Rachel Colenso

Conference and Keynote Speaking 2025

2025-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

I love💗 my work!

This is a shout out to all the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make memorable events, and enjoyable opportunities for teams to connect.

As a conference and keynote speaker you are in a high pressure role - reading the room, and getting the right message across to people you have never met before. The aim; to leave a lasting positive impression that will motivate, inspire and encourage even better teamwork, leadership or confidence to face and overcome challenges.

A great deal of work goes on behind the scenes. From negotiations, bookings and client management, and travel arrangements to the super, hightec audio-visual support I definately couldn't do it all by myself.

So here is a big thank you to all who have helped to create great moments and leave lasting impressions with the audiences I have had the privaledge of speaking to in 2024... and all the preceding years too!

A big thank @ One Tribe, NMP, A-Speakers, Inspirational Speakers, Raise the Bar, Jennifer Howe, Noiser and many more!

I am fortunate to work with diverse people, passionately creating and engaging with the world

The Efficient Team - notes from a cliff-top and a rainforest

2023-08-24T05:30:00.005-07:00

Whilst conceptually bizarre, a cliff face is a great place to study efficient teamwork. Your team are literally tied together and cannot escape until the job is done! Every step, every action, affects the entire team whether they like it or not.

Mountaineering efficiency has more to it than not treading on toes, or bumping someone annoying off your ledge. Other than an element of patience, great mountain teams unite the core requirements of knowledge; skill; and experience, at speed, to reach their goal. The longer they are tied together, the greater that need becomes! The longer they are out there, the greater the exposure to the elements (and to each other), and the more they need to work in harmony. If you take too long, the initial goal or summit is replaced by the need to survive.

Take it from someone who has spent a lifetime meeting deadlines in inhospitable and dangerous environments – from being strapped together on sweltering desert rockfaces; to abseiling through electric storms, or rescuing an injured caver in narrow ‘squeeze’ tunnels 240 ft underground. You can learn to work in almost anyone’s company, if the need is great enough.

When life gets a bit hot under the collar, and you can’t imagine escaping your jungle, try these simple ‘Top Tips.’ – Some are from business psychologist, Robert Kovach, who generously sponsored my team of female explorers before we set off on a groundbreaking trail in 2006, discovering a partially unchartered section of the Amazon rainforest in Guyana. We underwent psychological profiling, teambuilding sessions and support. What we ultimately required saving from was not the man-eating White-lipped Peccary or stealthy jaguar, but each other. It was the most valuable sponsorship I have ever received!

Top Tips:

1.) Greeting: Take a few minutes to ‘say hello’ and create a chance to connect with each other. Connecting withing your team whilst uncoiling the ropes will take less time than fixing an issue halfway up a cliff. It gives you the opportunity to make adjustments before setting off, and to build a great, positive start.

2.) Closing – Knowing when to stop is important for sustainability. On a mountain exhaustion creeps in and it becomes unsafe to continue climbing. Your judgement becomes impaired, and life or death mistakes are easy to make. You need to plan your time to ensure that wherever you stop for the night (even on a tiny ledge on a cliff), your team has time for a debrief, personal admin, and to gain enough sustenance and rest to continue. A goal is more likely to be met with a fresh set of minds. Pushing on for extended time is reserved for extreme situations, so you have the capacity to take on a big challenge when needed, and not every day.

3.) Planning and Preparation: Our increased reliance on technology has seen a decrease in advance planning, site specific planning, and a continual shifting of plans and deadlines. Whilst agility is a core need in extreme sports like alpinism, continual changes leave a team unsettled, confused by the inconsistency, and in more danger. Enthusiasm drops, synergy falls away, and the summit isn’t achieved. By contrast, careful consideration to planning, including studying the alternative options, followed by articulating clear aims and expectations, with a stepped approach to achieving goals, removes uncertainties and allows for the team to grow in confidence and ability.

4.) Speed: By creating team-rhythm and working quickly you are able to cover more ground, and still feel refreshed, even energised. This goes back to harnessing your teams’ knowledge, skill and experience. Winning teams thrive on this.

A happy team is a great team to work with!

Lessons for Life and Business from Climbing Sea Cliffs: Adversity vs Uncertainty

2022-10-20T04:26:00.314-07:00

According to Hemmingway, "There are only three sports, motor racing, bullfighting and mountaineering. All the rest are merely games”. Perhaps Wing Suiting could be added? - Fun? Maybe for some. I have to think quite hard why you would dedicate your life to the pursuit of something that could also simultaneously end it. I have to think even harder why I, a mountaineering guide, made that choice...

And so it is in business. One person's passion is another's poison. Risk, adversity and uncertainty can either be your undoing, or something that brings out pure genius, hidden talent, innovation and extraordinary teamwork.

