Stand Up Paddleboarding: My passion or obsession? Work or play? All of the above and way more! If you ask anyone who knows me where to find me, the answer will undoubtedly be ‘on the river!’ And why wouldn’t I be!? A stone’s throw from my house and the jewel in Bedford’s crown. Moving from Stevenage to Bedford almost 20 years ago now, one of the very reasons I wanted to relocate, way before paddleboarding was known to me or even really in the UK, was to be closer to the water whilst staying close to my family. Bedford was the obvious place, with The River Great Ouse flowing right through the heart of the historic market town and a short twenty minute stroll from my new home took me to the beautiful Priory Country Park, completely away from the hustle and bustle of the town when I
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just needed some calm. Now, the very reason I was originally drawn to Bedford has become the perfect escapism from a busy life and the perfect spot to paddle, not only personally but also for teaching others with my independently owned and operated local paddleboarding business, Heron and Hush. Heron and Hush is more than a small enterprise, It’s become a SUP community that has grown over the last two years through offering opportunities for all to not just try paddleboarding but to become part of our SUP Club, a weekly meet-up to paddle, socialise and delight in our stunning and everchanging local lake and waterway whilst consuming essential paddle fuel (otherwise known as cake and cookies!) The River Great Ouse is such a treasured area and Heron and Hush wishes to help keep it that way. Sadly, particularly throughout the last year, our green and blue spaces have been subjected to a lot of littering, to the detriment of our local wildlife and environment. To help to be part of the solution, Heron and Hush have run Planet Patrol events to help combat the issues, protect our local wildlife and keep
