https://thecanoerivercleaner.co.uk/, https://ko-fi.com/thecanoerivercleaner

The Canoe River Cleaner, Great Grimsby (2025)

11/12/2025

A message from Father Canoe-mas 🛶🎅

Personally, I think the satin gloves make it

North East Lincolnshire Council

11/12/2025

Our Beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds 😡

Our friends over at CR Skips took these photos of three separate fly-tipped loads dumped across our countryside.

Imagine being their driver delivering a skip to someone doing things the right way, only to come across this on the same day!

So what’s the solution?

While not every case of fly-tipping starts this way, a huge amount comes from innocent posts on community pages.

Here’s what often happens:

Someone posts in a local group (for example, Scartho Village Community Group or similar) asking, “Can anyone remove some waste for me?”
Within minutes the post fills with 20–30 comments from people offering cheap collection, many of whom aren’t licensed waste carriers.
People understandably choose the cheapest option, and that waste often ends up dumped in the countryside.

It’s a lot to expect page admins to check every commenter’s licence, so honestly, these posts are better off being removed altogether.
That way, people are more likely to go directly to reputable, registered companies.

HERE’S HOW TO CHECK A WASTE CARRIER: ✅️

1. Google NELC fly-tipping

2. Click 'Registered Waste Carriers'

3. Type in the company name to see if they’re properly licensed

It's not 100% guaranteed that your waste is dealt with responsibly, but you'll have covered yourself for any eventualities.

For what it's worth, I only use and fully endorse Lilliput Waste Disposal Ltd and Simply Refreshed

Sadly, it's not been a good day for litter as can be seen on Zacs page PickWalks. Warning, it's not for the faint of heart

North East Lincolnshire Council
Keep Britain Tidy

11/12/2025

Do you, or someone you know need a touch of help getting through this winter?

You may (or may not) know, but I have a community group called All Things Good And Nice which essentially provides nature based wellbeing activities.

Being part of a group, reconnecting with each other and spending time in nature is incredibly important for good mental health, and I'm proud for this to take a good proportion of my time.

We have lots of things going on, and despite my injury, we've managed to make some changes to suit all concerned.

Here's what we've got planned this week together with some photos of recent events.

All activities are FREE with no need to book.

Please SHARE this post and search 'All Things Good And Nice C.I.C on facebook (I can't tag it for some reason)

👇👇👇👇

Fri 12th: 🚶‍♀️🍂
Gentle park walk and average (but very fun) quiz with Jim 🤣
12pm at The Canopy on Grant Thorold park

Sun 14th: 🌞
Sunrise walk, chinwag and coffee with Eve and Jim
7.30am Anthony's Bank car park Cleethorpes

Mon 15th 🚶‍♀️
Moonlit walk and Jim and Adams legendary CRIMBO quiz
6.30pm Farmhouse New Waltham
FREE NIBBLES

Tues 16th 🌿
Nature walk with Jim and Sarah (house with blue door
10am Potting Shed cafe Gy Garden Centre opposite Morrisons

Wed 17th 🎶
Folk duo at Cleethorpes Cricket Club
Our Winter Warmer Event
FREE MULLED WINE AND MINCE PIES

Friday 19th 🎄
Canopy park walk and Christmas Quiz
12pm Canopy cafe Grant Thorold park

Fri 19th 🎅
CHRISTMAS BOOZEY BOOGIE DOO
Wheatsheaf 8pm ALL welcome

Sun 21st 🌞
Sunrise walk, chinwag and coffee with Eve and Jim
7.30am Anthony's Bank car park Cleethorpes

Monday 22nd 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️
Festive mulled wine walk
(Details to be confirmed

10/12/2025

Bloomin’ fox hunting 🦊

You'll probably not be surprised to learn that I find fox hunting cruel and abhorrent. I understand tradition, and I understand that bombing around the countryside on horseback with your mates must be exhilarating, but for me, none of that excuses the practice. It has no place in a modern, progressive 21st-century Britain.
And despite the law, hunting and killing foxes still goes on, unfortunately. 😔

Today, while out with a friend, we stumbled upon the Brocklesby Hunt 🏇

First we had to give way to a convoy of 4x4s (which apparently own the road during this time), and then we had to dodge the hounds, one of which became disoriented and ran down Stallingborough Road, causing a good amount of mayhem and a few near misses!