Mountaineers and Rock climbers live with uncertainty, and develop techniques to function at a high level in demanding situations - skills gained from years of testing limits and erasing boundaries, and this is what I want to focus on today.

Climbers, like cave divers, train themselves to suppress fear and the resulting feelings of uncertainty. They train their mind to concentrate on solving the facts, so there is less time for fear, and its unproductive consequences. Two of the techniques I use, and share with audiences at corporate events are ‘Reality Checking’ and ‘Discarding’. Here I will focus on just one, ‘Reality Checking.’

‘Reality Checking’ is assessing the situation from a fact based perspective and involves separating facts from an emotional response. Sounds easy, but hard to do in a tight spot! The place to start is in understanding that adversities are based in fact - a challenge to overcome, or deal with. By contrast, uncertainty is the lack of concrete evidence, facts or clear direction, and can be experienced as a fear or anxiety within your mind, like thinking there will be an avalanche when you hear a groan. Advertisers are great at doing the opposite, creating, and then converting dreams and desires into sales. But, this is just and intangible desire or fear.

Part of Reality Checking is to take time to clear your mind before taking any action, and then focus on each task intently. Sometimes, on a rockface you feel desperate, exhausted, mentally, physically drained, and completely out of ‘moves.’ It feels as if making the slightest adjustment, just taking one more step, will see you tumbling, and when you fall it will be a long way down. There is no option of turning back, you can’t reverse the extremely tricky sequence of manoeuvres that led to where you are now. You also can’t stay where you are for very long, or you will fall off!

I have learnt that in situations such as this, the best thing to do is… nothing!… absolutely nothing. Then, I breathe, and after taking time to recollect and assess logically, I just consider the very next task at hand. It could be as simple as selecting a piece of equipment from my harness and then wiggling it into a crack as high above my head as I can safely reach; then clipping the carabiner and a rope through it. Very slowly, by inching task upon task you are often able to ease your way out of a difficult situation and into a place where you can breathe, refocus and gather the courage needed to continue. You can’t climb a rockface in one giant leap. It is a series of thousands of small steps that guide your journey to the top and back down safely.

Adversity and uncertainty play into each other and part of the challenge as a climber is to keep separating them by using a “Reality Check”. This rationalising helps you make better decisions and and realise your goals. There may be additional problems en route and so the process is ongoing. Realising you have options and possible solutions which are based in facts raises motivation and wins the confidence of a team.

Finally, by persisting and remaining focussed right till the very last step you can often prevent further adversity from occurring. By keeping your mind alert it is open to opportunities when they arise.

I am hoping that next time you feel uncertain about how to guide your team, or overwhelmed the 'Reality Check', may provide a good starting point to overcoming those thoughts!

Plastic Free July

2021-07-20T03:11:00.000-07:00

I was recently wrote this article for NOICE to promote Plastic Free July. Whilst it was fun putting it together in an entertaining way, the content matter made me question how I can further reduce the amount of plastic I use through informed purchasing choices.

Enjoy reading Mr Plasticus Tubus' Journey and check out the NOICE clip that goes with it!

The Life of a Tooth Paste Tube

How to get great sound on BBC radio interviews "Working from Home"

2020-07-29T06:00:00.001-07:00

Covid-19 now means distance radio interviews from home are not just a 'thing' but here to stay. I have wondered how the BBC manage to obtain great recording quality, when people are actually sat in their own homes recording off some pretty basic technology? I was lucky enough to find out some of the dark art behind good quality home recording from a recent BBC World Service interview for their Outlook series.

Previously, all the radio interviews I did were in professional recording studios, bar one outdoor recording ascending Snowdon in Wales, where the sound of the wind and trudging footsteps seemed to be of more interest to the interviewer than what anyone was saying! In your own home, there's no-one overseeing your recording directly, and it can all feel a bit intimidating, despite the lovely producers and presenters easing you into it.

So I hope they don't mind if I pass on a few of their tip-top-tips on recording from home so that you too could sound great for a podcast, interview or even to record your own speech to motivate staff working from home.

1.) Preparation: There is no point zooming straight into something you want to sound amazing without first sorting out the technology and ironing out the creases. Normally there will be a practice run to ensure everything works and the producer is happy with the quality of the sound. Sometimes you can gauge what shape the actual interview may take from the practice run, and this can assist you in preparing your thoughts for the actual recording. Having clarity of thought is quite useful especially when the very silky voiced presenter starts speaking ever so eloquently!

2.) Backup- The BBC use some great recording Apps that allow you both to talk with the sound recording shown visually on your monitor at home and enabling 2 or even 3 or 4 way conversation. This side is controlled by the radio producer, and all you have to do is talk and not get distracted by all those sound monitors wiggling about with your every breathe.

