My Maiden Voyage on an Historic Pair. 6

21^st May 2011

It was a very sunny start to the first day of the Ricky Festival, which brought out the crowds by the thousand. The towpath was packed most of the day with loads of people interested in the NBT pair and coming on board for a short tour of the butty cabin. I dressed for the first time ever in boaters Sunday best, complete with embroidered cotton shirt, corduroy trousers, waistcoat, spider belt and neckerchief, topped off with the obligatory bowler hat, much to the amusement and hilarity of the rest of the crew. Despite that, I persevered all day with several people wanting photographs. A lady selling raffle tickets was also in traditional dress, complete with bonnet, so Mouse photographed the pair of us together on the towpath. I don’t think any of us stopped talking to onlookers all day and it was pretty exhausting.

Sunday Best as traditionally worn to church.

Ready for the wedding?

Professional photographers photo. 

Not sure if it was ever published.

Pity about the wrist watch.

After we closed up invitations towards evening, Barry cooked up a delightful chicken and prawn stir fry, followed by fruit salad and cream before we departed for the beer tent. Horror upon horrors – all the draught ale was sold out! There was only Guiness, lager and cider remaining, so it was decided to repair to The White Bear, where a heavy rock group were playing at full volume making conversation difficult, if not impossible. All the same the beers went down a treat after all that talking. I was introduced to Mike Askin from nb Victoria, who was much younger than I had imagined, having watched several videos of his on You Tube, which I can thoroughly recommend for their content and technical production.

The day’s activities were highlighted by an event that cannot be omitted here. As Tesco’s car park was immediately opposite our mooring, it was easy to shaft the stern of the outside boat across the cut to go shopping, leaving the bow still attached. Trevor was the Captain of this trip and had left his car in their car park, so was shafted across to deposit all his belongings in his car before departing for home. Unfortunately, he overreached himself between boat and bank and took an unplanned swim! Sadly, no one had a camera available at the time.