Going 'Global' and meeting friends.

Here is Caxton on a super mooring at Stoke Hammond by bridge 106.  We had been looking for a suitable rendezvous for a bunch of  beer-swilling, wine drinking, boaty friends and in our ignorance we thought that the Dolphin Inn at Stoke Hammond might hit the spot.  On checking it out  Friday lunch time it was obviously not going to be suitable and the next inn, three quarters of a mile further south at Soulbury, was charging £8.50 - £11.50 for a burger - perhaps a mite expensive for bashed beef and a dry roll so we needed to move on.

We had been told by fellow boaters that The Globe was potentially a better eatery so we headed off towards Linslade, mooring half way between bridge 110 and 111 (above) and walked around to check out the menu which was quite extensive and reasonably priced; this would do then. 

The advance party of Graham and Jill (Nb Matilda Rose) and the Caxton crew checked the menu (above) before I rang Richard and Sue of Indigo Dream who were enroute to join us.

"We are at The Globe and it looks fine and there are moorings outside" I says 

"Ok", came the reply, "we will be with you in two and a hour hours. 

"We will see you in the morning then or you will find us under the table in two and a half hours" 

Saturday morning arrived and we walked back to the pub to meet Sue and Richard and Greygal and A, lunched there and then boarded the Chucklebus (Indigo Dream) and set off for a cruise with eight humans and six dogs on board.  What a day! It was tee-shirt weather, sunshine and blue skies and a lovely stretch of canal to enjoy.  Sue and Greygal took turns at the helm, Richard did a grand job as chief steward and he rest of the crew shared the locks and dog walking duties.  

We had a really super day together and given we only knew each other because of our respective blogs it just goes to show what a powerful and useful tool/medium a blog can be.  

We moved off on our southerly journey Sunday morning leaving Sue and Richard and dogs to their leisurely start.  We made bridge 118, (above) just north of Slapton and gave up for the day; there were too many boaters about and we were beginning to queue for locks. Enough we said... and so the bed.