3.) Voice Memo: I had never realised the great quality you can obtain from a simple voice memo recording on your phone. Stack a pile of books on your table until the phone mic is neatly sat about 10cm from your mouth and press the record button to start recording. This can easily be sent to the producer by Wattsapp or similar and gives your version with great sound.

4.) Sound Proofing: Another handy hint is to ensure you record in a furnished room with curtains closed to reduce echo - you can try a duvet over your head, but I guess this might get a bit hot!

5.) Last Check: Just make sure you're not wearing rustling or jangling clothes or tapping anything as you chat away! - And if you are unlucky enough to have a blocked nose then rescheduling will mean you don't have to live with an extremely nasal version of your own voice going out on aire.

This is ofcourse vastly different from speaking to a live audience and is venturing into one of the new norms we are accepting now. I guess all types of speeches and addresses can be made in this way, so I hope that sharing my top tips you too can get a great recording sound from your own home.

BBC World Service Outlook Series

2020-07-09T09:29:00.026-07:00

Am so excited - BBC World Service are interviewing me for their Outlook series, on Extraordinary Personal Stories from Around the World. Needless to say also a bit nervous as the programme apparently attracts 127 million listeners worldwide! My wish is that our story may reassure and inspire hope to many people who have endured a similarly harsh time during the very difficult and unnerving events we face, in the heart of the Global Covid-19 Pandemic 2020.

If you want to listen to some of their amazing broadcasts click here! BBC World Service

Thailand Cave Rescue

2018-07-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

The worlds most expert cave divers are racing against the onset of heavy monsoon rains to rescue the boys football team trapped nearly a kilometer underground in a Cave in Thailand.When the boys were first discovered alive trapped for 10 days on a muddy island nearly 4 kilometers into the cave system I was asked to write a piece for the Daily Telegraph in which I explained just a little bit about caving and the expertise that has been involved in this mission.

Since the article was published on how the British Cavers found the trapped Thai Boys it has been a nailbiting week.

As a climber I know from both sides of technical rescue scenarios how difficult and dangerous even seemingly simple rescues can be. They are fraught with complications, changes in the weather, unmovable obstructions and the physical difficulty of removing people with little technical, let alone no technical experience in that field.

What is utterly remarkable in this instance is that what appeared to be just a faint glimmer of hope, the kind of idea that an expert would seriously hesitate in putting forward is in the process of being executed and with great success.

The bravery to attempt something like this, both as rescuer and also the boys being rescued is truly remarkable. It shows more than almost any other example I can think of the unbelievable power of positive thought, and a positive, proactive approach. To go diving after full certification in less than visible water for me is terrifying enough. The thought of combining this with a claustrophobic squeeze in a cavern only 38cm high, where you would literally have to lie your head to one side and wriggle and push your body through the hole underwater with an oxygen mask on your face, in zero visibility is almost incomprehensible. What a brave team this is!

Cultural Diversity: Speaking in Switzerland, South Africa and the UK

2018-04-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

As a motivational speaker I am often asked to build bridges between the diversity that exists in just one organisation. The experience of travelling to various countries and mingling with different cultures is invaluable in connecting with audiences, and ensuring successful outcomes. It is always refreshing to immerse yourself into environments that are very different from your own.

Not that long ago I spoke in Geneva, a global financial city, and a worldwide centre for diplomacy. This is due to its presence of international organizations such as the Red Cross and many of the United Nations agency headquarters. It beautiful and orderly, forms the confluence of the Rhone and Arve Rivers, and is surrounded by majestic snow capped Alpine mountains. As someone heralding from a far more chaotic and noisy environment, such perfect and quiet efficiency is more than a little unnerving. In my mind it is comparable only to time spent speaking in Frankfurt, Germany. (I began my speaking career in London and cities around South Africa, noisy hubbubs where experiencing the unexpected is just par for the course.)

The initial culture shock reaction of a fumbling Bridget Jones has never quite left me when stepping out into such graceful perfection. Worst is the airport checkout queue. All around manicured businessmen and women elegantly slide off their expensive watches, jewellery, belts, shoes and coats whilst showcasing laptops, and software devices, before smartly sauntering through the metal detectors and somehow re adorning their bodies a nano second later. It is a remarkable feat, and one I cannot hope to compete with. My solution is one laptop, slip-on shoes and a huge smile, and yet the zippers on my coat still gets snagged.

Whilst unnerved by the surrounding perfection, the upside is you can almost certainly cast aside any worries about technical failures whilst presenting. If anything less than perfect does occur, the confidence of having experienced just about every technical failure imaginable despite meticulous pre-event planning and dry runs, means you can move on unfazed, and sometimes command greater respect.