I know I’m venting, but the sense of entitlement is massive. And while I’m not suggesting the hounds aren’t cared for, the moment they’re out on a so called 'trail,' there seems to be a complete disregard for everyone else. It feels as though the thrill of the chase overrides any respect for the law, for local people, or for the safety of others and that’s what frustrates me most.

Disclaimer:
I apologise for the lack of canoeing and litter related posts at this moment in time. I genuinely appreciate all who take the time to read and engage with my posts, whatever your views (unless you hate canoes or otters of course 🤣)

League Against Cruel Sports
Hull Wildlife Protectors

09/12/2025

The mother in law is going to warm our winter cockles 🎄🎅

Next Wednesday (17th) , we are in for a real treat, as our guest speaker is actually a guest SINGER called Lynn Haynes who will be joined by Paul Bellamy to provide us with some wonderful folk music.

FREE ENTRY

FREE MINCE PIES

FREE MULLED WINE

FREE WONDERFULNESS

6.30pm if you fancy a quick headtorch walk beforehand

7.15pm If you just want the main event

Meet at Cleethorpes Cricket & Squash Club down Chichester Road.

09/12/2025

Chuck It In The Mazda 🚗

Well this is jolly nice 🙂 💚

Nunns are having a 'Christmas Present Giving Appeal' for St Andrew's Hospice, so if you have a suitable gift, then take a trip down there (Altyre Way, with all the car dealerships next to Tesco) and 'chuck it in the Mazda.

St. Andrew's Hospice Grimsby
Nunns Mazda Grimsby
Nunns Subaru & Isuzu Grimsby

09/12/2025

1000 wonderful Nitwits 🙂

Here’s a nice article about my work with schools in collaboration with NELC (link at the bottom)
Although this role is temporary and only a few hours each week, it's really important, and gives me the opportunity to bring my message into schools and reach the next generation 💚

We are all born connected to nature, but many of us lose that connection whether through a lack of opportunities, or simply losing interest. My work focuses on two key areas (im all methodical now 🤣)

Firstly, I aim to shift mindsets. Instead of thinking only about beaches and oceans, I encourage children to look further upstream, literally. Most ocean waste enters through our rivers. As water flows off the land, it carries litter with it. I also highlight the wildlife that depends on our rivers. It’s amazing how many children know about plastic pollution and turtles (which is incredibly important), yet know very little about the species living in our own streams, rivers, ponds, and watercourses 🐟 🦦 🌿🦆

Secondly, I try to keep their spark for nature alive. Respecting the environment is crucial for our future, and whatever paths these young people take, having a love for the natural world alongside them will always be valuable. We don’t need to tell children not to litter, they already know that. What we do need is to give them reasons to make good choices and to keep making them throughout their lives.

On a personal note, I would also like to thank Zac PickWalks and all at the Freshney Comrades for going over and above and taking up the slack whilst I'm not 100% match fit.

Also, a firm nod in the direction of Eve Sussex for her tireless and astonishingly thorough work on the project 👏

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B67h9zmpi/

09/12/2025

I Got The Date Wrong 🤣

For some unknown reason, I had it in my head that it was 'International Pet Day' turns out that that's April 11th 🤣

Anyway, as I've already collated some photo's I've taken, I figured i may as well post them 💚

Feel free to share your photo's of your nearest and dearest, and don't forget the one's who have gone but are definitely not forgotten.

I will do a better write up on April 11th 🤣

08/12/2025

Once BITTERN Twice Shy

Today, i had one of those really special moments at Far Ings nature reserve...…I actually saw a bittern.

For those who don't know it’s basically like trying to spot a walking reed. They just melt into the landscape. Half the time you’re not even sure if you’ve seen a bird or just stared too long at a patch of brown 🤣

But today, clear as day there it was.
And honestly, it felt pretty special.

What makes it even better is knowing how close we came to losing them.
According to people who know stuff, back in 1997 there were only 11 booming (their call to establish territories and attract mates) male bitterns in the entire UK.

Fast forward to the latest survey, and we’re now at 283 booming males, which is up 20% from the previous count.
This is all thanks to years of reedbed restoration and a whole lot of people who care!

