The Calm before the Cruise

We had a lovely calm couple of days at Hawne Basin,  generally resting up before the next week which is going to be hectic.
It's a tough life..
A fair amount of mud had been trodden through so that had to be sorted, and Andrew was busy on the bargain folding bike he bought at Norbury Junction Festival. New cables and calipers, and polishing some of the rust off the chrome, air in its tyres and bingo! A proper Boaters Bike, battered but perfectly usable. Folds into a tiny lump. Fab.

A full set of facilities and really, really cheap red diesel, even a bathroom with a bath! An absolute corker of a mooring, and sad to leave. Through the bridge which is a precursor of Gorsty tunnel. If you fit this, you'll be OK.
And the real thing:
Our Cruise today took us back up the Dudley No. 2, left at Bumblehole, and down to Withymoor Island, just beyond to turn in a winding hole..

Avoiding the coots' nest (the parents constantly rebuilding it as bits inevitably washed off), and back to join the gathering of boats ready for the Off tomorrow.

Our first time triple moored:
and then away to check out the replica of one of the Titanic's anchors, made hereabouts,
and then to check out Ma Pardoe's, aka The Old Swan Inn and a locally famed brewhouse, as recommended by an ex colleague who lives locally. Very nice too.
So back to the boat, to gird our loins for the Meet n Greet this evening and the Grand Off early doors tomorrow. Crikey!

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