So you are in London, the weather is smashing and people are in a good mood for a change... but despite your best efforts you still find yourself needing a little, well, SPACE!

So what do you do? I’ll tell you - go for a cheeky paddle down the Thames!  Now I know most hard core Africans would be thinking, “Oh...how extreme...do pencil me in!”, but I can assure you, a gentle slide down our tame Thames may just be the way to soothe a sticky, Tube-tangled African soul.

The Sunday trip was a birthday gift and was class from the word go! The day started with a nice cup of coffee, spruced up with a splash of the good stuff to ensure our cockles were sufficiently warmed, kayaks pumped up and we were off. I was struck by the comfort and stability of our vessels - it was almost like sitting in an armchair and would suit anyone from a seasoned river rat to a hydrophobic tabby cat!

I cannot adequately express how laid back and flexible the whole operation is. We paddled at a pace that suited us, with no real worry about how far we needed to go or where we had to stop. We floated sedately by some wonderful old river boats, some still in use and others quietly disintegrating under branches of weeping willows dotting the river bank. We had very little company apart from the local waterfowl and a few slow moving boats that chugged by.

Our journey was occasionally interrupted by the historic river locks - fantastic examples of time tested, simple engineering. Ushered into a holding bay, a gate closes behind you and the water slowly drains to the level of the next section of river. The gates open and you float out as if nothing happened!

Lunch was set up on the riverbank, consisting of cold meats and salads like only a mother can make! Bellies bursting, we decided the prudent thing to do was to have a snooze in the sun. I wasn’t sure of the plan and didn’t want our lazy mood to throw a spanner in the works, but our guide just looked at us from under his floppy leather hat with a big grin and said that coffee would be waiting for us when we woke up!

We had a fantastic day from start to finish, with no pressure or plan in particular - it was a real one-day holiday.