Another big difference is cultural acceptance for 'noise levels'. For instance, sound effects including music in Southern Africa are usually enjoyed at a much higher volume than many European countries I have spoken in. This is rather important to 'get right' as you can equally enliven or turn off an audience completely by a damp-squid drum roll or an unexpected, eardrum-shattering cacophony.

Understanding nuances in humor is probably the thing that concerns speakers most. It can take many years to master and it is safe to say that a range of humorous phrases, and styles are required so you can select the most appropriate remarks for the occasion. Hopefully you have a chance to test a few out prior to pitting yourself against the bright lights and a packed auditorium.

There is of course so much more to understanding the culture and diversity of different audiences, organisations and countries and what is acceptable and appreciated in each. Sharing these important life lessons on diversity is now becoming an equally important aspect to many of the presentations I deliver. - I never imagined those funny but embarrassing moments may actually come back as a revisit to help others. I am pleased they have some worth other than just turning my face the colour of a tomato.

Article in The Telegraph

2018-04-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Just catching up with updates from this year!
Please follow the link below to read this article. Also do watch the lovely video about the Queens service in Armed Forces in the middle.

I was a Female Soldier

The Telegraph

January 6

"Normally when my gender has been mistaken or suitability questioned, I laugh," Rachel Colenso says.

'I was a female soldier, and I don't mind being called 'Sir''

Subscriber-only content.

TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

Key Section of Famed Half Dome Route Falls Off - Climbing

2015-07-07T03:57:00.001-07:00

Key Section of Famed Half Dome Route Falls Off - Climbing | Climbing

I remember us sleeping on a ledge just before this! Then eating our breakfast bagel before climbing the cracks. -It was an experience I will NEVER forget, as Jeremy led the cracks in French free climbing style, and I followed carrying our two days of water, sleeping bags, etc, and food in a rucksac on my back. The sun was scorching, and the route physically testing to the limits as the climb consisted of just a never ending, overhanging crack, with a vertical edge to cling to for as far as the eye could see upwards, I took great relief jamming my body into the cracks higher up which meant I was out of the sun, and could take the weight off my aching arms even if I was sandwiched uncomfortably between two slabs of granite rock, with a 1000m drop when I looked at my feet! I do remember thinking why on earth I was there, and that perhaps another sport may be less painful and scary.

Little did I know that what I was leaning against would rupture 100m above and below me and tumble to the ground in a giant onion skin.

New beetle species discovered in Noordhoek - Weekend Argus

2015-05-11T05:44:00.001-07:00

New beetle species discovered in Noordhoek - Weekend Argus

This is an amazing discovery in a location that is now partially surrounded by suburban development. - I remember leading our expedition across the beaches of Noordhoek, and up Noordhoek Peak to support the Door of Hope, a charity to help abandoned babies in South Africa. A full team of firefighters from Volunteer Wildfire, (who have recently braved intense bush fires around this area in the Cape) joined our hike up Noordhoek Peak.

On the beach section we came across a seal that had just given birth to a cub, and on the mountain we looked across the marshland and beach and marveled at natures beauty.

I am sure that not one of the thirty or so of us who joined those hikes really thought then that we might be brushing passed, or flicking an undiscovered species from our clothing!

Cape Town Bush Fires: Personal Action Plan

2015-03-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Last week Cape Town was ravaged by fires. Thousands of homes and properties were saved, thanks to the efforts of the joint firefighting teams. Now the surrounding mountains in neighbouring areas are alight. Once a fire starts it can be difficult to control.

Here is a personal action plan for people living/ near dry wilderness areas at risk of fire to protect them and their property when they come under threat of fire. Please read this advice and send it on to those who may benefit. This was from the Volunteer Wildfire Facebook page.

Jason Whiting Advice I've received in the past:

1. Move anything flammable away from windows,

2. take down curtains and put blinds up; Close all windows;

3. Gather essential documents, family photos and laptops/PC (leave monitors and keyboards, need to rescue the hard drives);

4. Switch sprinklers on;

5. hose down fire side of the property (and especially roof if thatch);

6. prepare for evacuation, load car and park it facing the direction you're going to travel;

7. put pets in vehicles (but leave windows slightly open for fresh air);

8. do not get in the way of professional, trained firefighters;

9. obey orders from firefighters - if they say evacuate, go.

I was also personally told to put curtains in a bath of water, and ensure gutters were free of dead leaves and hose down the roof of your home.

