Not a good day

Sunday 2nd August

Today will definitely not go down as one of our better days. Due to the George Orwell pub being boarded up we made the decision yesterday that after church and shopping (no calamities there) we would move on a couple of miles to Crooke where the guide book showed a pub...we were after our Sunday Roast!. Stopped there and I investigated....grotty pub and no roast! Moved on to Gathurst where another pub was shown, (Whilst we were investigating, the only boat we had seen all day passed us and proceeded to go at little more than tick over). Once again I investigated....no roast all Indian Food...but what the heck, a change is as good as a rest, so we decided to moor. Under the grass on the verges it was all concrete so we couldn't get the stakes in...decided to move just past the bridge and try our luck there. Employed our standard procedure....Geoff goes ashore with the centre rope.....tells me what he requires.....I get out the pins and mallet and take them ashore for him and relieve him on the centre rope. Except it did not go according to plan. As I stepped carefully ashore the bank gave way beneath me and I fell none too gracefully into the canal. I went completely under the water which I don't even like if it is premeditated. I was unlikely to drown as I could stand up once I surfaced but getting out is not easy. It was also incredibly inelegant and to crown it all I had left my slightly better clothes on because we had been to church and were not intending to go far. Geoff was very disappointed that he only managed to get a picture after I had clambered out!

We then couldn't get the mooring pins in there so had to move on...after I had done a quick change of clothes.....we had to go down the next lock and Geoff managed to drop the winch handle in!! (Second time he has done that this year!)
We have eventually moored beneath Dean Lock and will go back to try the Indian Pub! It is quite risky as one our showing today we will probably get food poisoning.

Moored beneath Deab Lock with the M6 above (who is in the best place?)

However the one bright spot was when Geoff went to try the satellite TV and achieved an instant perfect picture without any fiddling...how lucky is that? I also seem to have a decent signal, I've had a hot shower and am beginning to see the funny side of it.

Later

The day improved as the meal was excellent and after a couple of glasses of wine I could just begin to see the funny side of my dunking!