Rachel Colenso

It was an unlikely meeting, but one I will never forget. New Years Eve 1999 - the eve of the Millennium. To mark this auspicious event some friends and I planned a climb to the summit of Table Mountain at night, with head torches, clinging to the 200m sheer rock face that plummets vertically beneath the line of the cable car. The aim was to surprise the SABC TV broadcaster who would be poised near the edge ready to comment on the millenium celebrations at the Tip of Africa by popping our heads over the cliff top at 2 minutes to 12. Hopefully we would also avoid the shower of champagne corks heading off the mountain. We spent the afternoon organising ropes and equipment and some rather fetching outfits to go under our harnesses. One of our three person team painted their body gold! Enroute to the start of our climb we made a quick stop at a shopping center in Claremont (a suburb of Cape Town). In the joie de vivre of the moment I left my purse on the shop counter. As I left the shop d...

Today, icy cold gusts, branches and debris from the recent hurricane, St Jude, marred our journey along The Thames. We completed the section from Sunbury lock, to the Western most point of Denborough Island, via the longer route following the true river path of The Thames. On any journey or adventure there are options to guild the lily. It is rather tempting to do so, and find really good excuses to justify your choice. Now, all said, the aftermath of a hurricane is a rather good excuse. The option for us was whether we be true to ourselves, and our journey to follow The Thames, or choose a shorter, less tree lined and hazardous route alongside the cut through, Denborough Channel... In the scale of cheating this , well it hardly counts. You are looking at around 3 kilometers, less than 1/100th of the entire journey, and after all, as we had conceived of this journey, would it really matter? Would anyone be bothered? .... No... Ok, so we chose the harder route, and this was why: Whe...

I was delighted to receive an invitation to a private Garden Party to celebrate 150 years of the Red Cross Movement. It was situated in the beautiful college gardens of Westminster Abbey by permission of the Dean and Chapter. I learnt that College Gardens had been used as an infirmary for monks and others since 960 AD, and that the monks planted herbs and tended to the gardens which lie facing the tower and spectacular architecture of Westminster Abbey. I felt most privileged to have had this opportunity and to meet Sir Nicholas Young and the Dean of Westminster, who kindly posed for a photograph in the gardens. We were educated in some interesting details about The Red Cross Movement, and the story of its inception by an ardent Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant, inspired me to get out there and make a difference! I was also amazed at the variety of humanitarian aid that The British Red Cross is involved in. One sees an image of Red Cross helpers in a disaster zone somewhere in the w...

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!