steve wrote:

Hello everyone
I wondered if you could help me, I am interested in starting up
kayaking but know very little about the sport only what i have read in
mags, could anyone out there suggest how i could get started? I live
in wigan in greater manchester,I am 42. i wondered if there maybe
clubs in my area who may rent out kayaks ...i am ultimately hoping to
do sea kayaking but do not know how to get started. I would be very
grateful for any help or advice?... if any one could mail me it would
be greatly appreciated.......thanks

Try the Manchester Canoe Club

http://www.manchestercanoeclub.org.uk/framesnn.html

membership appears reasonable (to me, in the US: it's about half that of my
local club) and they say they have kayaks for hire to members. I would
hope they would be happy to welcome beginners. (I also hope they aren't
only white-water oriented.)

The British Canoe Union (http://www.bcu.org.uk/) lists the Manchester club
as being interested in Inland Touring (fla****er: called "placid water"
here...sigh), sea touring, general recreation. They have introductory
courses.

In fact, the BCU lists a Wigan Canoeing Group on their page for the North
West Region:

http://www.bcu.org.uk/aboutus/regionsnorthwest.html

So you might try calling:

Wigan Canoeing Group
Mr Thomas J Heyes
55 Dryden Avenue
Ashton In Makerfield
Wigan LANCASHIRE
WN4 0JZ
E-Mail:

or visiting

http://www.wigancg.org.uk/

They are also listed with many of the same interests as you expressed.

Good luck, and enjoy the water!