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We meet on the 2nd Saturday of the month at the Bread and Bitter to arrange outings and activities, mainly in small groups.

For details of future meetings and activities tap the Calendar button and select Wild Weekenders from the Group drop-down list.

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Some Previous Outings

May 2026: Barge Trip

Saturday May 30th, saw 23 Wild Weekenders take to the high seas led by their intrepid Captains . . .

. . . OK, on Saturday May 30th, 23 Wild Weekenders took 2 barges from Sileby Mill Marina to Birstall and back, along the River Soar. It was a beautiful sunny day, just fine for a trip down a river. We were led on Fumble and Jumble by our Captains Coleen, Geoff and Richard. They patiently taught us how to steer the boats and control the lock gates. 

As usual there was beautiful scenery, including ducks, geese, swans, a heron who waited at the side until our return journey to fly off.  Canoeists, family barbecues, damsel flies who landed on objects and people on the boats for a free ride as well as murals on buildings, boats etc. It was a photographer's dream.

This is the third year that the Wild Weekenders have been going out on the barges, and this was the 5th trip. The first time was one boat with 10 people. Now we have 2 boats with 23 participants.  It was a fun day with a stop over at The White Horse for lunch and a quick drink, then back again. On the way home most of us stopped at the Poppy and Pint for tea. 

So a brilliant day was had by all.  

Jenni White

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June 2025: River Cruise

After very high temperatures during the week, a cooler morning greeted the 40 of us who arrived at Riverside Lodge to enjoy a cruise on the Nottingham Princess.  With a Sunday roast dinner to look forward to and Black Forest Gateau, which reminded me of the 70s when it was a new and amazing dessert on the menu.  The onboard bar was busy most of the time.

A leisurely journey from riverside Lodge at Colwick down to Wilford church were the boat turned round to return via Holme Pierrepont, then Colwick.

There was a very interesting and, informative commentary about the area , with Romans, Normans and every other man mentioned.  However, we revellers were enjoying ourselves too much to hear it; good job there weren’t questions at the end !! A raffle took place after lunch with a 1 in 4 chance of winning a prize.  We returned to River Lodge for 3.30pm after a very enjoyable 3 hours.        

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August 2024: Barge Trip

August Bank Holiday weekend and the Weekenders went barging. What a great day out we had, despite pretty relentless rain at times. We left at 8 in the morning and teamed up on 2 barges, Fumble and Bumble, to manoeuvre the waterways between Leicester and Loughborough. Armed with  rain macs, snacks and a packed lunch we settled on board just as the rain came slashing down. But apart from those of us on the tillers, we had a cosy transport through beautiful countryside, mingling closely with young signets, herons and even a kingfisher.

We stopped for lunch before heading back for home. As promised, the sun came out which just added to what was already a brilliant outing.

Everybody had a turn at the tiller, some more smoothly than others, but the more experienced sailors kept an eye on things. We all got involved with managing the locks, sometimes with help from other canal users along the way and also bringing the boat alongside the bank so that we could all alight safely.  Some of us finished the day off with a well-earned meal in Normanton-on-Soar.  Thanks particularly go to Geoff and Richard, who braved the worst of the weather so that we could stay dry and enjoy the ride.

Tap to open the photo gallery, then swipe left or right

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