Justine Curgenven, Barry Shaw and few other UK sea kayakers get together for a little annual wave action.

From the Kokatat Blog by Mark Tozer

“This years UK Storm Gathering was held in Northumberland near Berwick Upon Tweed. The event was organized and hosted by Ollie Jay of Active4 Seasons with a strong yet eclectic supporting cast. The intention of the event, by way of guided trips, was to showcase the fantastic Berwickshire and North Northumberland coastline, which is classed as an area of outstanding beauty.

Despite the strong winds and at times heavy rains on Friday, Saturday dawned with a clear fresh outlook as folk began to rise from their various modes of accommodation at the Pot A Doodle Do Wigwam Village.
As participants and leaders gathered round the breakfast table it was good to see some familiar faces in attendance, past Storm Gathering attendees and guides alike. Justine Curgenven and Barry Shaw had come up the day before to explore the area, as had Aled Williams of Tiderace Sea Kayaks.

The plan for Saturday was to head out to the Farne Islands which lie three miles off the coast midway between the fishing village of Seahouses and the magnificent Bamburgh Castle. The Farnes are home to numerous nesting sea birds as well as as large colonies of Atlantic and Grey seals. Two groups launched from Beadnell Bay, with one traveling out via Crumstone and on to Longstone island whilst the group I lead went along the coast before crossing to Inner Farne.

On the journey out we saw numerous Eider ducks, or Cuddy ducks so named after St Cuthbert who lived on the island and imposed a law protecting all the birds but in particular the Eider. This may have been the first ever bird protection policy, created in 676 AD. The group enjoyed moderate paddling conditions for most of the outbound leg but a welcome break was nonetheless taken on Inner Farne and folk took advantage of visiting St Cuthbert’s Chapel and the Victorian lighthouse. From here the group made its way across Staple Sound where we received numerous visits from curious seals. After taking time to enjoy playing in the swell found in the various channels between Brownsman and Longstone Islands, the group landed for a brief stretching of legs under the lighthouse.

The journey home took us via the Pinnacles which looked particularly impressive as they were awash with swell and white foaming water. This was clearly an opportunity for Ollie to demonstrate his intimate knowledge of this feature by negotiating the raging seas as that roared through the passage between the Pinnacles and Staple Island. The day finished at St Aidan’s Beach just outside Seahouses where everyone delighted in playing in the surf under the setting Sun.

That night saw everyone congregate at the nearby the ‘Barn at Beal’ centre for evening entertainment courtesy of that master raconteur and pompatus of wit Jim Krawiecki. His slide show was a mixture of pub quiz, educational tour and quite promotion of his impending guide for the North of England which will be published in 2011 by Pesda Press. The audience was also treated to samples of Lindisfarne Mead, locally made cheese and steaming bowlfuls of hot stew. However, the evening did not stop there and for some it went on long into the night as guides and participants alike engaged in jolly japery and daring do.

Sunday morning brought another cold start and after discussions the decision was made to travel up along the coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish town of Eyemouth. Whilst shuttles were set in the place for the end of the day, some folk took advantage of the last remaining surf at Berwick. After which symposium attendees set of on mass to enjoy a myriad of rock-hopping challenges and cave exploration.

Our lunch stop was Marshall Meadows Bay which is a huge sandstone amphitheatre. Part way up one of the cliffs there is an inclined tunnel that leads to the caravan site that overlooks the area with panoramic views along the coast. Further along, we made our way between, behind and sometimes beneath rocks all the way to Eyemouth. All too soon the gathering was over. Many were saying their goodbyes here whilst packing up kit in the descending evening cool before heading off home.

My wish is that the events go from strength to strength, as I have the firm belief that there is a place for such a symposium at this time of year. Ollie did a great job of bringing folk together, as well as providing some interesting souvenirs and entertainment. Role on UK SG 6 which I hope will be run in Pembroke in 2011, so watch this space.

More pictures from the event can be found on Facebook.” – Mark Tozer, Kokatat Ambassador