All breath in

Very excited this morning to be going on our canal boat trip, and all packed for what looks like a hot week ahead, including fishing tackle.
First a stop off at Mark’s to sing Happy Birthday and give him his pressies. We bought him a Henderson Relish T-shirt and S&S got him a limited edition Bowie LP. He was a very happy chap.
Then we were on our way to Oxfordshire to pick up the boat. What should’ve been an hours journey took 2hrs, 4 accidents on the M40!
After unpacking the car at the boatyard, 3 of us went to Tesco for supplies. Laura and I pushed 2 trolleys and scanned the food and booze as Sam chose the items. She didn’t have a list but has already thought through the weeks menu and she was in her element whilst we were having flight palpitations at the speed she was going up and down the aisles. 1 hr later and £340 of stock for 8 people with all tastes and favourites included, we headed back to the boat where some of the crew were being given a lesson in how to use it.
Then we were escorted to the first lock and shown what to do before they left us to our devices for the next 7 days. Amazing, and some might say foolish on their part and worrying for other canal users.
For the next few hours we meandered our way along, with the odd bump and screams coming from the front of the boat. As it’s an 8 birth boat it’s very long and there are some fairly tight bends as well as very narrow locks. We found s quiet spot to moor by sunset and Sam had prepared tonight dinner, aubergine and bean chilli with rice and fajitas with “lashings of ginger beer”.
It’s feeling very Swallows and Amazon like but with the Comic Strip.