More arrivals, and a little exploration

It's been that day when we polish the brass, put the cans out, and wait for everyone else to arrive. Apparently forty boats booked in - there aren't that many yet but I'd guess at least twenty so far, and there has been a bit of interest from passers by. Flamingo, Beatty, Enceladus and Swallow arrived this afternoon, and Ricky made the acquaintance of Rosie and Buzz, Enceladus' greyhounds. Bath arrived earlier and tied up alongside us and Beatty then on the outside of them. The offside opposite us is very shallow and any passing boats have to stay close. It's telling that only one boat that wasn't actually attending the gathering had to worry about this.

I went and looked up and down the high street this afternoon, and it's a heartbreakingly sad place. The shopping precinct, a big regeneration project opened in 1997, now has all its shops boarded up. I was involved in local regeneration projects in the nineties, and can all to easily imagine how hopeful and excited they must have been when their funding was approved. But it does strike me that if a place needs economic regeneration because the people who live there have no money, providing retail outlets, the success of which is largely premised on people spending money, isn't very logical.

There has been intermittent rain this afternoon, and it is raining fairly consistently and heavily now... shortly however I *might* go and try to find the community centre, and catch the talk on the BCN. Oh, and the bar of course. Sadly our social venue this year is not dog friendly, so we are taking it in turns to Ricky-sit.

Location:Brownhills, outside Tesco