Staghunt

When Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray has his stag do, you just know there is going to be a story worth telling! George Shillito tells the tale and provides us with some inspiration for alternative stags and WindSUP adventures.

- George Shillito, Chris Murray, John Hibbard and Jamie Gibbs

GEORGE SHILLITO – “To say it was one of the more bizarre phone conversations I’ve ever had would be an understatement. It was late Wednesday night when my phone rang, the caller ID showed a smiling, if not slightly dazed, picture of ‘Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray. I answered immediately, keen to hear the latest plans, ideas and observations that had sprung into Muzza’s head during the previous week or so. These calls are a relatively regular occurrence and there was nothing to suggest this call would be any different. That was until Muzza dropped a bombshell. As far as bombshells go, this is up there with the mother of all bombshells. It went a little like this… “Anyway mate, what you up to next weekend? I’m, um, getting married!” At this point, I should point out that the reason for this seemingly ‘out-of-the-blue’ announcement was not due to Muzza’s usual organisational style, but rather due to unforeseen family circumstances that had caused the wedding preparations to be expedited to an impressive rate.

Needless to say, from that moment on the plans for a surprise stag began to spin into motion, in fact, in just under 48 hours we were all set to go. It was now Friday evening and I found myself bouncing along a small country lane sandwiched in the front of a van between one very excited Chris Murray on my left, and Red Paddle Co. managing director and good friend, John Hibbard, at the wheel to my right. We were winding our way towards a long-forgotten shore situated to the west of Bantham, South Devon.