Killjoys

I opened my Daily Telegraph this morning to a breathtaking picture of a canoeist sliding 300ft down the spillway at Llyn Brianne reservoir in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

The best bit about it was that there was none of the usual "it shouldn't be allowed" condemnation from some petty official. Not that I thought for one moment it would be condoned by the water authority.

And no, it wasn't. By the time a clip appeared here on the BBC website there was a spokesman for Welsh Water saying: "Reservoirs can be dangerous for various reasons and those involved in water sports in inappropriate locations, such as at Llyn Brianne, put themselves and others at unnecessary risk."

No they don't. They put themselves at risk. No-one else need be involved. Reservoirs can be dangerous. Rivers can be dangerous; life can be dangerous thank goodness. That's what makes it worth living.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if just once someone in authority spoke out and said: "This is a wonderful facility for canoeists and thrill seekers. As long as they understand the obvious risks involved we welcome their use of our reservoir in this way."

So what will happen now? Expect warning signs, barbed wire, barriers, CCTV, prosecutions, legal threats and everything else that revels in making life dull and tawdry. The way our society approaches those with a sense of adventure is simply pathetic.

Shark bait

John just sent me a picture of a Great White shark following a canoeist. Great picture if it's real, I said. The trouble with so many Photoshop images today is that it's hard to tell what is real and what has been doctored. Then he sent me the full magazine article so see for yourself. Would you test the benign tendencies of a Great White in your little canoe? Personally I would have been paddling fast enough to take off.

There's some interesting examples of picture doctoring alongside some genuine photographs here at Snopes.com.