Institute for Family Business Next Generation Conference in London

2014-10-27T04:14:00.001-07:00

Rachel Colenso Speaking at the IFB next generation event in London

Rachel Colenso with James Amos of Boodles, London

I was recently given the great honor of speaking at the IFB tri-annual international conference in London.
The audience comprised of some of Britain's most successful next generation Family Business entrepreneurs, directors and executives, as well as successful family business owners from other countries. Placed as the last speaker of the day, following an impressive line -up, including a former adviser to the White House, was rather a hard act to follow!

Rachel Colenso Inspirational Speaker

However, this proved to be a fantastic and responsive audience and I thoroughly enjoyed the event. I hope my talk will help to inspire the next generation members as they lead their companies into the future.
I think what helped to make this event such a success was the great consideration given to the selection and placement of the speakers as well as the great work of Firebird Events to facilitate the event. It certainly made my job easier.

Rachel Colenso speaking at international event in London

Rachel Colenso Motivational Speaker

Rachel Colenso International Motivational Speaker

Meeting Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace

2014-06-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

Rachel Colenso with Red Cross Landrover in Buckingham Palace Courtyard

Today I attended the Royal Garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate 100 years since WW1, and 150 years since the start of the Red Cross movement. It was avery exciting afternoon! At 3pm we were ushered through the main gates into Buckingham Palace. I made sure I was in the middle line so I could walk right through the middle of the palace, which was a remarkable experience. The ceiling, and wall décor is in gold leaf, and I was a little surprised at the number of life size marble statues adorning the entrance hall. We were ushered through the large Palace courtyard to the second entrance hall which was again ornate, with larger than life oil paintings of previous kings and queens. Maroon carpets trimmed with pink bows within the weave fitted precisely to measure. Outside, the terrace forecourt leads down a wide flight of stairs to the gardens and lake beyond.

I quickly spotted the tea tent and met up with two very hot Scottish military personnel baking in their kilts and full kit. We each took turns to line up for tea and cake, which was rather tasty. (I eventually made my way back for seconds, thirds and fourths. And yes, they do serve cucumber sandwiches.)

A military brass band played "God save the Queen" and Prince Charles and Princess Alexandra came out onto the forecourt and moved down into the garden. Everyone stood in two long lines hoping to catch a closer look or chance to say hello. Photographs are not permitted, but it was a bit too exciting an opportunity, and out popped the mobile phones.

Prince Charles moved down our line and as he approached, looked my way and came over. (It must have been the new red dress and Auntie Rosemary's gift shoes!) I was dumbstruck - a rather unique experience. He broke the ice to all of us nearby by commenting on the weather, a good British topic we could all talk about. Unfortunately I didn't get to discuss Eco-tourism, or anything else for that matter so headed back to the tea tent for a fifth round of cakes and iced coffee and then explored the magnificent gardens and lake. A pity Jeremy was not there to share it with me.

Later we watched a super Zulu warior dance. The African contingent in the crowd started warbling their voices and clapping, and suddenly the whole event became rather jolly. Prince Charles seemed quite taken with the performance.

On their way out Princess Alexandra came passed and stopped to chat with the person next to me, who had hurt her leg and was in a wheelchair. She seemed like a lovely Royal member who dedicates a lot of time to people.

I feel most privileged to have been invited and will remember it for many years.

Maidenhead to Cookham Dean and a snake

2014-06-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

Rachel looking at a grass snake swimming in the Thames
whilst Jasmine and Rosemary paddle

We recently completed another two sections of our ultra-marathon scoot, "Maidenhead to Cookham" and "Cookham to Cookham Dean".

This magical part of the Thames is remarkable in its heritage of wonderful riverside homes, stately mansions, and splendid in its natural beauty. The path is in many places broad enough to travel alongside each other. Fairly free of bumps, tree roots and pebbles, it is ideal for scooters or wheelchairs; family fun, or serious athletes who fancy a rootless, rockless run!

Jeremy, Rachel, Steve, Rosemary and Jasmine scooting for the British Red Cross

Both sections are a mixture of open fields, (presently awash with yellow buttercups and white daisies); and almost tropical forests. Thick vegetation, and vines hang in a dense canopy, with long branches trailing their foliage in the dark, wide river. The sights, smells and echo of bird and animal calls across the water reminded me of my time exploring the Amazon in a wooden dugout canoe.

At one of the many beautiful picnic 'beach' areas near Cookham, our daughters splashed about in the water with a friendly (and possibly greedy) swan!
I also saw a snake. It swam across the river and could easily be mistaken for a small branch. The giveaway being that it cut across the current in the distinctive 's' shape swimming style and raised head that I first observed as a young girl in South Africa. I think it may have been a grass snake due to its longer length. It soon vanished in the nearby reeds.

The previous section from Maidenhead to Cookham was completed with close friend Steve Gorton, a professional photographer. He had recorded the Young Musician of the Year competition and played the music in his Moo-asac (rucksac), as he scooted. - A real Pied Piper sight as the girls scooted hard to keep up with the melodious sounds wafting out of the 'Moo-asac'. My next write up will mainly feature images from this part of our journey.

