He showed up! We weren’t sure that he was going to….but sure enough, at 6.30am we heard the sound of a hairdryer approaching. Through the miniscule window on the boat we saw Allan pass by on a tiny motorbike powered by 2stroke fuel. With poorly heads we heaved ourselves off the boat and proceeded to wrestle with windlasses and paddles on the locks. We didn’t see him again for quite a while but knew he was ahead by all the open locks, waiting to receive our vessel. We made our destination at the Three Horse Shoes well ahead of schedule. Wow…Sunday dinner with Allan, a couple of diddles and off to bed for a quick nap – we had achieved!
After a quick bowl of pasta on the roof of the boat for fuel, we set to work fiddling with microphones and macs until we had turned the galley into a cosy recording studio. A couple of beers later and we were singing our hearts out putting down a few tracks that will be going on the Grand Union EP. Then it was off to the pub for some more tunes. Friends show up from the previous night (thanks for dancing George and Claire and for harmonious mouth organ Henry)! Allan had rounded up a few troops too – with other passers by, a few old punks and bonafide boaters we had a crowd, dancing and frolics. Copious amounts of drink later, Lorna got challenged to work a lock single handedly the following morning – which she drunkenly committed herself to do. We rambled home along the bank whilst the rain poured.
5.30am Wednesday – Lorna wakes to the sound of rain. The toilet and shower have filled with water. She has a terrible hangover and feeling quite wobbly. She turns off her alarm and hopes for a lie-in – admitting defeat before she had even attempted her challenge.