Up the creek … with 19,000 paddles as UK takes to the water

Thousands turn to rivers and canals for exercise, fresh air and easy social distancing

To celebrate his 40th birthday last week, Adam Partington and his partner, Gemma Cann, took to the River Cam on new paddleboards with a goodies hamper strapped to the front.

After gliding past Cambridge's ancient colleges, the couple stopped at Grantchester Meadows at the edge of the city for a picnic and celebratory glass of bubbly before paddling back to their starting point.