It is completely fair to say that the people you are with can completely make or break your experience of something, whether that’s a day trip, a career, a holiday, or a party. Our staff at Traditional Punting Company are the beating heart of our business, they make the working day more enjoyable, and they make our customers’ experience of punting in Cambridge more fulfilling and joyous.

It is about time that we do a blog that celebrates our wonderful team, as after all, they are the reason we can run such a successful Punting company!

Day to day on the River Cam

Cambridge is renowned for many things, namely it’s University, and subsequently it’s extensive list of notable alumni. However, within the tourist industry, Punting on the River Cam is as acclaimed as the famous faces that have graced the streets of this distinguished city.

The punting industry is as populated as the hospitality industry in Cambridge. The demand for punting jobs are high as it is a lucrative career to enter into. We often see the return of university students during the school holidays, and more often than not, our newest recruits are the younger siblings of our river seasonaires.

Day to day on the River Cam depends on the time of the year, during the summer months the starts are earlier and usually punctuated with a short sunbathe on the nearby Jesus Green. During the winter months the days are considerably shorter (our working day is dictated by daylight hours), and a lot quieter. Sams’ (one of our chauffeurs) favourite time on the river is the pre-9am chats between those chauffeurs in early, ‘It’s so calm out there and it’s a relaxing start to what can be quite busy days’.

There is no bad time of year to go punting in, each of the four seasons brings something equally beautiful to the river. Spring signifies the start of a new year with all the new life that inhabits the river. The scenery surrounding the water is speckled with a kaleidoscope of pastel colouring, signifying the excited anticipation felt for the months ahead. Summer is our busiest time of the year, the river can become very congested during the daytime, but the early evening and sunset tours envelop visitors with a peaceful tranquility. Autumn showcases a dramatic display of atmospheric deep colours. Especially the blazing red of the Virginia Creeper on the back of St Johns. Winter is the quietest time on the river, with all the animals (and many humans) in hibernation. The frosty mornings engulfed in mist is a sight to behold, and very much worth the early wakeup call.

What our staff have to say

Working on the River Cam has a multitude of advantages for staff, no day is the same on the college backs.

Our marketing coordinator, Grace’s, favourite memory of working on the river was the time she did a photoshoot on the punts with a group of dog influencers,

‘Doing a photoshoot with seven dogs is a perfect example of why I love working at Traditional Punting Company; everyday is so different, bringing a variety of challenges and unique experiences.’

For the directorial team, Joe and Zoe, the joys of watching their employees develop and grow, both professionally and personally, is their favourite part about working on the river.

‘Running a small business means you get to know your employees, and see them develop and go through different stages of life; getting their first houses, marriages, and the birth of first children.’

The sheer amount of customers we welcome onboard from all over the world steadfastly remains our staff’s favourite reason for working at Traditional Punting Company. Earlier this year one of our punters, Benji, went travelling for several months and he visited one of his Australian customers he had met on one of his punting tours.

The unlimited access to one of the most beautiful waterways in Europe is a huge benefit to working in punting. For our manager Tom, his favourite memory was his son going punting for the first time.

The architectural beauty that the small length of the waterway holds is outstanding. We are very lucky to call it our office. Our staff have voted on their favourite sight on the river, read below to find out which part of the river takes the crown.