Canal Boat Project

Yesterday I had a rest day from training and took the opportunity to take a leisurely cruise on the canal in 'Stort Daybreak', the boat I launched a few years back that began my association with the Harlow Canal Boat Project. Its a charity I'm very close to and try to support as much as I can because it allows people with a disability to enjoy our wonderful network of canals in specially adapted wheelchair accessible barges.

I went along with my niece Sylvia, my son Tim and two of his friends, Ben and Daniel, and we were joined on board by Robert Halfon and his girlfriend, the Project Co-Ordinator Doreen Goodall and her husband, and Mark, a wheelchair shooter. Our skipper was Tom Bilbow,first mate Les Hunt and Michael Motts was the crewman. It was lovely to be in such mixed company and we all had a great time as the barge crunched its way through the frozen over canal. Tim and his friends had a great time helping the crew to work the locks and got a lovely certificate each for their efforts. Mind you, I felt like I was on the 'Titanic' and was on the lookout for icebergs! Thank goodness there weren't any. We had a lovely lunch at Parndon Mill before returning to base. It was a lovely day out and many thanks to Doreen for arranging it and the crew for making our journey a safe one.