We were delighted to welcome ITV Anglia News to film a special segment about the River Stour, River Stour Trust and our Sudbury to the Sea event. The segment was featured during ITV Anglia News on Monday 14 September 2020 with a live introdcution filmed aboard our boat, Francis J Batten (FJ), at Sudbury. It was also featured on ITV’s ‘All Around Britain’ programme in October 2020.
The footage referred to Covid-19 and the ways in which it has changed people’s leisure habits and holiday plans with areas along the River Stour seeing a huge increase in visitors on and off the water. The River Stour Trust is keen to encourage enjoyment of the river and its many benefits including exercise, relaxation, being closer to nature and seeing parts of the country side that are inaccessible by foot or road.
The River Stour Trust was formed on 12 September 1968 to fight for the public’s right to use this river which would have been lost due to the efforts of the Anglian water authority in the 1970s to try and close it down.
Our flagship event, Sudbury to the Sea (S2C), has been an important feaure on the RST calendar since the 1970s when a small group of paddlers would take to the water to ensure that the Navigation was used and to note any problems on the river. It was rebranded as Sudbury to the Sea (S2C) in 2005 and a few years later it was agreed to set attendance to a maximum of 300 craft. This year, Covid-19 meant that attendance was reduced to 100 craft, as well as some other specific Covid-19 changes.
We are delighted to report that this event did go ahead this year albeit with some specific Covid-19 changes. It was a great success which is a real boost as we have been forced to cease all our other activities.