Braunston Rally - chaotic and wet but fun plus a WOW!

Imagine getting a few dozen really big lorries, then splitting them into two groups either end of a narrow alley then getting them to change ends all at the same time. That's Braunston rally that is, except it's boats not lorries. The chaos is truly wonderful.

Sometimes the squeezes are tightish as you can see.

This pictures are of the Sunday parade. Saturday was the same but very very much wetter. It is now Monday and Saturday's pair of jeans are still wet. The idea was for Kath and me to play merry tunes aboard Chertsey as sarah steerd us expertly through the mayhem. That is in fact what happened on Sunday, but on Saturday we elected not to ruin our instruments in the deluge so we just sat on the deck and got soaked.

You have to admire Jim and Sarah. Who else would make a brief pause during the parade to take on board a ton of coal from Jules Fuels. Forty bags in about three minutes.

That'll hopefully help Chersey to get under the bridges down to Stratford later this week.

Braunston Rally is a sociable occasion and we met up with Bones (Bones), Adam and Adrian (Briar Rose), Simon and Anne aka The Moomins (Melaleuca) and Jams and Amy (Willow) none of which came by boat, and then some of our new found friends from the Historic Narrow Boat Club.

Sarah gave us a short lecture on how to recognise a Woolwich from a Northwich and I am now bursting with erudition about rivet patterns, tunnel bands and handrails. I can't wait to show off to someone.

Besides all the boating we got in a bit of culture by going to the Daystar theatre play (excellent) and the Mikron show (very excellent). At the latter the small audience was joined by Timothy West and Prunella Scales who both obviously enjoyed the show although I suspect it might have been dauntingg for the actors seeing them in the second row.

WOW! in the time I have been writing this post, we have been sitting here at Calcutt Boats while their mechanic has removed a chunk of Herbie's injection pump, stripped it down and replaced O rings and replaced it. Our leak is now fixed and it's only 10.40am! He didn't start until about half past nine. The last mechanic who looked at it said it might take an hour or two to get the injection pump off then it would have to be sent away etc etc. We probably saved a couple of hundred quid or possibly more by bringing it here. Must stop now and go and flash the plastic.

 

 

 

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