We’re all going on a summer holiday

On Friday (18/06/2021) morning we went into the Anchor Bar & Kitchen with Annie and Ian at 09:30, when it opened, for breakfast.

There was a good choice of options for the first meal of the day.

After breakfast Annie & Ian loaded Vera into their Ford Focus and took her for a week-long holiday at our house in Watchet. Probably quite confusing for Vera!

We spuddled about in Worcester until Sunday, watching “Together” on BBC iPlayer. With Sharon Hogan and James McAvoy, it was billed as a hilarious and heartbreaking story of a couple forced to re-evaluate themselves and their relationship through the reality of lockdown. We also started watching “The Handmaid’s Tale” from series 1, episode 1 on All4.

We packed our bags for our holiday on a narrowboat at Sowerby Bridge to celebrate Martin, Hilary’s brothers 60th birthday. We had hired 2 narrowboats for Martin and his 3 sisters to relive their boating youth. We had coffee at the narrowboat cafe, the Cafe Afloat in Diglis Marina.

At noon Peter and Jo arrived and we had Sunday lunch in the comfortable Boathouse in the Anchor. A shrieking kid at the next table failed to spoil our dining experience.

We left The Duke in Diglis Marina and Peter took us to Strensham Services on the M5 in style in his Maserati. We had a cup of Twinings Breakfast Tea in Costa and checked in. We had a disabled bathroom, the light flickered and the telly was playing up, but Marianne on the reception desk sorted out all of our problems.

We were booked in to the Days Inn for Sunday night. Hilary’s sister Mandy would pick us up on Monday morning to whisk us up to Yorkshire. Sowerby Bridge is situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Halifax town centre. It is at the confluence of the River Calder and River Ryburn and the home of Shire Cruisers.

We settled into our room, number 3 and were horrified to find that Strensham Services is a dry site. They have no licence to sell alcohol. A healthy night ensued, watching more episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” on All4 via our Roku/MiFi on the Days Inn telly.

Strensham Services Northbound is hardly a glamorous destination but it did give us the opportunity for a McBreakfast.

It would seem that Vera would have been welcome here, but she is happier and safer at home in Watchet as we tackle the South Pennine Ring, 71 miles, 197 locks and 80 hours cruising. Martin was proposing to do this in a week!