Husband? Check. Greyhounds? Check. Narrowboat? Check.
So many crew and so much water! The flight was full to overflowing.....
Fantastic, Greygal is back in action and ready to go. But hang on a sec, what’s this? The husband is half a foot taller and bearded. The dogs are no longer Susie, Miffy, Monty, Arthur and Ranger but Lou and Blue. And the flipping boat’s turned blue. Oh no, hang on a sec, panic over – I’m on my Southern floating residence, not my northern one. That means I’ve got fed up of waiting to return to Sowerby Bridge and, in desperate need of a cruising fix, I’ve thrown myself upon the mercy of my good pals and fellow grey lovers, Sue and Richard of Indigo Dream. Phew, glad that’s sorted. And what a Saturday it was! Richard’s cunning plan meant a 10am pick up for me and A from the Fox pub at Hanwell, a quick drive back to the Black Horse moorings and a prompt get-away after the usual round of kissing and fussing (the dogs, that is). The idea was to end up at the Fox for a late lunch, allowing me and himself to fulfil a (yawn) work obligation later in the afternoon.
Greygal and the greys....
Now if you’re expecting one of Sue’s fabulous travelogues, you’re going to be disappointed because I don’t really remember much. There was lots of talking, lots of coffee being drunk, loads of choccie digestives being hoovered up, and I seem to recall taking the boat down through Hanwell Locks without incident – always a boon, that, particularly when it’s someone else’s pride and joy. Suffice to say that it was an epic few hours in the company of people (and dogs) who are truly simpatico – generous and friendly hosts, knowledgeable boaters, grey aficionados, my latte cup really did runneth over. A fine lunch at the Fox rounded off the perfect day in my book – think it was the sticky toffee pudding that did it. Thankfully, my fellow diners thought it would be impolite for me to go it alone in the dessert stakes so A followed up his sausages with chocolate sponge; Sue’s gammon had a banoffee pie in its wake; and Richard thought the New York cheesecake would fill the hole left by his burger. The dogs – so quiet and well-behaved it made me immediately want to enroll mine in Good Citizen classes – were rewarded with four tasty if slightly small sausages. I’m not sure it was enough to get them out of their high dudgeon though – someone who shall remain nameless had forgotten to bring their sheepskins so they were having to rough it on the floor on blankets! I ask you…the indignity…
I just wish I could have slowed the day down a bit, it was all over way too soon. But there are mutterings and plans afoot – could this be the year of the great greyhound meet on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool? Could this be the year of the mini-Mersey convoy? Could this be the year when we actually volunteer to make the coffee? Watch this space.
Photoblog:
There's a big bird's nest at the top of this transmitter. A (who knows about these things!) reckons it would be nice and warm up there.....
Always something new to see on the houseboats at Bulls Bridge - I'm sure this boat had a toy gorilla hanging there last time - the pheasant looks a lot more tasty!
