We're all in the same boat

There is something about navigating through water in a small vessel that has come to symbolise our struggle as human beings. The concept of a voyage, with people pitched against the elements, has enjoyed mythical status throughout time, from the Aeneid and Moby Dick to J.K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat. On Sunday my family went canoeing with our cousins, adding - I felt - our small contribution to the boating canon.

Paddling down Hennerton Backwater
Credit: William Lam

In a flotilla of three canoes - our inflatable and two hired Canadian canoes - we paddled down an idyllic stretch of the River Thames from Henley to Wargrave. We may have been unlikely literary heroes in our shorts and hoodies, but the way in which each crew tackled the challenge of reaching the George & Dragon pub in Wargrave spoke volumes about our attitudes to life.

Paddling in the flood

Welcome to the waterpark! Antediluvian pastimes are over. In the era of the flood, there is a new attraction in Henley-on-Thames. Throw on a pair of wellingtons and come on in. The water's lovely! This year is the wettest on record for England since records began in 1910. No wonder we are obsessed with the weather.

The River Thames has burst its banks and is twice as wide in places
Credit: William Lam

Anyone fancy a pint? Of river water?
Credit: William Lam

The famous arches of Henley Bridge are half submerged
Credit: William Lam

Henley's Ark - the bandstand in the park has become an island
Credit: William Lam

Sitting ducks
Credit: William Lam

Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent marooned with only a paddle
Credit: William Lam

Knee-high boots are recommended 

Emma Clark Lam is the author of A Sister for Margot