A day in port - Stoke Bruerne

Yesterday we had an invitation to a barbeque in Jane and Ian's garden.... and pick up and delivery service.  Thanks so much to both of you.  We had a lovely evening.  It was also great to have another chat with Beryl and Anne, our day trip visitors the other day. They are staying in Jane and Ian's holiday cottage next door.

Jane and Ian live in the most perfect thatched cottage.  It has those wonderful beams and doorways so low you need to duck to walk through them.  It makes us want a lovely old house again!

One thing we notice in most of the places we've been is it doesn't get truly dark.  I only had my little "Dianne" torch (favourite game at boater's afternoon was winding torches!) - one that operates by winding a little handle to generate the power.  It was after dark when Ian drove us back to the boat and there are no street lights on the canal.  Amazingly it was light enough to see our way back.  I only used the little torch to find the key to get in.

While sitting at the dinette reading the Towpath this morning, a Gayton hire boat cruised past.  We couldn't believe it... it was the very boat we hired back in 2007!  It's an Alvechurch baot from Gayton marina called Pied-Billed Grebe.  We thought that was very appropriate seeing we are moored here in our own boat 6 years after that hire.

The trip boat has been cruising back and forth all day.  I've waved back at so many people today it's not funny!  They're looking straight at me if I sit at the dinette.  There's been plenty of short people peering in from the other side too.  It's only the little kids that look in the windows without deliberately bending down to do so.... but there's been a few of those too.

Photos :
1. Elly, Mick, Ian and Jane
2. Jane's tulips
3. Mick holding the beam up in the living room
4. Ancestors lining the walls
5. Excellent inglenook fireplace
6. And a fantastic window seat
7. Sampler by one of Jane's ancestors (stitched at age 6!)