Cotswold surfer Stuart Ballard likes nothing more than being entertained by a huge bore.

The 47-year-old loves the thrill of surfing the surge which regularly sweeps up the River Severn estuary, reaching up to 3 metres in mid-stream.

Stuart is such an adrenaline junkie he's travelled the world to ride bores on six rivers, from the Mearim in the Amazon to the Dordogne in France.

However, he says he's definitely more hooked back home on the Severn and has surfed it more than 500 times.

Stuart, from Cirencester, wants to share his passion of taking the plunge at a special event, The Magnificent Severn, on August 22.

It was his brainchild to organise a celebration of the Severn Bore with a party on two sites along the river.

Bores are created with tides coming in of eight metres or more on the Sharpness gauge.

Stuart, an ecologist and graphic designer, said: "I used to think there was only a bore once a year but there are lots more than people realise.

"Last year I counted 186 tides which would make a bore and the largest one this year will be on August 22.

"The thrill of surfing on the Severn is unique – it's really rural as you're going past pubs, cows, churches and orchards. It was surreal at first but now feels normal.

"Surfing on the sea, you have energy moving through stationary water with waves going past you. The difference on the estuary is you're met with eight to 12 miles of water running upstream.

"The biggest hazards are quicksand on the sandbars, whirlpools once the tide's gone through, rocks and trees."

His first experience of the bore was something of a damp squib.

"I got in the Severn one foggy morning and saw a little white line coming in the distance and the river started going backwards," he said.

"But I missed the wave, got swept upstream past my car on the riverbank and I thought 'Blimey, what's that all about?'

"However, I joined up with regulars and it went from there."

The Magnificent Severn starts with a fun run, Beat the Bore, at Arlingham, and a breakfast at the White Hart Inn, Broadoak, where the bore will be visible at 9am and 9.20pm.

Record-holding surfers, including Steve King and Stuart Matthews, will share tales at the evening pub party, with a fish barbecue, band, DJ and a screening of the Longwave film.

The main event is at Linton Farm, part of Over Farm, owned by Rob Keene, where the bore passes through at 10.30am and 10.50pm.

There will be bore footage, talks and demonstrations from salmon fishermen, family activities and eco walks.

The event will support the Old Spot Trust, which raises money for Gloucestershire charities, and the Magnificent Severn fund, raising the river's profile.

For more information on times, events and parking charges, go to www.magnificentsevern.co.uk