Narrowboat Independence: May the fourth be with you

Some people; and I'm one of them-make a fuss on and about their birthday. I have long maintained that the more birthdays you have the longer you live. Thus if life is good then why not celebrate living a year longer. If life aint too good-and its all comparative- then you might want to absent yourself from this planet and seek your fortune elsewhere. Good luck. I did hear that at the Swiss branch of Exit you get Cheerios for breakfast which is a nice touch.

Our good friend Adrian whom I have known for many years does not like a fuss on his birthday but as he was three score and ten on 2nd May we met for dinner with Geoff J, Pam and Mac and Carrie. to celebrate. Not just that Ady was 70 but as much that we had the pleasure of his friendship for such a long time; in Geoff and my terms some 50+ years.

An engraved lock handle seemed suitable

presented before dinner at Brasserie Blanc

We had hoped that Roy and Annie could join us but for various reasons too complicated for you to understand they couldn't but they, together with the others present, presented Ady with the engraved windlass for all his years of lockworking.

Bring on the Bollinger! Cheers Ady!

One Big Puff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A grand evening, a fine meal and a lovely bloke. Happy Birthday Adrian.

This is the lock at Northchurch; the post which supports the bottom paddle. Fixed to the top is a locking mechanism to deter vandals necessary because rather than catching the vandals and hanging them from a nearby tree we choose to inconvenience boaters. Shame.

The hole in the top of the mechanism believe it or not is now the entrance to a blue tit's nest. I can't prove it because despite hanging around for an hour I have not been able to get a picture of the bird entering or leaving. Watch this space.

Bank Holiday Monday and we're off to see a windmill. It was Open Day at Lacey Green near Princes Risborough and as we'd never been round a windmill before-well not on the inside anyway- we thought we'd have a look.

(When's the best time to see a windmill-when the sails are on!)

Some pictures for you to look at.....enjoy

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour which was very informative in that before we went we knew nothing but now we know loads. The windmill was built in the 1600s and since 1971 has been restored with voluntary labour inder the auspices of the Chiltern Society (http://www.laceygreenwindmill.org.uk/)

The resident butterfly.

Carluccios has been my favourite of the chain restaurants for many years and is the one restaurant where I invariably go veggie ordering the mushroom pasta. So it was a treat on Thursday to attend the Berko branch where the great man himself was doing a book signing. I love mushrooms and to get his book signed by Antonio was great fun. Seemed a really nice fella and I was pleased that Pam got a photo of us. It made up for the time a couple of years back when at Rick Stein's restaurant in Padstowe Ady failed to get a photo of Rick and myself despite me having got one of them. Not that I ever mention it.