A Royal Invitation!... and a scoot past Windsor Castle!

2014-05-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is probably not the way to start a blog, but as I am very, very excited, so please forgive....

I have been invited by the Queen to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace! Wooohooo!!!

Rachel Colenso, Jeremy, Rosemary and Jasmine on Windsor Bridge

The event is to take place in June and is to celebrate 150 years of humanitarian action. The anniversaries in 2013 and 2014 mark the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863 and the adoption of the first Geneva Convention in 1864. As 2014 marks 100 years since the beginning of the First World War it will also be an opportunity to honour the work the British Red Cross carried out during this time. The Queens garden parties are a way of recognising and rewarding public service. I do feel it is now even more important for me to further, truly earn this honour, and so am looking to further my partnership with suitable organisations who would be interested in supporting The Britsh Red Cross. Anyone feeling this could be suitable is welcome to contact me on rachelcolenso @gmail.com

Over the last 8 days we have covered two further sections of our journey and are now officially 1/3 of the way. We have many months ahead!

Last week we started at the end of Church lane on the western bank of the Thames towpath. The towpath is variable and very narrow in parts, making it tricky to use a three wheel scooter. Jeremys offroad Micro-scooter worked well on most of the terrain and my floral design scooter took to the narrow paths easily, so needless to say Jasmine and Rosemary decided to use our scooters with the handlebars on the lowest setting, whilst Mum and Dad trailed behind carrying their scooters over our shoulders.

Closer to Windsor the path diverts to the Northern/ Eastern bank as the opposite bank is part of the Royal Estate. - So we were only able to glimpse at the view of the other side from between the trees! Then there is one rather unfortunate diversion around a farmer's field on a path made for anorexic mice. - I guess it was necessary to plant that extra row of barley, or whatever, but it did make our journey a touch tedious. Rosemary found a pheasant feather which cheered us along, and Jasmine sang variations of "Who put their finger in the Jelly, Nelly?"

Then, before we knew it Windsor Castle appeared, and we were all spurred on to make the final
stretch through the town of Windsor. - Magnificent! Our best moment being a stop for ice-creams in Windsor, and being offered a donation for our scoot on the pedestrian bridge in Windsor, which is situated in a beautiful location, with river, castle, swans and boats.

Continuing through the fields beyond Windsor gave the girls a chance to run wild on the grass with other children and enjoy superb views of the castle. The final stretch gave Mum and Dad a scooting chance, on a wide cycle path alongside the river (but not too close!). Eventually, rather exhausted, we reached the car park in Boveney.

Runnymede Boat Yard to Runnymede War memorials

2014-04-03T15:07:00.002-07:00

As this section of the Thames pathway was recently submerged a meter or so beneath flood waters we have waited until the ground dried out sufficiently before attempting to scoot it. The pathway is narrow in places so our daughters had soon managed to take our two wheel scooters from under our noses, and whizzed along whilst we carried their three wheelers. It is a beautiful place, and especially so in Spring, with only a couple of reminders of the floods, (like a large boat marooned in someone's garden!).

This short section of the Thames river creates an idyllic way to spend an afternoon. The entire journey is filled with interest for all ages and the distance is short enough to be enjoyed by active toddlers and older family members with enough time over to experience a number of outdoor attractions in picturesque settings. We passed many families and stopped to smell the flowers often! Runnymede Park is a lovely picnic setting with ample parking close by, a super children's play park, and a choice of Italian restaurant (slightly closer to the boatyard, or more take away style food, which can be enjoyed on the benches and chairs outside. The end of the journey, at the Runnymede War memorials gives the avid history buff an opportunity to tire their family out on a route march up Cooper's Hill passed various memorials, with the best and biggest saved till last... the top! (The Air Forces Memorial commemorates the names of over 20 000 airmen who were lost in WW2 during operations from bases in UK and North and Western Europe who have no known graves.)
One could also choose a different sort of activity, and travel in royal style of a bygone era, sipping champagne on a ferry to Windsor Castle. Our next section of the journey

will be be very exciting - to Windsor Castle, and am looking forward to resting my scooting leg with a champagne journey returning us to our start point....

Shepperton to Laleham - from floods to farmland

2014-03-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and Rachel Colenso with family, Shepperton
Thames River Scoot supporting the British Red Cross

This week we took the chance to trial our new micro-scooters from Shepperton to Laleham. - Two places that have received recent global attention as flood waters rose to record heights, wrecking homes and causing thousands to be evacuated. The prime Minister, David Cameron waded through the flooded roads in his wellies captured on news-clips with a look of disbelief and exhaustion. (This had been a rather arduous and wet tour of southern Britain!) I can only imagine that someone in his position must have a very firm and rational mind, because I would definitely have spent the next two weeks having nightmares of floods and storms.

