Wednesday 24th August

Blue skies and sunshine again though we may get some rain this afternoon. We set off down the Severn towards Gloucester but the engine started missing again – we’ve had this a few times now and as we are going to be on a semi tidal river after Tewkesbury Richard felt that it was time to get it sorted out. We turned round and headed back to Upton Marina and called out River and Canal Rescue – again! The strange thing is that when Richard went to the Marina office and told the chap the boat name he remembered it! Apparently Mary H used to live in Upton Marina and was owned by a couple who were doing a barn conversion locally and that when they had finished their house they sold her. It’s nice to know these things but I still don’t know why she is called Mary ‘H’!! The RCR man who is based at the marina came and it was agreed that it was fuel starvation. He changed one fuel filter which was pretty filthy but the other was OK. We set off again and all seems to be well though we will call in there on our way back up the Severn to have the fuel cleaned as there is obviously dirt in there. The lovely morning started to cloud over and the wind got up, blowing my plants over! There were waves on the river which were bashing the steel hull and making a dreadful noise. We had some rain on the way down but not too much, we moored up at a pub called The Boat as it is the last mooring place before Gloucester and then the heavens opened – good timing! We went for a short walk and then to visit the pub – only to pay our mooring dues of course! The pub is renowned for its beer and apparently people from all over go to visit. It is down the end of a dead end and there is no sign anywhere so unless you were told you wouldn’t have any idea it was there. Three pints later we wandered back to the boat and I started to cook dinner. Richard opened the side doors and there was an awful splash – Millie had been walking down the side deck just at the wrong moment and had been knocked into the river. Richard shouted “Millie” and leapt out of the cabin onto the back deck and was amazed to see Millie swimming like mad round the stern of the boat to the shore. She got out, up onto the pontoon and back into the boat – we both stood there gobsmacked! Millie seemed quite unfazed about it all – I would have thought she would have run under the chair when she came in but instead she came straight onto the work surface where I was preparing food as if to say “towel, I need a towel!” We wrapped her up but her head was still dry - when I fell in my head went right under! It was surprising how quickly she dried herself off – well all except the tip of her tail which stayed wet for ages. The experts say all cats can swim but some choose not to – fortunately she is one who chooses to :-)