A long day and a longer lunch

I was up bright and early this morning cleaning the brass to look our best for Adrian and Linda who had threatened to meet us at West Stockwith and judge our performance getting into the lock. I have no recollection of doing it in Warrior, which suggests it went quite well then, but of course it might just have been put in the shade by our later encounter with Keadby.

We went back down the lock at Torksey at quarter to ten, bade farewell to Eric, the marvellously hospitable lockkeeper, and set off down the Trent. It was windy again, but sunny too, and I worked on my arm muscles for a couple of hours before letting Jim take over for the hard bit. Our entry into the lock in the end was not graceful, nor particularly efficient, but neither was it violent, which is something to be thankful for. Adrian and Linda were there to welcome us, and show us to a lovely mooring they'd found us. I noticed later that Adrian had tied Chertsey up exceptionally beautifully.



Then we had to go off to the pub; not the one on the Basin itself which was awful when we were here two years ago and apparently, despite having changed hands, is no better now, but a stroll into the village to the White Hart, which has its own River Idle micro brewery. Adrian and Jim sampled its wares quite extensively and even I managed three pints over the course of a very long lunch that lasted well into teatime. We had some very nice food there too.

Then it was back to the boat for a well earned rest (my shoulders are just starting to ache), and sitting reading on the grassy offside path until it got too dark and chilly. We'll probably stay he a day or two before going on up to the Retford and Worksop Boat Club at Clayworth where a weekend of fun and frolics (and, oh dear, more drinking) is promised. Thanks are already due to Adrian and Linda for their hospitality and for taking such good care of us. A quiet day recovering tomorrow I hope!

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