Rosemary and Jasmine scooting through Shepperton, Thames River Scoot

This section of the Thames was recently under so much water that we were stopped nearly a mile from the Thames by what we thought was a river that had burst its banks. It wasn't. It was a low lying area that had become part of the Thames river itself, flowing across the road across the fields and through people's homes. (See our photo!)

Rachel Colenso with family
Shepperton to Laleham on our new micros Scooters for the British Red Cross

Now remnants of stretches of water forming lakes in nearby fields is what remains. In all the previously flooded areas what is remarkable, is how people have recreated their lives, and how resilient nature is to the great disasters it has suffered. Daffodils line the riverbank, people with the help of aid organisations like the Red Cross have made great efforts to clear out and clean out debris. We even saw someone moving back into their home, with family helping to transport the finishing touches of potted spring flowers by boat across the river.

We scooted passed by a pretty home with a roadside stall, selling homemade jam to support their local charity. Delicious damson jam for breakfast!

Thames River scoot on our new micro scooters, Shepperton to Laleham

As far as a family scoot or walk goes, this section, despite recent catastrophies rates high in scenic beauty, with many idyllic spots to take a breather or enjoy your picnic lunch.

Examining a fallen tree

Behind the scenes of the British Red Cross

2014-03-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited the headquarters the of the British Red Cross in London to discuss some exciting new ideas. We also handed over all those kind donations people have given supporting our World Record breaking Thames River Scoot(!) in support of the Red Cross's Disaster Fund.

Jasmine at the Red Cross with Shelley wearing a Red Cross
'Refusing to ignore People in Crisis' t shirt

We had an interesting inside glimpse behind the scenes of this universal humanitarian organisation. Jasmine, our three year old accompanied me on her micro scooter. No-one there had ever seen someone 'scoot' in for a meeting, so Jasmine became quite a novelty.

When things all became less exciting for a three year old, Jasmine found a sheep... yes a sheep stood in the corner of the offices. Shelley the Sheep is on her way to the Tower of London today, thankfully as a mascot, and not a dinner offering.

Shelley is very mobile, stood on a green, four wheeled landscape.We created quite a furore as I pulled Jasmine along the Red Cross corridors riding the sheep. Shelley will hopefully accompany us on one of our scoots as a celebrity ambassador for the British Red Cross. Of course there are a couple of logistical issues (like how how we are going to get a life size sheep out of central London!) However I am confident we will take them in our stride.

Donation from Christ Church and the Marvelous Micro Scooters!

2014-03-15T11:26:00.001-07:00

Last week I was given the opportunity to make a small presentation in Christ Church, in Sheen to explain our big scoot for The British Red Cross. Our eldest daughter (Rosemary, 6) made a display on a noticeboard. We included newspaper clippings of our 'World Record Scooting attempt' and large photos of our journey along the Thames, scooting through the flood waters. We also set up a table with inviting goodies and information about the British Red Cross.

Many people studied the pictures, and donations flooded right in too! It was a super experience and made all our scooting efforts seem all the more worthwhile. In total over £350 from the generous congregation at Christ Church was donated. Thank you Christ Church!

It was however rather awkward answering questions about when our next leg of the scoot was taking place, because as some of you know, our daughters scooters had been stolen. I told Rosemary we must just focus on what our plan is - to scoot the length of the Thames and not let ourselves get side-tracked by disappointments along the way... although to be honest losing the scooters had ground us to an almost permanent halt! "Something good will happen, you just have to believe it..." I kept saying.

Then on Tuesday I received a message from Micro Scooter saying they were very excited about what we are doing for the Red Cross and would like to be involved and meet with The Red Cross. They offered us all a scooter so that our daughters can continue their fundraising journey, and we can scoot alongside! On Thursday a huge parcel arrived and Wow! did we have fun unwrapping it!

All of us took turns scooting up and down our passage trying out our respective scooters, but I do think we may need to learn a trick or two from our little daughters!

Jeremy has a Micro Flex Air multi-terrain, and mine is a lovely Micro Floral White scooter which looks very pretty and can fold up too. Rosemary has pretty pink Maxi Micro and Jasmine a cute pink Mini Micro. The girls loved the pink colouring and their little lights and bells.... in fact the lights and bells have kept flicking and tringing from inside their bedroom until quite late every night!

Next week we hope to scoot into The British Red Cross HQ in London with our bursting donations tin.

