City Folk Afloat....

Ahoy!

On Saturday 5th July 33 intrepid voyagers boarded a vessel of ship shape seaworthiness at the Canal Basin in Chichester bound for … who knows where? All brought beverages, some brought hard-tack, and everyone brought music. No one brought a life jacket!

The Chichester Ship Canal Trust provided the venue and a most helpful crew for their boat The Richmond. Some surprise was voiced at the number of instruments coming aboard, but I believe these were all used at some point in the evening. I guess Cap’n John and his helpers were more accustomed to people gawping out of the windows at the canal-side wildlife while ignoring the floating discarded plastic detritus.

Importantly, we made music, and WHAT MUSIC! Surely, that’s what we’re about. It would be churlish of me to single out performances. Jane video’d much of what went on. I have yet to fathom YouTube, but, for all its flaws, I hope to publish that recording in due course. It is a smashing record of a congregation of good people having great fun together.

My particular and sincere thanks are due to David for MCing the event. Equally, I am grateful for the eager cooperation of everyone who participated. Nearly everyone arrived in good time (albeit Linda and her companions generated some anxiety while stuck in a Bognor petrol station!)

As ‘organiser/dogsbody/etc …’ my aim was to arrange an enjoyable outing subsidised 50% by the club. Between us we achieved that, and everyone willingly coughed up fivers in advance. More importantly, everyone had a great time.

Epilogue:

…. At 2200 hours The Richmond berthed once more at the Canal Basin. No souls were lost in the voyage and the female cabin boy retained her virginity!

I suspect we shall do it again.

Colin.