecast is predicting beautiful temperate sunshine for the first few days to Northampton! How lucky we are. You would hope that charity work would be smiled upon. With this in mind, we're really looking forward to it. I'm planning to bring a bag of books, and we might have a little music on at times. The canals, especially up to Northampton, should be green and pretty.

That's two pieces of good news. Two is always followed... and we're thrilled that our recent video has received 150,000 views on Instagram, with many many people commenting, following, and donating. We seem to have reached a good number of people who live along our route, so that some have offered tea, coffee, cake, lunch, and support as we punt past them. With our recent publicity triumphs we've made it up to £2000, and 1000 followers on Instagram. With a week to go before we even set off, we're feeling very confident about our target.

Still need to book some campsites along the bank, and seek some more accomodation. We also need to buy moor-pins, long rope, windlasses, and sort the licenses for the MLC waters. Not too bad really. As I understand it there is still a dewatered closure outside Northampton, and we've been informed by zealous commentors that Bate's bite lock is closed, pennywort blocks the Cam, and the Denver Sluice Complex is very very unwise to punt through. For so much good, we can tolerate a little bad.

Ryan

Alzheimer's Society and our college, St. John's

Alzheimer's Society and our college, St. John's
The symbolic and scientific connections

Our college and Alzheimer’s Society share a symbol, the forget-me-not. The enigmatic motto of our foundress, Lady Margaret Beaufort, matriarch of the wars or the roses, is “Souvent me souvient”. This cryptic middle-French may be translated as “Remember me often”, giving rise to the forget-me-not as a college flower. The blue blossoms adorn the ceilings and plasterwork of many buildings in college.

“Souvent me souvient”. This cryptic middle-French may be translated as “Remember me often”, giving rise to the forget-me-not as a college flower

(Left) Forget-me-nots on the vaulting and front plasterwork of Great Gate. (Right) Sir Christopher Dobson, pioneer of Alzheimer's research and Master of the college.

Beyond this, our most recent Master, Sir Christopher Dobson, was a titan of Alzheimer’s research, credited with the discovery that ordinary proteins may misfold into amyloid aggregates (a likely cause of Alzheimer’s). In 2012, Chris Dobson founded the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, an Alzheimer’s research building in the university Chemistry Department (and where I did my Master’s project), and Wren Therapeutics, a company focused on the chemical basis of Alzheimer’s medicines. Sadly, Chris Dobson passed away whilst Master in 2019, and so this journey is also very much in his memory.

Website for the Centre of Misfolding Diseases: https://www.cmd.ch.cam.ac.uk/

Alzheimer’s Society is Britain’s leading dementia charity, for both support and research. The scientific work funded by the charity, following in the legacy of our former Master, has every hope of reducing the impact of dementia and Alzheimer’s year by year. The charity offers dementia support lines, forums, local services, and support resources for families and sufferers. Every donation has such a beautiful and enormous impact.

Ryan

Meeting with Paul and Lindon from the Environmental Agency

Meeting with the EA about the River Nene

The EA were generous enough to verify the attempt as a certified event, and to offer a zoom meeting with two experts on the Nene and surrounding waterways. The teams call today was extremely helpful. Paul and Lindon knew just about everything about the waterways from the Oxford canal through the Cam, and illuminated the so-far obscure nature of the River Nene.

The river, which connect Northampton to Peterborough and will dominate the 5th and 6th days of our attempt is likely to be the most unruly and intimidating section. The locks, I'm told, are guillotine design, unlike the paddle design of the canal locks. This design may cause us some trouble with the long ropes which will control the punt as the water rushes in. It's all very scary. I'm also told that enormous 'rafts' of pennywort are possible towards the end of our route, and who knows how we'll get through those (photo below)

Invasive seasonal pennywort raft blocking river traffic, credit CRT

 They were both lovely, and very enthusiastic about our attempt. They said we should be alright sleeping in the boat, and that clubs and marinas will be generous. Also that we can shower in marinas! We're very grateful to them both.

The main concerns are the low water-level around Charles' aunt's house in bugbrooke, which we may need to trailer around, and the possibility of fast water flow in a storm. It is also, apparently, insane to try to punt through the Denver sluice complex at Salter's lode (Day 9), and so this may be another occasion for a trailer.

The EA and CRT have been nothing but generous and supportive, and so we would like once again to say many thankyous. It's deeply heartening to know they are behind us, and that the trip should be possible from their expertise.

From today on, we'll be posting daily reels and posts to the instagram and facebook (@puntingforalzheimers) so do have a look. We are always looking for help from anyone who lives along the route.

Donate at the link below!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/puntingforalzheimers

Ryan

£1000 Raised

First £1000 raised!

Thank you all so much who have donated so far. We have raised £1023, 20 % of our £5000 target.

DONATE: https://www.justgiving.com/page/puntingforalzheimers

Please donate if you haven't already, and even if you have, consider donating more! Alzheimer's Society do fantastic work funding Dementia research and support. 982,000 people currently suffer from dementia in Great Britain, with around 80 % of these caused by Alzheimer's disease. All of your donation goes to helping these people, and preventing future cases.

We expect many more donations will come in as we begin to report on our adventure, so look forward to our first daily diary on 23rd September, and the preparation posts beforehand.

Ryan

Welcome: Punting 200 Miles from Oxford to Cambridge for Alzheimer's Society

Welcome: we're punting 200 miles for Alzheimer's Society

4 Students from St. John's College Cambridge, Ryan, Charles, Beth, and Stefan

DONATE HERE: https://www.justgiving.com/page/puntingforalzheimers

We are four students at St. John's College Cambridge, and avid punters. We are planning to punt over 11 days from Oxford to Cambridge to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and the amazing work they facilitate in both support and research.

The motto of our college, Souvent Me Souvient, may be translated as 'Remember me often', hence the forget-me-not is a symbol of both the Alzheimer's Society and St. John's College.

The journey will be over 200 miles, from Oxford up to Northampton on the Grand Union Canal, across the Peterborough on the River Nene, and down via Ely to Cambridge. There will be over 100 Locks to traverse, and a mile long tunnel at Braunston.

However, this has been done once before in 2011, and so we are heartened that the journey is possible.

We will be creating daily updates of our journey in late September (here, and on our facebook and instagram: @puntingforalzheimers), and hope you will enjoy following along with us, and will consider donating to this amazing cause.