On a Wednesday evening after work, Swindon Web Creations team traded our laptops for lifejackets and paddles. As a group of web design, branding, and graphics designers, we’re usually heads down behind a screen, but this midweek we decided to get out into the fresh air.
Our destination? The Real Outdoor Xperience kayaking centre in the local Cotswold area. We’d been itching to enjoy the warm weather, and a team kayak outing felt like the perfect way to unwind and bond outside the office. We know this is probably over the top for a blog post, but we wanted to show we’re just normal creative designers and developers, and very approachable.
Kayaking at Real Outdoor Xperience
When we arrived at Real Outdoor Xperience (a.k.a. ROX) with the sun was starting to down down, a few of us were being first-time kayakers. We pulled on our lifejackets. The friendly ROX staff gave us a quick safety briefing and paddling tips, (for the newbies). Soon enough, we we on our kayaks and pushed off from the dock.
The lake at ROX is a broad stretch of calm water surrounded by lush greenery – Cotswold bliss! We started with a leisurely lap around the lake, taking advantage of the scenery and getting a feel for steering. It wasn’t long before our competitive spirit kicked in and someone shouted, “Race you to that buoy!” Suddenly our gentle paddle turned into a friendly race across the water!
In the end, we declared it a tie (we’re designers, not pro kayakers after all!) The best part: nobody fell in! By the time we returned to the dock, we were grinning from ear to ear and feeling a satisfying mix of tired and buzzing! For a team used to working with pixels and code, conquering a mini adventure on the water felt fantastic.
After drying off and snapping a few team selfies to celebrate our kayaking triumph, we headed to Pizzeria 720 for dinner. This cozy spot in the heart of the Cotswold Lakes serves up wood-fired pizzas—exactly what a hungry group of kayakers needed! Then it was off back to Swindon with renewed energy, slightly sore arms, and ready to get back to work!
