Thanks for the response guys! Not only is the punting in the Reading Basingstoke area dire so is the forum. Having recently relocated from Bristol I can honestly say this forum is dead compared to the South West forum!
You are right, punting in the South East is pretty dire, London is the hot spot, then beyond is very hit and miss. Also the South East covers a very large area, so it's really helpful putting the location in the title, you won't waste peoples time and should hopefully get a better response.
Happy punting and good luck.