Saint George Celebrations at Cowroast

We are getting ready for our St George's Celebration on 27th. As any good English person knows the actual feast is on Tuesday, 23rd but here at Cowroast we like to get together the following weekend and raise a glass or two and a bob or two for charity.
So the previous weekend it's time to clean off the chairs (and give Roy his annual hose-down)



The week leading up to the weekend is beautiful but the forecast for Saturday is doom and gloom.

Nay Bother-the marquees are up, the food is ordered and there are 40 odd (very) people coming to the mooring to celebrate our Patron Saint.
There will be a barbecue, wine-tasting, a raffle for Pam's school in Uganda (TEAMS)  http://paminuganda.wordpress.com/  and an auction, the proceeds of which will go to The Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted.

All we need now is the weather!

Well I promised a sun-drenched day and got it half right. Chilly becoming cold with intermittent showers throughout the day but we are English and getting soaked whilst burning the outside of a sausage and leaving the middle pink is what we do best!

I think 42 good souls turned up and parted with a tenner to catch flu. It all ran smoothly and the rain forced everybody to gather under the marquees and talk to one another. The wine-tasting, raffle and auction all went well and a total of £696.30  was raised.

Donation to Hospice  £436.30

Donation to TEAMS School in Uganda  £200

Mooring Contingency Fund   £60 (against one of Lord Rothschilds' glis glis eating any more of our equipment)

A great effort by a comparatively small number of very generous people. The event was enhanced by the arrival of many visitiing boats, some displaced from Aylesbury after the recent lock collapse.

The auction never ceases to amaze with the most unutterable crap going for real money.

Remember my bottom?  ( see  Glis Glis, Racehorses and Mandarins )

f

 It fetched 15 quid! And I have no doubt it will return next year and make more money.












 Allegedly Lord Rothschild gave 20 quid to Mike Griffin for the marquee fund but the general opinion is that Mike is in fact Lord R himself.

My thanks to Roy Ullah and Mac and Carrie Dodge for the following pictures
           





WEDNESDAY,15TH MAY and they are on their way leaving Berkhamsted at 7 18 on a dank, cold, cheerless day BUT these two are tough and will take whatever life throws at them. As mentioned before Pam and Diane are cycling from Berkhamsted to Slough and back along the Grand Union Canal to raise money for TEAMS and in particular a school in Gulu Uganda
Why not take a look at the TEAMS website and Pam's Blog from her recent trip
with Diane to Uganda.
.http://www.teamsonline.org/
http://paminuganda.wordpress.com/about/

An hour after starting they are at bridge 153 (nr Sainsburys at Apsley) and going well.

 By 9.15 they are on the outskirts of Watford near Lady Capel Bridge and about to enter Cassiobury Park aiming for the Coy Carp at Harefield by 10 30.
The sun occasionally shows its face but is a tad shy today. Shy! It should be hanging its head in shame for not shining on the two valiant fundraisers.
Good progress till they reach the Slough Arm where the towpath is closed for maintenance and no diversions are marked so over an hour and at least 8 miles added to the trip. A bowl of soup at Mark and Diane's in Slough and heading back accompanied by Mark on the return leg,by a different route to pick up the Grand Union mainline at Cowley.Pam has a bit of a tumble but nothing was going to stop her now.
The weather is improving greatly but the strength is waning and after a womanful effort the weary threesome arrive back in Berkhamsted about 9 30 pm.Too tired even to visit the Lamb! Over 12 hours since they left and at least eleven of them in the saddle. A brilliant and brave effort.

AND WELL WORTH SPONSORING IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE YET!

A hearty meal a bath and a good nights sleep complete the day.

Well done, Pam, Diane and M

ark

With St George's behind us and the sun out at last it's time to get thinking about the outside of "Independence", the planning of the trip to Llangollen and Pam's forthcoming bike ride to Slough and back to raise money towards her target 500 quid for the school in Uganda.This is a total of 53 miles and sponsorship/donations would, of course, be welcome

http://paminuganda.wordpress.com/

plus a video from Uganda on  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMIsxDM_bMs

A training run today, Sunday. The plan was that Pam would cycle from Cowroast to The Grand Junction at Bulbourne with me following on with Independence. We had not bargained for about 700 boys and girls walking from Tring (Station) Bridge southwards. Not a good idea to cycle against the flow especially on a bike on which one is inexperienced.

Pam and bike came on the boat as far as Tring Bridge and then jumped ship and cycled on ahead.

Moored up right by the pub (where else?) and had a couple of beers and a roast dinner. Marvellous.

All back on the boat and back to Cowroast from where Pam cycled back to Berkhamsted..

The highlight was the sighting of two Kingfishers on what I call Kingfisher Bend just south of Tring Station Bridge. They both flew along the canal and alighted on a branch within six inches of one another. Needless to say my camera was at the other end of the boat. 

Work has started on sanding down the outside of Independence-it was so hot today I couldn't touch the roof-what a difference from a fortnight ago but apparently not so different from what's coming tomorrow.

Heavy rain overnight and a dank day so back to normal weather-wise but we press on and Geoff  from the Lock Bungalow does stirling work with a sander whilst looking just a tad camp.

Monday 13th and the forecast for the week is not good either for boat painting or sponsored bike riding. Boatwise I will concentrate on lots of little inside jobs and keep praying for a reasonable day for Pam and Diane on Wednesday. More anon.

The sponsorship is going well and I have no doubt Pam will make her £500 target. More is always welcome. of course, and the weather this evening is so atrocious that if the ride is completed tomorrow both Pam and Diane will deserve a very big round of applause/drinks.