What Pinkston means to me: A memorable evening
As we all get used to lockdown and the changes it has brought to all of our lives many of us have been reflecting on good times and looking forward to more in the future.
Familiar face at Pinkston, and member of Monklands Canoe Club, Grant Crichton, has shared what Pinkston means to him
We would love to hear more of these stories and share them with the wider community. Please get in touch via social media or info@pinkston.co.uk
Pinkston is without a doubt the paddling hub in Scotland. For so many people it’s where they come to meet friends, practice and have fun. For me it was all of those things and so much more.
I have one memory in particular that I’d like to share which exemplifies what Pinkston is all about.
It’s of the last night I went kayaking at Pinkston before moving down south to work at Palm. I remember turning up on an amazing summer evening stressed as all hell about moving 370 miles from my family and friends but determined that I would show face and say goodbye to a few people at a normal club night.
An hour later all stress had evaporated and I was doing what I love most, kayaking. Id spent the whole night coaching and playing games, which finished with a game of last man standing (which by the way I won). I got out of my boat soaking wet said goodbye to anyone I hadn’t already said goodbye to and went to get changed.
I was in rush no I took an age to leave. I didn’t really want the evening to end as I knew I wouldn’t be back for a while (coming up on two years now). I walked back to the container to collect my boat and found that everyone had stayed behind to present me with a one of a kind Monklands Canoe Club hoodie. This was a touching moment I’ll be honest. Without Pinkston NONE of that night would be possible.
Without Pinkston:
> I wouldn’t have had somewhere to go paddling with friends that night.
> I wouldn’t have had somewhere to store my boat.
> I wouldn’t have got to coach and get better at coaching.
> I wouldn’t have been able to forget about the stresses of moving.
> I wouldn’t have got to say goodbye to great friends.
> Perhaps most of all I wouldn’t have had somewhere to have fun every single week without fail.
Picking my boat up (which they had thrown back into the water) to put on the roof and take down south with me that night is one my fondest paddling memories. Made possible by Pinkston. Please if you can help, support it. @ Pinkston Watersports, Glasgow
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By Pinkston