So yep… seeing one today wasn’t just a nice wildlife moment, it was like witnessing a victory, and we don't have enough of them in nature sadly.

RSPB
The Bearded Birders

07/12/2025

Some genuinely brilliant news 👏

It’s arrived at a slightly inconvenient moment, given I’m off the road for a few weeks thanks to this errant heel (you may have heard me mention it 🤣), but it’s honestly bloomin lovely, and I’m genuinely grateful.

Nunns Mazda have chosen to continue supporting me for the foreseeable future, which means I can keep getting to my river cleaning and educational work without adding any emissions along the way. Knowing the travel side of things is covered and covered cleanly, means a lot. Without their help, it just wouldn’t be possible.

What I’ve always appreciated is that they’ve never asked me for anything beyond continuing my work.

"crack on Jim and stop bothering us" is what i usually get 🤣

I’ve popped along to the odd country fair with them, and each time I’m reminded how many people have stuck with Nunns for decades. They have tonnes of loyal customers! Fifty years in business, still genuinely family run and independent rather than part of a big chain. Not many garages in our area left that haven't sold out !

Also, they've actually just thrown a fair amount of groats into the Christmas boxes of these local companies which is pretty decent of them.....

RNLI
Sunflowers Children’s Action Group
Harbour Place Grimsby
St. Andrew's Hospice Grimsby
Grimsby Town Football Club (Disabled Supporters Association)

So a massive thank you to Paul, Chris and the gang for believing in what I’m doing and helping me keep it going quietly and cleanly, with not much fuss.

Please accept a few photo's of my shenanigans in the MX-30 so far....

Can’t wait to be back on the road soon 🙂

Nunns Mazda Grimsby

07/12/2025

This COULD be the game changer we're after 🤔

Are We About to See an Army of Litter-Pickers?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the UK’s upcoming Deposit Return Scheme which comes into effect in October 2027, and one tiny detail keeps me hopeful......
'YOU DON'T NEED A RECEIPT to return a bottle or can and get the deposit back'.

That might sound relatively unimportant, but, it could end up changing behaviour in a big way.

Right now, an estimated 6.5 billion single-use bottles and cans go to waste every year in the UK. That’s 17 million a day ending up anywhere except the recycling stream like grass verges, hedgerows, paths, beaches, and of course our rivers and oceans. Everywhere we’ve sadly got used to seeing them 😔

But if we look at countries already running successful deposit return systems, their collection rates hit 90% plus. Not because people suddenly become eco heroes, but because the container itself has VALUE. It stops being rubbish and starts being money.

So (and here's the biggy) are we about to see the same people who might have tossed a bottle yesterday suddenly start roaming around collecting them tomorrow?

To add to this, there could be community groups raising money, pesky kids (joke) wanting to earn a few quid, dog walkers etc, all spotting little gleaming deposits everywhere they go?

Honestly, it’s pretty likely, because if the rubbish has value, behaviour shifts.

But, I do have a few reservations.

For people like myself (and probably most people who follow this page) who already recycle religiously at home, the scheme essentially adds cost upfront on top of the usual price (such as 20p). Yes, they get it back, but only if they return the containers. And some people, for whatever reason, may struggle to get to a supermarket or return point. Mobility issues, lack of transport, busy schedules it’s not always simple. Should we be thinking about kerbside return options or community collection points for those people? Hopefully these creases will iron out as we go.

Essentially, it's not us like minded folk that the scheme is aimed at, but the bigger picture for us, is that it may nudge us toward better choices in the first place.
Less reliance on single-use plastics. More reusable bottles and cans. A subtle but powerful shift in how we think about what we buy and what we throw away.

If we get the UK DRS right, we won’t just clean up streets and waterways. We’ll change habits and attitudes.
Hopefully, after things have been in place for a while we will simply not entertain single use plastics.

Needless to say, it looks promising and can't come soon enough 👌

Keep Britain Tidy
CleanerWalks
PickWalks
Freshney Comrades
North East Lincolnshire Council
Friends of Wellholme Park
The Calder Cleaner

The Canoe River Cleaner

11/12/2025

11/12/2025

11/12/2025

10/12/2025

09/12/2025

09/12/2025

09/12/2025

09/12/2025

08/12/2025

07/12/2025

07/12/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share