The HCKA started as a result of a national rally of historic boats being organised in the autumn of 1989 at Low Wray, Windermere. The response was encouraging and a lot of support was given to the idea of further contact with each other as a club.
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The variety of boats together with the stories from their owners was fascinating - too good a time to let go of. So the group was started with a view to contributing info. and articles to a quarterly newsletter and occasionally getting together for a time on the water over a weekend. Our thanks go to John Carroll and Janet Whiting for their vision and initiative. They continued to run the association until 1993 and their hard work is much appreciated.
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There was a 2 year gap in activities until Tony Ford - a much experienced canoe instructor and a great investigator into canoeing history, kindly took on the job of running the club in 1995 along with canoe manufacturer Graham Mackereth. The newsletter is now known as ‘Paddles Past’ and has grown to quite a substantial booklet - a valuable resource for any with an interest in how the boats developed, how they were used in work and leisure and how today’s sport started.
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If you need to identify a boat or estimate its age, if you want advice on restoration or materials supply, if you want to find literature or if you’d simply like to make contact with other owners of older boats, then the odds are that one of our members may be able to help.
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