Oar for a good cause

Why bother paddling your way the 125 miles from Devizes to Westminster when you can be carried? Would that this was the case for Matthew Robbins, a solicitor at Southampton firm Eric Robinson.

The 29-year-old is determined to finish under his own steam what is dubbed the Everest of the canoeing world come the Easter weekend, when hundreds of competitors will take to the water for 30 hours or more (around a third of competitors don't make it).

Mr Robbins is raising money for Fairbridge, a centre that supports inner-city youth projects in Southampton, and is well known to the Gazette for his charitable 140-mile paddle to the 2001 Solicitors Annual Conference in Birmingham.

On arrival, he was greeted by then Law Society President David McIntosh, whereupon a Society senior official apparently offered Mr Robbins a hefty donation if he would pull his national head into the drink.

Sadly, Mr McIntosh had got wind of the suggestion, and, according to Mr Robbins, 'gave me a stern warning about my future in the profession' were he to give into temptation.

Mr McIntosh, as a result, stayed dry.