Our Scooters Stolen

2014-03-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Last week we took the opportunity of a clear and warmer evening to complete the next leg of our scoot, from Runneymede to the historic church in Old Windsor. Unfortunately some of the path remains submerged, and we now have in total, 2 short sections to complete in the summer between our journey so far, from Battersea to Old Windsor.

The evening was lovely, but again another sad reminder of the recent floods- peoples hard earned money and leisure smashed against weirs and riverbeds. - We have now passed a number of capsized boats of varying sizes, still unable to be rescued as the water is running at full capacity.

Then in the evening air we hear a call - an owl close by... and it was! Dolby is a pet Eagle Owl, a large bird who's favourite perch is close to the river in Old Windsor. After a great round of Twit-twoos! we carried on scooting our hearts out through muddy pathways and on more manageable terrain until we reached a quaint old church in Old Windsor.

Sadly in the excitement our scooter were left in the church yard, and by the following morning had vanished. We contacted local police and asked neighbours but nothing arose despite the girls names and numbers on the scooters. Stolen.

We are all very sad. It was Rosemary's big birthday present and Jasmine's gift from her Godmother Caroline. We have to make a plan. This Sunday our very conservative church reverend has deviated from the usual sermon to give us the chance to talk about our fundraising scoot. - This is a great opportunity and we have even been offered the chance to do a display... but what we have planned he would not expect.

I think the minister is thinking of a display on the noticeboard - not our daughters whizzing through the church on their scooters! We will have to beg and borrow for this one now and hope something good turns up.

Next Scoot from Runneymede to Old Windsor

2014-02-24T15:14:00.002-08:00

Thanks to West London Mums for a great article! westlondonmum.co.uk I hope we garner more support for The Red Cross Disaster Fund. We are planning to complete our next leg of the scoot up the Thames starting at Runneymede Playpark and heading approximately four miles up the river to straight road in Old Windsor. This will be on 9th March in the afternoon. If interested in joining us please email me on: rachelcolenso@gmail.com

Latest Storm South East England

2014-02-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, delighted to be receiving donations for our scoot along the Thames for the Red Cross Disaster Fund. We are now starting to see donations from people beyond family and friends which is very exciting. It is very encouraging, and I think we cannot give up now. If the weather is OK on Sunday we will head out and try to continue. Am hoping that in the following weeks we may be able to ferry some supplies out that could be useful to people who have lost their belongings along the Thames.

As I write gale force winds are shaking the entire building we are in. The glass in our windows, and floor is reverberating despite its concrete base. Just getting concerned because the entire structure is beginning to move and the trees outside are moving from near the base of their trunks. We are in the Heathrow flight path, and apparently planes are being diverted or delayed from landing at Heathrow.

It is quite frightening because you cannot be sure how much wind a building like this can withstand, and at what point you should do something. Probably time for a cup of tea!

Floods stop charity scoot at Staines

2014-02-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

(Our family have completed over 60km of a charity challenge we set ourselves to support The British Red Cross Disaster Fund. We plan to scoot the length of The Thames. We have travelled, with our daughters (now age 3 and 6) scooting from Battersea, all the way to Staines-upon-Thames.)

Our journey has become increasingly difficult with debris from the extreme winds and Christmas storms blocking sections of the towpath along Sunbury, and the first indications of lowland flooding at Denborough Island West on the 5th of January

. Flooding of roads prevented us accessing the section from Shepperton to the M3 on the 12th of January. Following this, we continued with the next section of the scoot and were shocked to see vast stretches of the Thames flooded with homes lining the southern banks partially submerged. This was from the M3 to Laleham on 19th of January 2014. On the section from Laleham to Staines on the 16th of January 2014 car parks, fields and childrens' playgrounds were now under water. We reached the Slug and Lettuce Restaurant by the Staines Bridge on the 2nd of Febuary. The water was rising onto the steps leading up to the restaurant. At this stage we could see that further flooding would have widespread effect damaging many homes and cutting off road access to many people. The following Sunday, 9th of February, 14 severe flood warnings were issued along the Thames including Staines. This level of warning means there is a serious risk to life and property. By now widespread flooding had occurred. We have had to halt our journey until waters subside. The water is becoming contaminated with excrement posing additional health risks. The proximity of the flooded areas to major water treatment plants is a concern in my mind.

Tough decisions are being made. The last tidal lock is at Teddington, which, along with the Thames Barrier alleviates flooding in the capital. The result though is that this water has nowhere to go except to spread outwards.

British Towns flood - Laleham to Staines-upon-Thames

2014-02-07T02:44:00.000-08:00

See below, the article written on our world record scooting challenge to help the British Red Cross Disaster Fund:
Article in Getsurrey regional news channel

IF you would like to support our little girls and help to give food, shelter and hope to someone right now you can donate here:
Thames River Scoot