At Last Back in the UK For Our Summer Sail

What do mice and men do?

They make plans. Best laid plans.  Then, if we are smart mice, we expect our plans to change. So smart mice “expect the unexpected”. These words are part of the drill when you come aboard Adventuress for the first time: and this aphorism is often borne out by events.

So we certainly got a large dose of unexpected when in late May, four days before we were due to fly to England, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer. All was cloudy and uncertain for a few weeks, but then we got lucky as we learned first that Nancy had the "best" type of cancer, then that the treatment was successful, and that she would be signed off and back to virtually normal by mid August. And so now we are finally here in Woodbridge England together on the boat, on August 14, and getting ready for an abbreviated one month sail to the Channel Islands, and possibly to the Isles of Scilly.

We will leave our marina tomorrow with big smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts as recent experience has renewed our appreciation for the happiness we have. 

Here are some photos taken when Nancy arrived in London and on a visit to Dad on our way to Adventuress:

At Roger's pad in London, off to the..............

........The Phantom!  Running for 25 years at Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket: a special occasion to share as Nancy's birthday treat. We had both seen the Phantom twice before, but this was a first for both of us, to see it in its original theatre in London.

 Another revisit, this time to Abington Church where we were married on "countdown day": 12/11/10.  Mum and Dad Knight were married here on July 1 1944 when Dad was granted a 48 hour leave from the RAF to get married! John's sister Jenny, and then John were also baptized here: the Church is over 800 years old.

We enjoyed traditional Sunday Lunch with Dad in Northamptonshire, at Dad's favourite haunt, the Saracen's Head in Little Brington, in the heart of the Spencer Estate, ancestral home of Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. We had carved roast meats, Yorkshire Pudding, and roasted vegetables, of course! Dad celebrated his ninety first birthday on May 1st.

And finally the Admiral is aboard.  Do you think she is happy?

John and Nancy 

Tide Mill Marina, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England.