Rachel Colenso

Yesterday our scoot took us further down the Thames, and as I looked at the huge body of water flowing calmly and silently down to the sea it made me think again about all those people who have lost their homes, towns and livelihoods; or loved ones this week, in the great floods of the Danube. Only a week back I had considered what a scoot alongside the 2872km Danube may be like - little knowing what was in store. The river touches, or passes through ten countries, and in an instant, centuries of hard labor have been washed away. I am hoping our scoot to support The British Red Cross International Disaster Fund will make a difference to peoples' lives.  Rachel's Fundraising page This section of the river takes on a distinct new character - the Urban walkways and upmarket apartments give way to the beauty of British countryside in early summer. Rich aromas of cowslip, a gravelly path, and dense array of almost tropical foliage adorn the walkway. Willows sweep the rivers ed...

Please look at these images of flooding in Europe . Last Summer I spent time in southern Germany, first on vacation; then later in the year for work, speaking in Frankfurt, and raising funds for The British Red Cross in a charity cycle ride for LSG Sky Chefs. Since then I have continued to fund raise for the British Red Cross in attempting a 184 mile family scoot down the entire length of theThames River in England with our two daughters aged 2 and 5. It was with some shock that I discovered that whilst we have been scooting along the Thames River, across the Channel people in Germany and the Czech Republic are being rescued in small Red Cross rescue boats as the waters rise to the roof tops in villages and towns. Now the beautiful city of Prague which I have also visited in my capacity as a motivational speaker, and Hungary's Budapest are next on the list for serious flooding this weekend. Please do support our 184 miles by joining us for a section or by donating to our fun...

Wow! What an amazing surprise. Whilst we are Wandsworth residents, I had never put too much store in the interest value of this section of The Thames. The previous Thames Towpath meandered through awkward backstreets, a frustrating and dangerous bike ride, laborious by foot. Even recent satellite images and google maps are deceptive, and this gem could mistakenly ignored. We completed the section in double; first scooting from Putney Bridge to Wandsworth Bridge, and then returning the journey towards the source. In an unexpected whirl of colour and sound my husband was whisked off by two attractive young women to peddle a handmade rickshaw as we approached the new river walkway area. The two students then sat our daughters on their colourfully adorned throne and provided a quick Debretts lesson on the queens wave. They imitated it with glee as Daddy pushed them around on the Rickshaw. Next was a gaggle of ducks and geese crafted from paper mache, with loving care by local school chil...

We covered this in two sections, although the combination is only 2 miles one way, and would be feasible to scoot this in one longer stretch with young children. The scooting here is of the highest standard, with a wide, smooth pavement type walkway for most of the journey alongside The Thames, and at the time we covered these sections over the weekend, it was uncrowded. We came across a couple of barge homes on the river, and enjoyed the different styles of architecture and variety of engineering feats in bridge building - from suspension to roman archways. The helipad section is an exciting highlight with close up views of helicopters flying in along the river and landing at close range. Thai on The River is a good stop off point with Fred Wells Gardens behind offering free use of tennis courts, a children's play park or even an opportunity to barbecue!