End of the season

I find it hard to believe that the end of the season is upon us. Before too long, a number of our boats will be taken out of the water and stored under cover for the winter. It's getting a little too cold for some of the older bones to spend a night on the canal (take note Shagpile - cold isn't good for your back)- condensation is rising, and blood has become a little bit too thin after the summer's frivolities.

It was with this in mind, that Gadget and co met up for their end of season do in Garstang. All decked out in dicky bows and tuxedoes, with the ladies dressed up in their finery (with new hairdoos to boot), we all descended on a sedate and quality venue to introduce them to a party a la marina. And boy was it a great night.

16 hardy souls joined in - thanks to Eeyore and Winnie for pulling it all together. Death, Spanner, the pole dancer and Moses were there, as were Splash, Hiacynth, Ricky and Shagpile (together with a some of our number who we haven't christened yet). It was during the meal that Turtle received his title - he'd spent most of the evening wandering around muttering "where's me shell ?" (or words to that effect).

It was a great shame that the Dormouse, Black Purl and Windy couldn't make it - they missed the great pile up, when Winnie got a bit frivolous and pulled half a dozen diners into a heap on top of her. As always, Spanner was in the thick of it to make sure that no nuts worked loose.

By 1am the party came to an end - both Gadget and Eeyore were asleep in the bar. Still, everyone got to bed safely (except Splash, who spent the night on the sofa). The following morning saw Ricky looking very sorry for himself, as he meandered about the marina in a daze, looking for a remedy for headache, and a solution for coffee stains in his bedclothes.

And so ends an absolutely fantastic season. The posse are getting a bit of a reputation for themselves - and one that they are all proud of. We have had so much fun this year, and can't wait for next season to kick into life. There's talk about a trip across the Ribble Link at some stage - this will act as an incentive for Gadget to get his mechanics right (probably to the great relief of everyone !) There's even the possibility of a wedding on the bridge (with Turtle acting as a sort of 'Captain Stubing') - Perhaps we will end up with our very own 'Love Boat'.

Still, I'm sure that there will be the odd days up on the system, possible sailing or just working had to keep the duck sh*t off the gel coat. There's always something to do on the boat ......