Monday 5 – Tuesday 6 June
Quiet times were the order of the day(s), giving opportunities to catch up with laundry and family news. Mate rustled up a particularly good Thai-inspired soup from fridge leftovers: butternut squash and parsnip with ginger, garlic, green chilli and coconut milk, while she had the benefit of shore power to operate the electric stick blender.
Sunday 4 June
Mate switched on the radio this morning for her customary fix of Sunday morning on Classic fm, to hear of yesterday’s terrorist attacks on London Bridge and in Borough Market, only two weeks after the atrocities at the concert in Manchester. Yet again, general election campaigning is being put on hold as a mark of respect for those affected. My people feel some relief that they are now somewhat removed from this crazy world.
Meanwhile, cruising plans are put on hold once more, while arrangements are made for travel to Brussels to offer support and sympathy for Mate’s oldest friend and family at another funeral. Saddened by news of this untimely death, my crew are thankful anew for this opportunity to live their life doing what they love, with me, here and now and for however long.
Saturday 3 June
Today Mate honoured a long-standing promise of a ‘Girls go to Blackpool’ weekend, hosting lunch on board for two lovely friends (one I’ve met before, in London), and one very active young lady who was delighted to make the acquaintance of my teddy crew. While Skipper was left to clear up the debris,
they all disappeared to see said young lady’s new baby sister, and later to enjoy a very civilised supper at their favourite eatery, the Olive Tree Brasserie in St Anne’s on Sea. Mate was eventually delivered back by the very generous private taxi service.
Friday 2 June
Keen to be back at sea, we were ready to leave at 0600 to head North once again up the coast to the top of Morecambe Bay. Typically, there was no wind and no sunshine as we left Wales in misty drizzle – mizzle if you will – and Trevver remained hard at work for the whole passage. It did warm and dry up gradually during the day, and we arrived on time for the lock entrance, Skipper berthing me neatly stern to in the new marina area of the old fish dock. I’m glad I can’t smell, as they had no doubt where we were.
Thursday 1 June
The crew came home via an overnight stop with Mate’s mother, who had been foolish enough to offer them a car trip to Waitrose in Chester. Not surprisingly, Mate made the most of the opportunity for a major stock-up, and it took them two marina trolley loads to bring it all down to me.
