Canal Trip Tuesday 12.10.10

The journey is a simple one; down the canal to SHARPNESS and back in a river cruise boat.





 We'll be stopping along the way to take a look around. It sounds NICE.

Gerry the Captain took us on our odyssey at a right regal pace. 

We wandered off the boat to take a turn around the Wild Fowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge.

I took a bit of a shine to these fish in the tropical house.

And also to this proud father who was, it seemed on a bring your baby to work day.

Of course we saw a lot of water fowl, 

what else would you expect here?

Caught sight of these GNOMES just outside Gloucester yesterday, they were standing around, minding their own business. Similarly a good few fishermen were sitting around, minding their own business. 

And I thought; we could replace the fishermen with gnomes. The fish would like it ( if they were sentient, that is), I'd like it, if only because anglers always look so miserable to me, unlike the gnomes who look so chipper all the time.

Is this guy fishing for Pike

Called Pike

Or a pikey

?

We drifted on, 

Admiring the view from the observation deck

and planned the next days visit.

Evening fell and still we stayed on top, watching as the world slipped by, hypnotised.

The hulks of the two vessels that had brought down the railway bridge that crossed the Severn, lay in the spot they had limped to around 40 years ago.

There is no doubting the simple beauty of the Severn at any time of day, in any weather.

We hove to beside the old railway crossing for the night,

(MeWally)

and settled down to the Captains Cocktail Party

 and an evening of entertainment.

'Bunny' was our host for the evening. A singer and impersonator.

A small group of LADIES were having trouble with technology and after much irritated muttering and discussion, one of them said, 

How do I turn it on?

Thinks, Stroke it gently, phnaa phnaa. It turned  out that I'd said it out loud – too loud! I must engage tongue before brain -----

Turns out it was a digi camera – point and shoot type that was causing the problem. We decided to help them out by making bunny gestures behind the heads of the old girls who were to be the crash test dummies in the inaugural picture. They were soooo upset by the light from a window and 'other stuff'  that had ruined their shot!  Thankfully Bunny had, by this time set up his gear and was about to serenade us all. I hoped it would sooth the brows of the old gals behind. 

As Bunny sang his way through a smorgasbord of classic, sing-along numbers,  a lady passenger said  'How much longer's this going on for?' She was deaf as a post and seated a long way off, on the other side of the boat. I don't think she had a clue how loudly she had spoken. Poor Bunny.

Even though he has a lovely voice and an engaging personality, in the middle of, 'Let's Twist Again'. his accomplice yawned. Yes, YAWNED!!

Such a  disloyal girl  : )

When he had finished and left, as in, Bunny has left the boat, a woman said the act had made her think about the music she might use at her funeral. Moanie Moanie I wondered, perhaps a little uncharitably.