AN ACCESSIBLE boat club celebrated the return of its wheelchair friendly boat the WOW-one.

Wallingford Accessible Boat Club (WABC) returned its wheelchair accessible boat to the water and took it upstream to Benson Weir and then downstream to Goring.

People on the riverside and in passing boats clapped and waved as the WOW-one travelled along the water.

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Chairman John Jenkins said: “It was a great feeling getting out there on the river today. WOW-one handled perfectly, certainly none the worse for its extended ‘rest period’.

"The numbers of river-lovers taking advantage of the bright but chilly day that waved us ‘good fortune’ was amazing and extremely heart- warming. It is so good to be out on the river again."

The accessible boat was supposed to be back on the water in March, but lockdown prevented this from happening.

Now the boat will be used until the end of September for training sessions for all the club's volunteer crew.