PADDLERS took to the River Avon at Fladbury for a voyage of discovery to Pershore.

Six boats, with nine people in each, representing all the organisations in the village, travelled from the Fladbury Paddle Club through Fladbury Lock to Jubilee Bridge, where MP Peter Luff named the new Bell-Tortoise Boat Spirit of Fladbury and Freedom.

The journey then continued to Pershore, where the paddlers were met by the mayor, councillor John Grantham.

They delivered the MAIN Ideas - which take some great British traditions and update them to be shared with other global civilisations - to mayor, councillor John Grantham

David Train, president of Fladbury Paddle Club, described it as "a voyage of hope in the battle against bureaucracy".

He said: "The MAIN Idea was taken to Pershore and presented to the people of Pershore. A team led by Pinvin Middle School and Pershore High will take the ideas and take them to their next stage of the development, to become a model for the World of how to involve all social groups in the community."

He explained: "It is hoped that the voyage will symbolise a small, but significant, triumph over the terror of bureaucracy that affects so much of our lives in state-sponsored sport, health, education and in small business.

"It will show the World how the people of a small village in the rural heart of England still have the spirit to create events for our future generations despite the twin terrors they face of the burgeoning bureaucracy of Europe and the ever increasing American-type litigation, both bent on crushing that spirit, and unprotected by a British bureaucracy from the Treasury and Whitehall, still using outdated command and control management methods."