And so we begin

...and by 'we', I probably mean 'they'.

The vans are packed, the kit lists are checked and rechecked, we all did a rather long day yesterday in order to get everything sorted out and... that's it until the actual canoeing starts. It's a bit weird to be doing nothing today, but a nice break, and I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that.

In order to clarify what's happening, here is a brief run-down:

1. Tomorrow Jon, Josh and Kenna leave the office and paddle to St Mary's Cogges in Witney.
2. On Sunday, Jon, Josh, Kenna and Tom will leave Cogges and paddle the rest of the Windrush until it meets the Thames at the Rose Revived pub.
3. On Monday morning, many people will arrive, kit will be handed out, and the canoeists will be divided into three teams: Green, Blue and Red, led by Jon, Josh and Kenna respectively. I'm going to be in the Blue team. A crew from BBC Oxford will be there to interview a few participants.
   
4. The boats will then leave the Rose Revived and begin the main part of the Witney to Westminster challenge, aiming to paddle around 20 miles each day and being met by a support vehicle each evening containing dry clothes, bedding and other amenities (tea, coffee, squash, etc.) whereupon they will stay in a local church hall or other similar accommodation.
5. This continues for the whole week. On Wednesday evening, I will join them, taking Josh's place in Blue boat 1 for the remainder of the challenge.
6. Assuming everything goes to plan, we will then continue at a similar rate until we reach Westminster on Saturday afternoon, where a group will be waiting to meet us off the water.
7. We all go home and sleep for a few days!

I hope that clears things up for everyone. I'm currently enjoying the Easter weekend in Nottingham with Judy (my wife) and our families. Keep an eye on the website for more info. I'll also be twittering my progress from on the water and updating this blog whenever we stop long enough for me to find a WiFi connection.

Hope it all goes well. See you on the river!