Not going anywhere

We slept well in this delightful, quiet spot and, having thought about it briefly, decided we should stay put for the day. We could relax, and get a few jobs done, and the evening meal was already in the fridge. It wasn't long before we were joined in our solitude by a visitor.

It turned out he'd brought his missus with him.

All very idyllic it was, but the peace was about to be shattered!

Such canoe-groups have become commonplace around this time of year. I'm sure parents who want to argue for the right to take their children out of school during term-time for a holiday could use them as evidence for something. You hear them long before they come round the corner.

The teachers would no doubt argue they are learning, though they might find it hard to specify exactly what. One child here was undoubtedly learning to swim – all part of the serendipitous activity of a school trip.

I don't think anyone could argue successfully that they were learning team-work. This photo (from Erin Mae's side-hatch) needs a sound-track – they were lined up across the cut, completely blocking the navigation and not going anywhere as two narrowboats approached, one from each direction! They were, however, having a stunningly enjoyable time. I expect that, for most of them, it beat the socks off learning how to spell leptospirosis.

Now they've just retraced their steps and, I have to say, they went past much quicker than the first time. Perhaps they did learn some team-work after all.

And peace reigns again.