The significance of small things

It's a bracket. And here's another.

Last summer we thought about getting a "pram cover" for Erin Mae's cruiser stern. Most boaters who have them swear by them – especially those with a semi-trad stern. Extra room, especially when it's wet. Somewhere to take off wet clothes when you've been out – to dry the washing – to use the phone on a cold evening when there's no reception indoors.

The trouble with a cruiser stern is that pram covers tend to look great when they're up, and awful when they're down. On a semi-trad, everything folds forward, but on a cruiser stern most of it usually folds back, sitting on the stern rail, taking up space, making a nuisance of itself. One company we spoke to seemed too anxious just to come and do the job without much discussion, while another (in effect) said that's how it is and nothing to be done about it. So we left it, and the visit of Elissa and Sam went off fine without one.

This year, coming through Kinver, we found ourselves outside Wilson's office and workshop – I'd forgotten they were there. So we went in and talked with them. What a difference! They listened to my concerns, mentioned various options and ways of addressing the perceived difficulties, and came up with what seem to be some very practical suggestions. We bit the bullet, and today Mark came out to where we are moored at Bidford-on-Avon and did the first part of the "patterning", which involved (among other things) putting on the brackets in the pictures. The proof will be the finished product, of course. But my initial impressions have been very good, even though these brackets are all we have to show for it so far. No going back now!