Service

It had become clear that I ought to get to Great Haywood marina ASAP, to settle accounts with them and pick up the car. The trip looks easy on paper – train from Atherstone to Stafford, bus from Stafford to Great Haywood. Two main potential problems: (1) getting from Mancetter to Atherstone station – our new marina is out in the wilds; (2) what if the car wouldn't start after over 2 months of inactivity!

Kathryn, the Mancetter Marina manager, had mentioned on Saturday, amazingly, that she was not averse to giving people a lift to Atherstone when necessary. I rang her at 9 this morning, and although it was her day for working in the main Rothen Group site up the road rather than at the marina, she was very happy to pick me up at our mooring and take me into Atherstone – free of charge. That's service!

You'd think it would be a no-brainer for Stafford's buses to call at the train station, but they don't. It's actually quite difficult to work out where to pick up service 828 for Great Haywood. Google maps were the most helpful resource, and a 5-minute walk from the station got me to the stop. Disconcertingly, the main sign didn't list the service I wanted, but it turned up on time, and dropped me off outside the Canalside shop, with another 5-minute walk down to the marina. Our car didn't respond to the radio button on the key, but woke up when I opened the door manually. Everything was fine – just a bit of air needed in the tyres. Both problems resolved!

And so it was farewell to the mooring that has been Erin Mae's base for nearly 11 years.

I sorted out paperwork and other stuff with Steve in the office, and said good-bye to the people who've been part of this aspect of our lives for so long. It will be strange not to be going back there.