Lost and found

Mooring up last night in Audlem we dropped a windlass in the drink, just in front of Erin Mae. It should have been easy to find with my Sea Searcher magnet, but 15 minutes of trawling along the shelf and beyond produced nothing and I concluded it was lost.

On our way back from church this morning I left my best beloved browsing in Audlem Mill and came back home to put the kettle on. A woman came and sat on the bench outside with two little girls, and I went out and asked if the girls would like a drink. Affirmative. Meanwhile their dad and brother came along with a magnet they'd been using to look for treasure in the lock, and the brother had a drink as well. I got chatting to the dad about what he'd found, and mentioned my own failure last night. So he himself had a look and, lo and behold, found the windlass. It had been about 2 feet back from the limit of my search area. So – thanks to Chris, Tracey, Morgan, Sean and Emma for saving us a few bob!

We immediately blew all we'd saved on Sunday lunch at the Shroppie Fly. I don't think I've ever been given so much meat at a carvery. But tonight is the main event – the folk session in the bar. It will be interesting to see whether it still has the same character (and characters) that it did when on Monday nights in the Bridge Inn.

And I'd better stop writing and resume practising…