Author Archives: guydresser

Marathon canoe race epic

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Canoeing 125 miles (200 km) through the countryside, running 76 locks and weirs plus coping with blisters, heatstroke, psychotic swans and drunken pleasure boat owners may not be everyone’s idea of fun. But for around 600 committed “paddlers”, such is the unique appeal of the Devizes to Westminster international canoe race, held every Easter holiday weekend.

Billed as the world’s toughest canoe race, it was conceived some 60 years ago as a bet in a pub near Devizes, Wiltshire.

Two scouts doubted whether it would be possible to navigate the then derelict Kennet and Avon canal and the Thames all the way to London and thus another seemingly foolhardy venture was born. Continue reading →

On the ropes

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Years of cold beach holidays in Cornwall made me long for something more adventurous this year and with growing children the thought of a sports holiday appealed. It was only when my vague promise of a repeat visit to the south-west was met with howls of derision from my two children (‘It’s so cold’. ‘It’s really boring just sitting on the sand.’) that I decided to act.

After ruling out a number of options, including Italy (too expensive), the USA (too far for a short break), and France (been there many times) we settled on Slovenia. Continue reading →

Pensions misery for millions

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Millions of Britons expect their pensions to be worth less than they expected when they took the policies out. And more than eight out of ten Britons contributing to a pension, some 16.7m people, expect a shortfall in the value of their policies when they retire.

If people’s worst fears are realised, pensioners will be £159bn worse off. The headline figure sounds dramatic but reflects a growing gulf in the actual value of pension plans against the projected value when they first took them out. Continue reading →

How to take on the cowboys

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My problems began with a cracked pipe under the kitchen sink. Without the tools or expertise and with a large number of guests due for dinner, I reached for the phone book to find a plumber willing to do a weekend callout. Big mistake.

I gulped as I agreed to the company’s eye-watering charge of £80 per 30 minutes. Even my accountant does not charge that much, but I was desperate and I thought it was a simple job. Second big mistake. Continue reading →

Is Disneyland Paris still a bonne idée?

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Christmas Winter Season at Disneyland Paris

A trip to a Disneyland Paris is almost a rite of passage for British kids these days but such is the rate at which the French theme park has expanded over the past five years, parents still need to precision plan their visit to ensure everyone gets the most out of it.

It’s not just the size of the park that makes a two-day stay essential – queuing, already a familiar sight at UK theme parks, is something you’ll get very well used to at Disneyland Paris and can severely reduce the number of attractions you can squeeze into your day. Continue reading →