Visitors from home

When we got up this morning there was a message from last night.  Our favourite neighbours, who we expected to arrive on Monday, would be arriving late today!  I got stuck into my work, we did a good grocery run, and had a tidy up.

I had stumbled upon a new narrowboat blog yesterday and today that boat came in and moored beside us.  It was Helen and Tony from nb Holderness.   We had a pleasant chat with them this afternoon.  Helen had put a folding clothes rack with washing on it in their bow well deck.  They don't have a cratch cover so it was drying nicely in the sun.  A couple of hours later when Mick went into our cratch to get something, a fellow on a boat across the basin called out that our neighbours washing had fallen in the water.  I looked out to see it ever so slowly sinking.  Of all times for Mick to be painting the pole of our boat hook!  The fellow opposite ran and grabbed his but it's a long way around to get it.  By the time Mick returned with the hook the last of the washing was just disappearing from sight.  He managed to hook the bed sheets up out of the water and then the entire clothes rack with washing still neatly pegged to it.  Not very pleasant after having sunk to the filthy bottom of the canal.  What a shame... it was probably dry by the time it tipped over in the wind.

It was dinner time when Jen & Jude called to say they were parked outside Sainsbury's.  We quickly walked down there to meet them.  How exciting to see someone from home after being away almost a year.  It really made my day. 

Before we left to come here to England, we used to have dinner out once a month with J&J.  Tonight when we sat down to have dinner with them it felt like no time had passed at all.  It was just a little strange to think we were having our dinner get together on the other side of the world to usual.

We will enjoy having them cruise with us the next few days.