A couple of weeks ago we went on a jolly out to Ross on Wye, I personally haven’t been there in about 12 years since I was 16. For me it was always just a river and a town attached that didn’t achieve anything really. A midpoint between england and Wales. No disrespect mind as far as midpoints go I quite like it. 

Upon revisiting I didn’t realise just how nice it is, it reminded me of what makes England good. Its pleasant its picturesque and most importantly it has plenty of places to get food or drink. 

Just don’t tell the Welsh I liked it. 

Now back to the main point. The fantastic River Wye. Its what I reckon the pinnacle of a cute and easy little river is. Its a goldilocks zone of size speed and depth. I won’t be covering much of the natural side of the river today but I’ve got a bit of gassing to do about something I find particularly curious about the human aspect of the river. 

So when I was in university half assing my way through the course. We were forced to read a book called “Observations of the River Wye”, I did have to google it to see if I remembered it right and I’m still not sure, the passage I remember very vividly is about some old English guy from the 1800s talking of walking along the bank of the Wye looking at people going about thier business in coracles which are small usually one person little boats to get there and there up and down river. Which in itself it unremarkable. But when I was 16 I went on a paddle boat to get up and down the Wye and funnily enough go about my business. 

And then here was are 12 years later. Sat in a beer garden next to the river enjoying a bit of sun and some pretty good cider since I was in cider country. And I witnessed a few canoes pulling up onto the river beach and and starting to set up some tents on the pub grounds and it struck me that people just don’t change. We enjoy the exact same things people did 200 odd years ago today. Not exactly groundbreaking but it made me smile at just how simple we are deep down.