weir do

A Canadian, an Egyptian and a member of the Royal Household walk into a bar, but this is no joke. The water level in the river Great Ouse as it runs through Bedford town centre is no longer high enough to cascade over the town weir into the whitewater arena and along the lower river. Upper and lower rivers catch up with each other again farther downstream and the weir down there is still making happy noises. Rowers still exercise along the upper river, but the lower branch where all the birds teach their young to swim is looking unappealing with an abundance of stuff languishing on the surface.