First ever Triple Award - One human, Two others

As we look forward to the new normal after this strangest of years, it's time to break with tradition and do the unthinkable.  Yes, were giving our first shared award - not only shared, but across species! No I'm not giving an award to a virus. read on.

We like having guests on board Herbie, not only for the social pleasures but occasionally so they can help with the work on lock flights.  This year we were blessed with company with most of our locking all apart from the first day up the Claydon flight.  For the rest of it (mostly up and down Napton like a yo-yo) we had help, which as just as well as I have had exertion difficulties this year.

So thanks go to old pal Rick, grand daughter Grace, and daughter and son Claire and Peter for helping out.  All were enthusiastic, but one stood out for sheer enthusiasm, willingness and determination. So our  winner of 

The winner of the 2020 HerbieAward for Best Crew Member (Human category) 

is 

 Our lovely Grace

Yes, now a teenager, we started her early. Here she is at nearly 4 years old , already hands on the tiller

then at 5, opening lock gates

then at 8, flying solo

Now at 13  she does everything at a lock without needing instruction, including steering the boat into it.  What a star. She's as good or better a skipper as many afloat. Here she is this year (not so keen on being photographed) ready to do a death defying leap on to the pontoon with a rope to pull us in. What a star she is (taught by the master of course).

Aah but who's that acting as lookouts?  Yes it's our Canine winners, the surprisingly well behaved pair of scamps Rosie and Ronnie who kept out of trouble (and out of the water) all the way up Napton Locks and back. And they're even younger than Grace when she started.

And so as we slip silently into Tier 3 at home and wonder what to do at Christmas, we near the end of this years Herbie Awards.  I can't say it's been the best of years, but one or two good things came out of it, so as a finale, next time we'll think about The Best Thing That Happened Because of Covid - all in a canal boating context of course.