A family day out

Droitwich Spa Marina to Netherwich Basin, Droitwich

8 locks, 6 swing bridges, 4 miles

A family day out - well nearly all the family.  We were minus our youngest Grandson (J) and his Daddy as J is only 21 months old and not really up for a whole day on a boat.  Next year we hope.  So the rest of us (our son, Mark, daughter in law, Jo, and their three children, M (nearly 10), N (6) and E (4.5) along with our daughter, Sarah, and her eldest son, G (5) set sail for what is becoming a well practised day trip to Droitwich Spa Basin and back again.  There is not much more I can add about the route, but I do have a fair few photos of the family fun.  We were hoping the day would be dry, but were not expecting the glorious sunshine we had all day.  Are we righteous I wonder?

Trainee crew - N,E,G & M

 A full boat

 Well it beats sending them up chimneys!

 G and his Mum, Sarah

 Moored up in Vine Park whilst....

 the crew let off steam

all tied up

  a balancing act

 Mum, Jo wants one in the garden

 Then off to the Gardener's Arms for a first class lunch - the children making a wish in the wishing well.  It was here that Sarah and son G left us as G had a birthday party to go to.

 Back to the boat for pudding

 There were clean plates all round

 The girls did the washing up

 Daddy sitting comfortably!

 My swing bridge assistant

They all had a go at 'helping' Grandpa steer

 We had a fabulous day out - the first of many we hope.  When we were mooring we are not quite sure what happened but there was a shout from Mark (on the stern) to Jo (in the bow) to come quickly as Noah had fallen in!  Thankfully it was only his foot.  It was a bit chaotic around the stern at the time - Grandpa and Daddy trying to moor up, Monty on the stern and some extraneous dog on the pontoon, so not perhaps surprisingly that he lost concentration and lost his footing.  I am glad to report that despite a dog within inches of his boat, Monty did not desert his back deck.

 Monty seeing his latest visitors off the premises

 Now a bit of a postscript - our neighbour on her first outing in the big outside world - Brunhilde aged around 4 months

She even came to visit, but fortunately Monty did not notice

 however when she is on her boat and he is on his he is happy to just sit and watch which is more than he does to the cat that lives next door at home!