The Big One (10-1)

Sunday 3rd June 2012

Newark on Trent

We woke to the noise of the heavy rain on the roof - the standard harbinger of a bank holiday weekend. Looking around all the bunting was limp and wet, all the flags sodden and furled round the flagpoles.  Later we were serenaded by the distant sound of the muffled bells of the church in Newark. The birds were quiet, no chirping and singing today.

There was a cold wind and so people who were on the move, were well wrapped up against the wind and rain. Umbrellas, hats, scarves and heavy coats were the apparel of the day. A dank and miserable picture. I took the dogs for a walk and the grass was muddy and full of large puddles along the towpath.

We watched the Moto GP on television and then turned over to watch the boats on the Thames. However, we turned down the sound after a while.  There were a few pundits of history and the sycophants of all things Royal ensconced on the studio settees. It was embarrassing listening to the commentators trying to talk up some enthusiasm for a damp squib. 

The flying display was cancelled though you might have thought the RAF could have taken advantage of running the flypast earlier in the day when there was a break in the weather and the cloud ceiling was much higher. But typical of the British we do it on-time or we don't do it at all.

To deliberately fly the flag upside down is a signal indicating a situation of some distress. It is also "lese Majeste", and is theoretically still a crime in Great Britain  and its commonwealth!

Did you fly your "Union Jack" (to annoy the pedantic) the right way up.

The one thing that came to mind was that the good old British public just got on with it. Stoical to the end, they waved their flags from under their umbrellas.  On the news, their was a brief shot of some protesters, kettled and corralled into a corner. How very third world we have become.

We had planned to go to the celebrations in Newark town centre, however the rain and cold put a damper on that as an idea. We lit the fire instead and listened to the rain on the roof. We heard it, but could not see it. As what sounded like a very disenchanted marching band paraded along the street on the other side of the nearby houses. there were many dogs barking a complimentary tune of their own - quite bizarre

The evening celebrations in the park with a rock band and beer tent was sparsely populated. But at least the mini Woodstock concert in the park lived up to the British tradition for all of our pop festival's with lashings of rain and acres of mud.

We braved a lull in the rain and went out for a meal. We went to the Castle Indian Restaurant where we had eaten a few days ago. The food was excellent again and so we did have a good ending to the day after all. Three years in the planning and at a cost of £270, 000,000, my birthday celebrations came to and end.

Ps. The Top Flag above is correct. The flag pole can be either side.

Daily Total

Miles: 0.0

Locks: 0

Swing / Lift Bridges: 0

Tunnels: 0

Pump Outs: 0

Engine Hours: 0.0

Accumulated Totals
Miles: 706.9

Locks: 653

Swing / Lift Bridges: 115

Tunnels: 6

Pump Outs: 9

Engine Hours: 2152.5


Later......