The 28 year old Mrs Meg Avon, who hails from Bristol, was united in matrimony with the River Avon in the South West of England, marking an unconventional yet sacred alliance.

As a wellbeing facilitator, activist, and author, Meg shares insights into how she maintains the spark with her "darling" river as they commemorate their second year together.

Her marriage to the River Avon on 17 June 2023 was not only a celebration but also a crusade to combat water pollution and elevate public consciousness about this critical issue.

Meg, formerly known as Trump, expresses sheer joy with her aquatic spouse, stating that their relationship is still very much in its honeymoon phase.

She confesses, "We're still in the honeymoon period and I'm still pretty obsessed with the river."

Meg's daily life revolves around the river, constantly contemplating her next visit to its banks, saying, "I wake up thinking about the river, my life's quite shaped by the river, I'm always thinking about when I can next spend time with the river."

Despite her commitment to the River Avon, she admits to spending time with other rivers, justifying, "I'm spending a lot of time with other rivers, but I think that's OK. They are all one."

Describing their bond, she adds, "But it's a pretty fluid and open relationship.

"We all have a relationship to water, but for me, it's a wifely sense - I think we've got a pretty strong connection and commitment to each other."

The wedding wasn't merely a personal commitment; it served as a harmonious and jubilant form of protest.

Having been an activist all her life, Meg elaborates on the collective spirit behind the ceremony: "There are lots of different campaign groups up and down the river - and we wanted an excuse to have all of the groups join together to celebrate a 'party'.

"Because campaigning and activism can be very sad, disheartening and draining.

"There is a lot of powerlessness with any kind of activism – so we wanted to do something that felt joyful and what is more of a celebration than a ceremony like a wedding!"

"I'd never been to a wedding before, but it ticked all the boxes of union and love and joy."

The day started with a unique ceremony where Ruth Sidgwick, a celebrant and old friend of Meg's, officiated the symbolic nuptials between her and the River Avon.

Meg shared: "During the vows, we all came together and said 'we do'.

"We thought the ceremony was going to be a bit fun and silly - get some nice pictures and have a nice celebration.

"But everyone was weeping and sobbing - even the celebrant, and she does mostly funerals! But it's because we all know, deep down, that this river is dying."

Supporters from various campaign groups (Conham bathers, Keep eels reel, We are Avon, Save the Wye, and Save the Ex) along with Meg's friends and family, participated in a plethora of activities throughout the day, ranging from foraging to festivities featuring musicians, artists, printmakers, and storytellers.

The passionate activist expressed how her life has "completely changed" since exchanging vows with the river.

The ceremony was captured on film and has been immortalised in the documentary 'Rave on for the Avon', which is now being shown nationwide as part of a campaign demanding urgent measures to safeguard Britain's waterways against pollution.

Meg describes her bond with the river, which she affectionately refers to as her "muse", "darling" and "babe", as a physically binding and deeply spiritual connection.

She admitted: "I have always loved swimming and it's been a big part of my life.

"But water has become my version of religion in a way. The way it renews me is powerful.

"I honour it and love it deeply. We've known each other for a long time and it goes more than surface level for sure.

"When you think of how much of our body makeup is water, and how much of the world is water, I feel like the river speaks through me.

"Humans are just a way water gets around: we came out of the water we're probably going to go back into the water at some point.

"The world is just one blue dot."

During their first anniversary, where Meg attempted to navigate the River Avon for nearly an entire week, she unfortunately sustained a broken leg.

However, Meg stated that this harrowing incident allowed her to concentrate on her creative passions and her love for poetry.

She is currently penning articles, working on a book, performing her poetry to audiences, and has published a collection of poems titled 'My Avon'.

Meg said: "I call the river my muse –it gives me life, gives me energy, keeps me afloat and tells me not to rush too much."

Through this unique relationship, Meg aims to draw attention to her personal campaign, advocating for personhood status in alignment with the rights for nature movement.

She detailed: "It's about getting human advocates and representatives that will be hired as spokespeople for waterways, nature reserves, forests, meadows - and be a voice for nature.

"I like to think of myself as some form of representative.

"By marrying the river, I hope to help people recognise that there are loads of people who have strong relationships to rivers and it's a shame that rivers are inaccessible to many people."

Meg is involved with the Conham Bathers campaign group, which originally strived to secure designated bathing water status for the river Avon. Unfortunately, due to its dire water quality, this goal has not been reached.

However, they are now aiming to spotlight the public's dearth of access to Britain's watercourses.

Meg proclaimed: "A huge problem is physical access and I think the law needs to change.

"Ninety seven per cent of rivers are inaccessible to the public because they flow through private land."

The group's ambitions extend further; they plan to call water corporations to account by campaigning for the renationalisation of waterways and encouraging local communities across the nation to engage and advocate for the environment.

Meg visits her preferred spot by the river in Conham weekly and often meets up with local swimmers wrapping up their weekly Friday swims.

She confessed: "I'm trying to work on spending more one on one time with the river, because that's what it's always been for me – that is when you get those really deep museful moments.

"But I also love spending time with the river in company and community, and the chats you have when you're all freezing cold and giggling, getting out of the water.

"It's nice to come here for work and pleasure, but still try and remain a bit boundaried.

"I want it to be sustainable, this relationship. I know I'm going to have a relationship to water for the rest of my life.

"But we're all part of it: we're all on that same blue dot."

You can follow Meg's journey on: @mrs_meg_avon.

To find a screening of Rave on For the Avon, visit: https://www.eightysita.com/raveonfortheavondocumentary