APRIL 28th--May 4th

We stayed at the Packet Boat Marina for over a week.
On Friday, April 30th, we set off in the car for a long weekend
in Derbyshire with my church. We had glorious weather and great fun with the group.
We did a walk each day and dined and wined in local hostelries in the evenings.

We came back to the boat on Monday evening, and had intended setting off
down to Little Venice again on Tuesday. But the weather was awful, heavy rain and windy.
So we stayed put at the marina for another night, hoping it would improve by tomorrow.

So I'm sorry, but there's little to report this week!
May be this is a good time to tell you about the origin of the name Packet Boat Marina.
The Paddington Packet Boat used to run daily from Paddington to Cowley-
which is where we are right now.
It was one of the few passenger boats plying regularly along the Grand Junction canal.
It was pulled by four horses and had precedence over all other boats,
so it covered the fifteen mile lock-free run in a time that was remarkable
at the beginning of the 19thC.

Thank you to all of our friends who "tune in" regularly to see how we're doing.
And thank you also to all those people I've never met,
but who email to tell me that they've found our website one way or another,
and how much they enjoy it. It's really quite exciting to hear from people
all over the world who read the site.

Here are a few extra photographs--I know you like pictures!



IVOR & MEL BATCHELOR'S WORKING BOATS AT BRAUNSTON,
WHERE WE USED TO BUY OUR COAL AND DIESEL



FEEDING THE DUCKS!



WHAT A MAGNIFICENT BOAT!

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