Visitors to Sawbridgeworth Town Council’s River Day enjoy trips on a canal boat, canoeing and kayaking, and pond dipping

Visitors to Sheering Mill Lock learned all there is to know about the River Stort through Sawbridgeworth on Saturday (May 31) – and the lucky ones enjoyed free trips in a canal boat.

The town council’s fourth annual River Day was declared a success, and the organisers were delighted to welcome a new group to the event.

Event organiser and town council projects manager Jo Sargant discovered a new group after a plea went out on Facebook for help with an injured duck near the lock in Sawbridgeworth.

Friends of the Wild Rescue and Rehab stepped up to rescue the injured bird and were invited along to River Day. Jo said the group would be making an appearance at other town council events to promote all the “wonderful work” they do locally.

Other groups attending included Hertfordshire police and Herts Boat Rescue, who work collaboratively together, and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was on hand, giving out essential health and safety guidance.

Free 40-minute trips up the Stort were organised by CanalAbility, while Ben Partridge and Fuel Boat Lion joined the event to tell people all about life working on the river.

Ben travels weekly out of London along the River Lea and then on the Stort to Bishop’s Stortford. People who live along the river require fuel deliveries to keep them up and running, so Ben does a four-and-a-half-day round trip weekly keeping everyone stocked up with necessities.

Michael Pinnock, who is chair of the Historic Narrow Boat Club, also attended. Next year he will be coming along with other boats for people to visit and learn all about them.

Peter Nash and members of Whoosh Explore Canoe Club held canoeing and kayaking sessions, and the Biozone’s pond-dipping sessions, run by Sustainable Sawbridgeworth’s Citizen Science group, were a popular draw for families.

Jo Sargant said: “The weather was very kind to us at the end of the half term week. We hope this free event gave families the opportunity to relax and enjoy all that the river has to offer.”

She thanked residents of Lawrence Moorings who came out and enjoyed the event – and allowed visitors to share their gardens for the day.