Welsh Water - River Teifi Whitsun 1954

From the collection of

Archif Sgrin a Sain Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive
Established in 2001, the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive holds an unrivalled collection of films, TV and radio broadcasts, video tapes and sound recordings relating to Wales and the Welsh, from 1898 to the present day. The collection spans multiples formats and genres, both professional and amateur.

Welsh Water - River Teifi Whitsun 1954


Wild white water on the River Teifi tests these expert canoeists and one, as the grand finale to the film, capsizes at speed.

Members of Manchester Canoe Club (one of the oldest such clubs in Britain, established 1933), set up their folding craft and take to the Teifi at Whitsun. They negotiate stretches of white water, cows in the camping field and sheep being thrown into the river for dipping. One of the expert paddlers seen is likely to be Kathleen Toothill, winner of the Ladies National Slalom Championship (K1) in 1952.

Folding canoes, as seen here, with a wooden frame that could be dismantled and a canvas or rubber covering that could then be attached, were the order of the day before car ownership took off in the 1950s and offered easier transport facilities. The Manchester Canoe Club was a pioneer of the Slalom and over the decades has produced many a national champion.


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